S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                  4283

                       2015-2016 Regular Sessions

                            I N  S E N A T E

                             March 11, 2015
                               ___________

Introduced  by  Sen.  MURPHY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
  printed to be committed to the Committee on Corporations,  Authorities
  and Commissions

AN  ACT  to  amend the benevolent orders law, the general municipal law,
  the general city law, the military law and the real property tax  law,
  in  relation  to  declaring  the  Vietnam  Veterans of America to be a
  benevolent order  and  granting  such  organization  various  benefits
  available  to  specified  veterans'  organizations;  and  to amend the
  public buildings law, in relation to setting aside space in the  capi-
  tol for use as quarters of the Vietnam Veterans of America

  THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section 1. Section 2 of the benevolent orders law is amended by adding
a new subdivision 59 to read as follows:
  59.  THE VIETNAM VETERANS OF AMERICA, OR ANY SUBORDINATE CHAPTER THER-
EOF, WHICH IS DULY CHARTERED BY AND INSTITUTED ACCORDING TO THE  CONSTI-
TUTION AND LAWS OF THAT ORGANIZATION.
  S 2. Section 7 of the benevolent orders law is amended by adding a new
subdivision 16-i to read as follows:
  16-I.    ANY  NUMBER  OF  CHARTERS OF THE VIETNAM VETERANS OF AMERICA,
CHARTERED AND INSTALLED ACCORDING TO THE REGULATIONS OF  THAT  ORGANIZA-
TION;
  S  3.    Subdivision  1 of section 77 of the general municipal law, as
amended by chapter 1013 of the laws of  1969,  is  amended  to  read  as
follows:
  1. A municipal corporation may lease, for not exceeding five years, to
a  post  or posts of the Grand Army of the Republic, Veterans of Foreign
Wars of the United States, American Legion, Catholic War Veterans, Inc.,
Disabled American Veterans, the Army  and  Navy  Union,  U.S.A.,  Marine
Corps  League,  AMVETS,  American  Veterans  of World War II, Jewish War
Veterans of the United States, Inc., Italian American  War  Veterans  of

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD07567-02-5
              

S. 4283                             2

the  United  States,  Incorporated, Masonic War Veterans of the State of
New York, Inc., Veterans of World War I of the United States of  America
Department  of New York, Inc., Polish-American Veterans of World War II,
Amsterdam,  N.Y.,  Inc., Polish-American Veterans of World War II, Sche-
nectady, N.Y., Inc., Polish Legion of American Veterans,  Inc.,  VIETNAM
VETERANS   OF   AMERICA  or  other  veteran  organization  of  honorably
discharged members of the armed forces of the United  States  or  to  an
incorporated  organization  or an association of either active or exempt
volunteer firemen, a public building or part thereof, belonging to  such
municipal  corporation, except schoolhouses in actual use as such, with-
out expense, or at a nominal rent, fixed by the board or council  having
charge  of  such  buildings  and  provide furniture and furnishings, and
heat, light and janitor service therefor, in like manner.
  S 4. Section 13 of the general city  law,  as  separately  amended  by
chapters 14 and 982 of the laws of 1965, is amended to read as follows:
  S 13. Moneys  for Memorial and Veterans days; how expended. The moneys
appropriated by a city for observance  of  Memorial  and  Veterans  days
therein  pursuant  to  section  twelve of this chapter shall be expended
under the direction of a board composed of the mayor and the  commanders
and  quartermasters  of  the  Grand Army posts, the American Legion, the
United Spanish War Veterans camps, the Veterans of Foreign Wars  of  the
United  States, the Army and Navy Union of the United States, the Marine
Corps League, Inc., the Catholic War Veterans, Inc., the Italian  Ameri-
can  War  Veterans  of  the  United States, Incorporated, the Jewish War
Veterans of the United States and commanders and treasurers of  Sons  of
Veterans,  Military  Order  of the Purple Heart, Inc., Disabled American
Veterans camps, AMVETS, American Veterans of World War II,  Masonic  War
Veterans  of the State of New York, Inc., Veterans of World War I of the
United States of America Department of New York,  Inc.,  Polish-American
Veterans of World War II, Amsterdam, N. Y., Inc., Polish-American Veter-
ans of World War II, Schenectady, N. Y., Inc., Polish Legion of American
Veterans,  Inc.,  United Veteran's Association of America, Incorporated,
VIETNAM VETERANS OF AMERICA and the United Veterans Memorial and  Execu-
tive Committee of such city. The whole amount of such money appropriated
or any part thereof may be spent by such board in observance of Memorial
and  Veterans days.  Bills properly verified for all claims and expendi-
tures arising under  section  twelve  of  this  chapter  or  under  this
section,  shall  be  presented to and audited by such board and shall be
paid by the common council of any such  city.  The  moneys  appropriated
shall be raised by tax on the real and personal property liable to taxa-
tion  in  any  such  city in the same manner as the ordinary expenses of
maintaining the city government.
  S 5.  Subdivision 3 of section 24 of the military law, as  amended  by
chapter 141 of the laws of 1988, is amended to read as follows:
  3.  He  is  authorized to request and accept from incorporated associ-
ations of veterans of the different regiments, statements  and  informa-
tion  duly authenticated by them, descriptive of their colors, standards
and battle flags, together with the number and  class  of  arms  of  the
regiment, the date and place of muster into the service of the state and
also  into  the service of the United States, the period of service, and
the date and place of muster-out, the date of departure for the seat  of
war,  and  the  various  battles  and engagements and places of service,
including garrison duty, the time of joining brigades, corps and armies,
with the time and nature of the service, and the names  of  colonels  of
such regiments, the names of those killed in action, including those who
died  of wounds, and the names of those who died of disease during their

