S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   8171
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             October 18, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  GALLAGHER  --  read once and referred to the
   Committee on Ways and Means
 
 AN ACT to amend the state finance law, in  relation  to  establishing  a
   fund  to  provide reimbursement to United States citizens or permanent
   residents who reside in the state of New  York  for  expenses  arising
   from  leaving  Israel or Palestine during or as a direct result of the
   conflict that started on October 7, 2023
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Short  title. This act shall be known and may be cited as
 the "emergency safe return of U.S. citizens or permanent residents  from
 Israel or Palestine fund act".
   § 2. The state finance law is amended by adding a new section 97-bbbbb
 to read as follows:
   §  97-BBBBB. EMERGENCY SAFE RETURN OF U.S. CITIZENS OR PERMANENT RESI-
 DENTS FROM ISRAEL OR PALESTINE FUND. 1. THERE IS HEREBY  ESTABLISHED  IN
 THE JOINT CUSTODY OF THE STATE COMPTROLLER AND THE COMMISSIONER OF TAXA-
 TION AND FINANCE AN ACCOUNT OF THE MISCELLANEOUS SPECIAL REVENUE ACCOUNT
 TO  BE KNOWN AS THE "EMERGENCY SAFE RETURN OF U.S. CITIZENS OR PERMANENT
 RESIDENTS FROM ISRAEL OR PALESTINE FUND".
   2. MONEYS IN THE EMERGENCY SAFE RETURN OF U.S. CITIZENS  OR  PERMANENT
 RESIDENTS FROM ISRAEL OR PALESTINE FUND SHALL BE KEPT SEPARATE AND SHALL
 NOT  BE  COMMINGLED  WITH  ANY  OTHER MONEYS IN THE CUSTODY OF THE STATE
 COMPTROLLER AND THE COMMISSIONER OF TAXATION AND FINANCE.
   3. THE EMERGENCY SAFE RETURN OF U.S. CITIZENS OR  PERMANENT  RESIDENTS
 FROM  ISRAEL  OR PALESTINE FUND SHALL CONSIST OF MONEYS APPROPRIATED FOR
 THE PURPOSE OF SUCH ACCOUNT, MONEYS TRANSFERRED TO SUCH ACCOUNT PURSUANT
 TO LAW, CONTRIBUTIONS CONSISTING OF PROMISES OR GRANTS OF ANY  MONEY  OR
 PROPERTY  OF  ANY  KIND OR VALUE, OR ANY OTHER THING OF VALUE, INCLUDING
 GRANTS OR OTHER FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FROM ANY AGENCY OF  GOVERNMENT  AND
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD13434-01-3
 A. 8171                             2
              

 
 MONEYS REQUIRED BY THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION OR ANY OTHER LAW TO BE
 PAID INTO OR CREDITED TO THIS ACCOUNT.
   4.  MONEYS  OF THE EMERGENCY SAFE RETURN OF U.S. CITIZENS OR PERMANENT
 RESIDENTS FROM ISRAEL OR PALESTINE FUND, WHEN ALLOCATED, SHALL BE AVAIL-
 ABLE, TO U.S. CITIZENS OR PERMANENT RESIDENTS WITH BONA  FIDE  RESIDENCY
 IN  THE  STATE  OF  NEW YORK AS REIMBURSEMENT FOR OTHERWISE UNREIMBURSED
 ACTUAL EXPENSES INCURRED RELATING TO TRAVEL OUT OF ISRAEL  OR  PALESTINE
 DURING  OR  AS  A DIRECT RESULT OF THE CONFLICT THAT STARTED ON OR ABOUT
 OCTOBER SEVENTH, TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-THREE, INCLUDING FOR TRAVEL,  LODG-
 ING,  LOST  PERSONAL  PROPERTY, MEDICAL CARE, OR OTHER RELATED EXPENSES,
 INCLUDING ANY REIMBURSEMENT THE INDIVIDUAL WAS REQUIRED  TO  PROVIDE  TO
 THE U.S. FOR SUCH TRAVEL RELATED COSTS.
   5. THE MONEYS, WHEN ALLOCATED, SHALL BE PAID OUT OF THE EMERGENCY SAFE
 RETURN  OF U.S. CITIZENS OR PERMANENT RESIDENTS FROM ISRAEL OR PALESTINE
 FUND, PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION FOUR OF THIS SECTION, AND SUBJECT  TO  THE
 APPROVAL  OF THE DIRECTOR OF THE BUDGET, ON THE AUDIT AND WARRANT OF THE
 COMPTROLLER ON VOUCHERS CERTIFIED OR APPROVED BY THE SECRETARY OF  STATE
 OR HIS OR HER DESIGNEE.
   § 3. Severability clause. If any clause, sentence, paragraph, subdivi-
 sion,  section  or  part  of  this act shall be adjudged by any court of
 competent jurisdiction to be invalid, such judgment  shall  not  affect,
 impair,  or  invalidate  the remainder thereof, but shall be confined in
 its operation to the clause, sentence, paragraph,  subdivision,  section
 or part thereof directly involved in the controversy in which such judg-
 ment shall have been rendered. It is hereby declared to be the intent of
 the  legislature  that  this  act  would  have been enacted even if such
 invalid provisions had not been included herein.
   § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.