S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
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7124--A
2021-2022 Regular Sessions
I N S E N A T E
June 1, 2021
___________
Introduced by Sen. BROOKS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Housing, Construction and
Community Development -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered
reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the real property tax law, the executive law, the educa-
tion law, the public health law, the civil service law, the public
officers law, the public housing law and the social services law, in
relation to conforming the definition of a veteran serving in the
Vietnam war era to newly enacted federal law (H.R. 7105) for veterans
who served in-country in the Republic of Vietnam from between February
28, 1961 and May 7, 1975, to any active duty service in the Republic
of Vietnam that occurred between November 1, 1955 and May 7, 1975
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subdivision 1 of section 458-a of the
real property tax law, as amended by chapter 179 of the laws of 2006, is
amended to read as follows:
(a) "Period of war" means the Spanish-American war; the Mexican border
period; World War I; World War II; the hostilities, known as the Korean
war, which commenced June twenty-seventh, nineteen hundred fifty and
terminated on January thirty-first, nineteen hundred fifty-five; the
hostilities, known as the Vietnam war, which commenced [February twen-
ty-eighth, nineteen hundred sixty-one] NOVEMBER FIRST, NINETEEN HUNDRED
FIFTY-FIVE and terminated on May seventh, nineteen hundred seventy-five;
and the hostilities, known as the Persian Gulf conflict, which commenced
August second, nineteen hundred ninety.
§ 2. Clause 7 of subparagraph (v) of paragraph a of subdivision 1 of
section 364 of the executive law, as amended by chapter 490 of the laws
of 2019, is amended to read as follows:
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD11047-02-1
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(7) in the Vietnam conflict from the [twenty-eighth day of February,
nineteen hundred sixty-one] FIRST DAY OF NOVEMBER, NINETEEN HUNDRED
FIFTY-FIVE to the seventh day of May, nineteen hundred seventy-five;
§ 3. Paragraph (d) of subdivision 1 of section 668 of the education
law, as amended by chapter 261 of the laws of 1995, is amended to read
as follows:
(d) [December twenty-second, nineteen hundred sixty-one] NOVEMBER
FIRST, NINETEEN HUNDRED FIFTY-FIVE to May seventh, nineteen hundred
seventy-five.
§ 4. Subdivision 1 of section 668-c of the education law, as amended
by chapter 490 of the laws of 2019, is amended to read as follows:
1. Eligible students. Awards shall be made to Vietnam veterans' resi-
dent children born with Spina Bifida enrolled in approved undergraduate
or graduate programs at degree granting institutions. For the purpose of
this section, "Vietnam veteran" shall mean a person who served in Indo-
china at any time from the [twenty-second day of December, nineteen
hundred sixty-one] FIRST DAY OF NOVEMBER, NINETEEN HUNDRED FIFTY-FIVE,
to and including the seventh day of May, nineteen hundred seventy-five
and (a) was honorably discharged from the armed forces of the United
States, or (b) has a qualifying condition, as defined in section three
hundred fifty of the executive law, and has received a discharge other
than bad conduct or dishonorable from the armed forces of the United
States, or (c) is a discharged LGBT veteran, as defined in section three
hundred fifty of the executive law, and has received a discharge other
than bad conduct or dishonorable from the armed forces of the United
States; "born with Spina Bifida" shall mean a diagnosis at birth of such
disease inclusive of all forms, manifestations, complications and asso-
ciated medical conditions thereof, but shall not include Spina Bifida
Occulta. Such diagnosis shall be in accordance with the provisions of
the federal Spina Bifida program and shall be documented by the United
States Administration of Veterans' Affairs.
§ 5. Paragraph a of subdivision 1 of section 669-a of the education
law, as amended by chapter 490 of the laws of 2019, is amended to read
as follows:
a. "Vietnam veteran" means (i) a person who is a resident of this
state, (ii) who served in the armed forces of the United States in Indo-
china at any time from the [twenty-eighth day of February, nineteen
hundred sixty-one] FIRST DAY OF NOVEMBER, NINETEEN HUNDRED FIFTY-FIVE,
to and including the seventh day of May, nineteen hundred seventy-five,
and (iii) who was either discharged therefrom under honorable condi-
tions, including but not limited to honorable discharge, discharge under
honorable conditions, or general discharge, or has a qualifying condi-
tion, as defined in section three hundred fifty of the executive law,
and has received a discharge other than bad conduct or dishonorable from
such service, or is a discharged LGBT veteran, as defined in section
three hundred fifty of the executive law, and has received a discharge
other than bad conduct or dishonorable from such service.