S. 4283                             3

period of service. He is further authorized to ask the  cooperation  and
assistance  of  the  adjutant-general  of  the United States, and of the
city, county and town authorities and officials, and of the  Grand  Army
of  the  Republic,  the  Military  Order of the Loyal Legion, the United
Spanish War Veterans, the American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars,
the Jewish War Veterans of the United States, Inc. ,  the  Catholic  War
Veterans, Inc. , the Italian American War Veterans of the United States,
Incorporated,  the  Polish  Legion  of  American Veterans, Inc., VIETNAM
VETERANS OF AMERICA and of other organizations and persons in the  state
of  New  York and elsewhere in the collection of such other information,
relics, memorials and battle flags as is contemplated by  this  article,
in  order  to  make  as  complete  as  possible the records, history and
statistics of the patriotic service of the soldiers of the state  during
the wars in which the state participated.
  S  6. Paragraph b of subdivision 1 of section 183 of the military law,
as amended by chapter 141 of the laws of 1988, is  amended  to  read  as
follows:
  b. On application of one or more posts or chapters of the United Span-
ish  War  Veterans, the American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars of
the United States, the Disabled American Veterans, the AMVETS,  American
Veterans  of World War II, the Jewish War Veterans of the United States,
Inc., the Catholic War Veterans, Inc., the Italian American War Veterans
of the United States, Incorporated, the Polish Legion of American Veter-
ans, Inc., the Army and Navy Union of  the  United  States  of  America,
VIETNAM  VETERANS  OF  AMERICA, posts of the Masonic War Veterans of the
state of New York, Incorporated, or groups  or  squadrons  of  New  York
Wing,  Civil  Air Patrol, or of incorporated associations of veterans of
units of the organized militia, or one or  more  posts  or  chapters  of
organizations  of sons of veterans of any war of the United States or of
the Reserve Officers Association of the United States, or those historic
military commands set forth in section two hundred forty-a of [the] this
chapter, approved by the officer in charge and control  of  the  armory,
and by his military superiors as prescribed by regulations issued pursu-
ant  to this chapter and under such restrictions as may be prescribed by
the adjutant general, the officer in charge and  control  of  an  armory
shall provide a proper and convenient room or rooms or other appropriate
space  in  such armory where such posts or chapters may hold regular and
special meetings and organizational social events of  a  private  nature
without  the  payment  of  any charge or expense therefor, provided that
such use does not interfere with the members and units of the  organized
militia stationed in such armory.
  S  7.  Subdivision  1  of section 452 of the real property tax law, as
amended by chapter 610 of the laws  of  1960,  is  amended  to  read  as
follows:
  1.  Real property owned by a corporation, association or post composed
of veterans of the Grand Army of the Republic, Veterans of Foreign Wars,
Disabled American Veterans, the United Spanish War Veterans, the  Jewish
War  Veterans  of  the United States, Inc., Catholic War Veterans, Inc.,
the American Legion, AMVETS, American Veterans of World War II,  Italian
American  War  Veterans  of the United States, Incorporated, Masonic War
Veterans of the State of New York,  Incorporated,  VIETNAM  VETERANS  OF
AMERICA  and  any  other  corporation  or association of veterans of the
armed forces of the United States in any war, actually  and  exclusively
used  and  occupied  by  such  corporation, association or post shall be
exempt from taxation and exempt  from  special  ad  valorem  levies  and

S. 4283                             4

special assessments to the extent provided in section four hundred nine-
ty of this chapter.
  S  8.  The public buildings law is amended by adding a new section 5-b
to read as follows:
  S 5-B. QUARTERS FOR VIETNAM VETERANS OF AMERICA. THERE  SHALL  BE  SET
ASIDE,  WHEN  AVAILABLE, SUITABLY FURNISHED SPACE BY THE COMMISSIONER OF
GENERAL SERVICES, IN THE CAPITOL, FOR THE USE AS QUARTERS OF THE VIETNAM
VETERANS OF AMERICA, NEW YORK STATE COUNCIL, IN THE TRANSACTION  OF  ITS
BUSINESS  AND  PRESERVATION OF ITS RECORDS. SUCH QUARTERS SHALL BE UNDER
THE CHARGE OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE VIETNAM VETERANS OF AMERICA, NEW YORK
STATE COUNCIL, AND SUCH OFFICERS WHO ARE MEMBERS OF SUCH ORGANIZATION AS
HIS OR HER SUCCESSOR MAY APPOINT.
  S 9. This act shall take effect immediately.