S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  1803--A
     Cal. No. 982
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 17, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by Sens. RAMOS, ASHBY -- read twice and ordered printed, and
   when printed to be committed to the Committee  on  Veterans,  Homeland
   Security  and Military Affairs -- reported favorably from said commit-
   tee, ordered to first and second report, ordered to a  third  reading,
   amended  and  ordered  reprinted,  retaining its place in the order of
   third reading
 
 AN ACT to amend the veterans' services law, in relation to  establishing
   a searchable database of veteran-owned businesses
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. The veterans' services law  is  amended  by  adding  a  new
 section 29-b to read as follows:
   §  29-B.  VETERAN-OWNED BUSINESS DIRECTORY. 1. AS USED IN THIS SECTION
 THE FOLLOWING TERMS SHALL HAVE THE FOLLOWING MEANINGS:
   (A) "BUSINESS OWNED AND CONTROLLED BY VETERANS" MEANS A  BUSINESS  (I)
 NOT  LESS THAN FIFTY-ONE PERCENT OF WHICH IS OWNED BY ONE OR MORE VETER-
 ANS, OR, IN THE CASE OF ANY  PUBLICLY  OWNED  BUSINESS,  NOT  LESS  THAN
 FIFTY-ONE  PERCENT  OF THE STOCK OF WHICH IS OWNED BY ONE OR MORE VETER-
 ANS; (II) THE MANAGEMENT AND DAILY  BUSINESS  OPERATIONS  OF  WHICH  ARE
 CONTROLLED  BY ONE OR MORE VETERANS; AND (III) AUTHORIZED TO DO BUSINESS
 IN THE STATE AND WHICH IS INDEPENDENTLY OWNED AND OPERATED.
   (B) "VETERAN" MEANS A PERSON, AS DEFINED IN SECTION ONE OF THIS  ARTI-
 CLE, WHO SERVED ON ACTIVE DUTY AND HAS BEEN DISCHARGED OR RELEASED THER-
 EFROM  UNDER  CONDITIONS  OTHER  THAN  DISHONORABLE, OR HAS A QUALIFYING
 CONDITION AS DEFINED IN SECTION ONE OF THIS ARTICLE AND HAS  RECEIVED  A
 DISCHARGE  OTHER  THAN  BAD  CONDUCT OR DISHONORABLE, OR IS A DISCHARGED
 LGBT VETERAN AS DEFINED IN SECTION ONE OF THIS ARTICLE AND HAS  RECEIVED
 A DISCHARGE OTHER THAN BAD CONDUCT OR DISHONORABLE;
   (C)  "SERVICE-DISABLED VETERAN" SHALL HAVE THE SAME MEANING AS DEFINED
 IN SECTION FORTY OF THIS CHAPTER;
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD04584-07-3
              