§ 6. Paragraph (f) of subdivision 1 of section 2632 of the public
health law, as amended by chapter 414 of the laws of 2015, is amended to
read as follows:
(f) Viet Nam conflict between [February twenty-eighth, nineteen
hundred sixty-one] NOVEMBER FIRST, NINETEEN HUNDRED FIFTY-FIVE and May
seventh, nineteen hundred seventy-five, both inclusive; or
§ 7. Subparagraph 4 of paragraph (c) of subdivision 1 of section 85 of
the civil service law, as amended by chapter 179 of the laws of 2006, is
amended to read as follows:
S. 7124--A 3
(4) Hostilities participated in by the military forces of the United
States, from the [twenty-eighth day of February, nineteen hundred
sixty-one] FIRST DAY OF NOVEMBER, NINETEEN HUNDRED FIFTY-FIVE to the
seventh day of May, nineteen hundred seventy-five.
§ 8. Section 63 of the public officers law, as amended by chapter 490
of the laws of 2019, is amended to read as follows:
§ 63. Leave of absence for veterans on Memorial day and Veterans' day.
It shall be the duty of the head of every public department and of every
court of the state of New York, of every superintendent or foreman on
the public works of said state, of the county officers of the several
counties of said state, of the town officers of the various towns in
this state, of the fire district officers of the various fire districts
in this state, and of the head of every department, bureau and office in
the government of the various cities and villages in this state, and the
officers of any public benefit corporation or any public authority of
this state, or of any public benefit corporation or public authority of
any county or subdivision of this state, to give leave of absence with
pay for twenty-four hours on the day prescribed by law as a public holi-
day for the observance of Memorial day and on the eleventh day of Novem-
ber, known as Veterans' day, to every person in the service of the
state, the county, the town, the fire district, the city or village, the
public benefit corporation or public authority of this state, or any
public benefit corporation or public authority of any county or subdivi-
sion of this state, as the case may be, (i) who served on active duty in
the armed forces of the United States during world war I or world war
II, or who was employed by the War Shipping Administration or Office of
Defense Transportation or their agents as a merchant seaman documented
by the United States Coast Guard or Department of Commerce, or as a
civil servant employed by the United States Army Transport Service
(later redesignated as the United States Army Transportation Corps,
Water Division) or the Naval Transportation Service; and who served
satisfactorily as a crew member during the period of armed conflict,
December seventh, nineteen hundred forty-one, to August fifteenth, nine-
teen hundred forty-five, aboard merchant vessels in oceangoing, i.e.,
foreign, intercoastal, or coastwise service as such terms are defined
under federal law (46 USCA 10301 & 10501) and further to include "near
foreign" voyages between the United States and Canada, Mexico, or the
West Indies via ocean routes, or public vessels in oceangoing service or
foreign waters and who has received a Certificate of Release or
Discharge from Active Duty and a discharge certificate, or an Honorable
Service Certificate/Report of Casualty, from the Department of Defense,
or who served as a United States civilian employed by the American Field
Service and served overseas under United States Armies and United States
Army Groups in world war II during the period of armed conflict, Decem-
ber seventh, nineteen hundred forty-one through May eighth, nineteen
hundred forty-five, and who (a) was discharged or released therefrom
under honorable conditions, or (b) has a qualifying condition, as
defined in section three hundred fifty of the executive law, and has
received a discharge other than bad conduct or dishonorable from such
service, or (c) is a discharged LGBT veteran, as defined in section
three hundred fifty of the executive law, and has received a discharge
other than bad conduct or dishonorable from such service or who served
as a United States civilian Flight Crew and Aviation Ground Support
Employee of Pan American World Airways or one of its subsidiaries or its
affiliates and served overseas as a result of Pan American's contract
with Air Transport Command or Naval Air Transport Service during the