 S. 1803--A                          2
 
   (D) "CERTIFIED  SERVICE-DISABLED  VETERAN-OWNED  BUSINESS  ENTERPRISE"
 SHALL HAVE THE SAME MEANING AS DEFINED IN SECTION FORTY OF THIS CHAPTER;
 AND
   (E)  "VETERAN-OWNED  BUSINESS ENTERPRISES" SHALL MEAN BUSINESSES OWNED
 AND CONTROLLED BY VETERANS, AND SERVICE-DISABLED VETERAN-OWNED  BUSINESS
 ENTERPRISES.
   2.  THE  DEPARTMENT,  WITH  THE  AID AND ASSISTANCE OF THE DIVISION OF
 SMALL BUSINESS, THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR, THE DIVISION  OF  SERVICE-DISA-
 BLED VETERANS' BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, AND THE OFFICE OF GENERAL SERVICES,
 SHALL  DEVELOP,  REGULARLY  UPDATE, AND MAKE AVAILABLE TO STATE AGENCIES
 AND THE PUBLIC A DIRECTORY OF VETERAN-OWNED BUSINESS  ENTERPRISES  WHICH
 SHALL,  WHEREVER  PRACTICABLE,  BE  DIVIDED  INTO  CATEGORIES  OF LABOR,
 SERVICES, SUPPLIES, EQUIPMENT,  MATERIALS  AND  RECOGNIZED  CONSTRUCTION
 TRADES  AND  WHICH  SHALL INDICATE AREAS OR LOCATIONS OF THE STATE WHERE
 SUCH ENTERPRISES ARE AVAILABLE TO  PERFORM  SERVICES.    SUCH  DIRECTORY
 SHALL  USE AN ASTERISK OR OTHER SPECIAL MARK TO DENOTE ANY VETERAN-OWNED
 BUSINESS ENTERPRISES WHICH ARE SERVICE-DISABLED  VETERAN-OWNED  BUSINESS
 ENTERPRISES.    SUCH  DIRECTORY  SHALL  BE  POSTED  ON  THE DEPARTMENT'S
 WEBSITE.
   3. THE OFFICE OF GENERAL SERVICES SHALL ALSO USE THIS  INFORMATION  TO
 CREATE  AND  REGULARLY  UPDATE AN INTERNET BASED, SEARCHABLE CENTRALIZED
 STATE DATABASE TO PROMOTE  VETERAN-OWNED  BUSINESS  ENTERPRISES  TO  THE
 PUBLIC  AND  SHALL POST SUCH DATABASE ON THE OFFICE OF GENERAL SERVICES'
 WEBSITE.
   4. THE DEPARTMENT WITH THE OFFICE OF GENERAL  SERVICES  SHALL  CONDUCT
 OUTREACH  TO NOTIFY VETERAN-OWNED BUSINESS ENTERPRISES OF SUCH DIRECTORY
 AND DATABASE.
   5. THE DEPARTMENT SHALL DEVELOP A REGISTRATION PROCESS WITH THE OFFICE
 OF GENERAL SERVICES FOR VETERAN-OWNED BUSINESS ENTERPRISES  TO  COMPLETE
 IN ORDER TO COMPILE INFORMATION FOR INCLUSION IN THE DIRECTORY AND DATA-
 BASE.    THE DEPARTMENT SHALL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR VERIFYING BUSINESSES AS
 BEING A BUSINESS OWNED AND CONTROLLED BY VETERANS  AS  DEFINED  IN  THIS
 SECTION INCLUDING THE DEVELOPMENT OF RULES AND REGULATIONS GOVERNING THE
 APPROVAL,  DENIAL,  OR  REVOCATION  OF A BUSINESS'S STATUS AS A BUSINESS
 OWNED AND CONTROLLED BY VETERANS.
   § 2. Subdivision 7 of section 4  of  the  veterans'  services  law  is
 amended to read as follows:
   7.  To  provide in cooperation with the office of general services and
 the office of the comptroller  a  series  of  seminars,  that  shall  be
 conducted four or more times per year at regional sites located through-
 out  the  state  of  New  York for the purpose of advising veteran-owned
 businesses regarding the opportunities available for obtaining  procure-
 ment contracts from New York state agencies, municipalities, and author-
 ities.    [Furthermore  the] THE seminars shall provide requirements and
 training that  will  enable  veteran-owned  businesses  to  successfully
 participate  in the procurement process. FURTHERMORE, THE SEMINARS SHALL
 PROVIDE REGISTRATION INFORMATION REGARDING  THE  VETERAN-OWNED  BUSINESS
 DIRECTORY  AND  DATABASE PURSUANT TO SECTION TWENTY-NINE-B OF THIS ARTI-
 CLE.
   § 3. This act shall take effect on the first of April next  succeeding
 the  date  upon which it shall have become a law. Effective immediately,
 the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or  regulation  neces-
 sary  for  the  implementation  of  this  act  on its effective date are
 authorized to be made and completed on or before such effective date.