S. 7124--A 4
period of armed conflict, December fourteenth, nineteen hundred forty-
one through August fourteenth, nineteen hundred forty-five, and who (d)
was discharged or released therefrom under honorable conditions, or (e)
has a qualifying condition, as defined in section three hundred fifty of
the executive law, and has received a discharge other than bad conduct
or dishonorable from such service, or (f) is a discharged LGBT veteran,
as defined in section three hundred fifty of the executive law, and has
received a discharge other than bad conduct or dishonorable from such
service or during the period of the Korean conflict at any time between
the dates of June twenty-seventh, nineteen hundred fifty and January
thirty-first, nineteen hundred fifty-five, or during the period of the
Vietnam conflict from the twenty-eighth day of February, nineteen
hundred sixty-one to the seventh day of May, nineteen hundred seventy-
five, or (ii) who served on active duty in the armed forces of the
United States and who was a recipient of the armed forces expeditionary
medal, navy expeditionary medal or marine corps expeditionary medal for
participation in operations in Lebanon from June first, nineteen hundred
eighty-three to December first, nineteen hundred eighty-seven, in Grena-
da from October twenty-third, nineteen hundred eighty-three to November
twenty-first, nineteen hundred eighty-three, or in Panama from December
twentieth, nineteen hundred eighty-nine to January thirty-first, nine-
teen hundred ninety, or (iii) who served in the armed forces of a
foreign country allied with the United States during world war I or
world war II, or during the period of the Korean conflict at any time
between June twenty-seventh, nineteen hundred fifty and January thirty-
first, nineteen hundred fifty-five, or during the period of the Vietnam
conflict from the [twenty-eighth day of February, nineteen hundred
sixty-one] FIRST DAY OF NOVEMBER, NINETEEN HUNDRED FIFTY-FIVE to the
seventh day of May, nineteen hundred seventy-five, or during the period
of the Persian Gulf conflict from the second day of August, nineteen
hundred ninety to the end of such conflict, or who served on active duty
in the army or navy or marine corps or air force or coast guard of the
United States, and who (a) was honorably discharged or separated from
such service under honorable conditions, or (b) has a qualifying condi-
tion, as defined in section three hundred fifty of the executive law,
and has received a discharge other than bad conduct or dishonorable from
such service, or (c) is a discharged LGBT veteran, as defined in section
three hundred fifty of the executive law, and has received a discharge
other than bad conduct or dishonorable from such service except where
such action would endanger the public safety or the safety or health of
persons cared for by the state, in which event such persons shall be
entitled to leave of absence with pay on another day in lieu thereof.
All such persons who are compensated on a per diem, hourly, semi-monthly
or monthly basis, with or without maintenance, shall also be entitled to
leave of absence with pay under the provisions of this section and no
deduction in vacation allowance or budgetary allowable number of working
days shall be made in lieu thereof. A refusal to give such leave of
absence to one entitled thereto shall be neglect of duty.
§ 9. Subparagraph 1 of paragraph b of subdivision 1 of section 156 of
the public housing law, as amended by chapter 179 of the laws of 2006,
is amended to read as follows:
(1) have served in the armed forces of the United States for a period
of at least six months (or any shorter period which terminated due to
death or injury incurred in such service), provided some portion of the
period of service was between the [twenty-eighth day of February, nine-
S. 7124--A 5
teen hundred sixty-one] FIRST OF NOVEMBER, NINETEEN HUNDRED FIFTY-FIVE
to the seventh day of May, nineteen hundred seventy-five, and
§ 10. Paragraph 7 of subdivision 2 of section 168 of the social
services law, as amended by chapter 179 of the laws of 2006, is amended
to read as follows:
(7) Viet Nam conflict; from the [twenty-eighth day of February, nine-
teen hundred sixty-one] FIRST OF NOVEMBER, NINETEEN HUNDRED FIFTY-FIVE
to and including the seventh day of May, nineteen hundred seventy-five.
§ 11. This act shall take effect immediately.
