NY State Senate Bill 2023-S6655

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Veterans, Homeland Security And Military Affairs Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 03, 2024	referred to veterans, homeland security and military affairs
May 03, 2023	referred to veterans, homeland security and military affairs

co-Sponsors

2023-S6655 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Veterans, Homeland Security And Military Affairs
Law Section:: Executive Law
Laws Affected:: Add §368-c, Exec L; add §24-a, Veterans' Services L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2011-2012: S2424
2013-2014: S2658
2015-2016: S2941
2017-2018: S3906
2019-2020: S3780
2021-2022: S4735

2023-S6655 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Establishes the "New York state veterans cemetery act"; directs the division to conduct an investigation and study on the issue of the establishment of a New York state veterans cemetery funding program.

2023-S6655 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S6655

SPONSOR: GRIFFO
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the executive law, in relation to the establishment of
the New York state veterans cemetery act

 
PURPOSE:

This bill would amend the executive law, to establish a New York state
veterans cemetery funding promotion program within the New York State
Division of Veterans' Affairs.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

This bill would add a new section 368-c to the executive law, to estab-
lish a New York state veterans cemetery funding promotion program within
the Division of Veterans Affairs.

Pursuant to this bill, the purpose of this promotion program, would be
to encourage the giving of financial contributions, by individuals,

groups and corporations, to the Veterans Remembrance and Cemetery Main-
tenance and Operation Fund, which was established by act of the state
legislature in 2013, as a means to provide funding for state veterans
cemeteries, to be built and maintained in accordance with the New York
State Veterans Cemetery program (also established in law in 2013 by
section 368 of the executive law).

This bill, would additionally require the Division, in accordance with
the promotion program, to establish, produce and conduct programs,
projects, and materials, designed to encourage the giving of financial
contributions, by individuals, groups and corporations, to the Veterans
Remembrance and Cemetery Maintenance and Operation Fund, in order to
support the construction and maintenance of New York State Veterans
Cemeteries. This bill would further direct the Division to seek, and
apply on behalf of the state of New York, for grants and contributions,
from governments and/or other institutional funding sources, for deposit
in, and use by, the fund.

Finally, this bill would require the division to produce an annual
report, on or before December 15, on the activities, operations and
progress of the promotion program.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

In 2013, the legislature enacted for the first time in history, a New
York State Veterans Cemetery Program Under the terms of this program, a
Veterans Remembrance and Cemetery Maintenance and Operation Fund, was
established as a means to provide funding for the construction, mainte-
nance and operation of such cemeteries At this time, the legislature
also appropriated $500,000 into such fund, and established a tax check
off box on all state tax returns, to allow for gifts to be made to the
fund.

As federal monies are available for state veteran cemetery construction,
but not for perpetual maintenance, the law that created the New York
State Veterans Cemetery Program (section 368 of the executive law)
provided that in order for the Division of Veterans Affairs to authorize
the designation or construction of a state veterans cemetery, the Veter-
ans Remembrance and Cemetery Maintenance and Operation Fund must have
within its account, an endowment amount equal to fifteen years of
perpetual maintenance funds for such cemetery. For an average size
veterans cemetery, such would constitute a requirement of having the
fund contain approximately between six to seven million dollars before a
state veterans cemetery could be constructed or designated. Due to the
declining effectiveness of tax check off boxes, when most returns are
now filed electronically, as of January 2015, the fund contained less
than $600,000.

This bill would seek to have the Division of Veterans Affairs promote
charitable giving to the fund, in order to raise money, and accelerate
the time, for the construction or designation of the first state veter-
ans cemetery. Such would provide additional funding for this purpose,
and supplement the proceeds raised by the tax check off box. Similar
programs of private giving, such as those targeted to build the WWII
memorial in Washington, D.C. have proven highly successful. It is hoped
that the promotion program directed by this bill could have similar
results.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2021-22 - S. 4735 - Veterans', Homeland Security and Military Affairs
Committee.

2019-20 - S. 3780 - Veterans', Homeland Security and Military Affairs
Committee.

2017-18 - S. 3906 - Passed Senate/A. 3364 - Veterans' Affairs Committee.
2015-16 - S. 2941a - Passed Senate/A.  8189 - Veterans' Affairs Commit-
tee.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None noted, as this program could be achieved within current resource
allocations.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediate.

2023-S6655 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   6655
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                                May 3, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by Sens. GRIFFO, LANZA -- read twice and ordered printed, and
   when  printed  to  be committed to the Committee on Veterans, Homeland
   Security and Military Affairs
 
 AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to the  establishment  of
   the New York state veterans cemetery act

   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 "New York state veterans cemetery act".
   §  2.  The  executive  law is amended by adding a new section 368-c to
 read as follows:
   § 368-C. VETERANS CEMETERY FUNDING PROMOTION PROGRAM. THE DIVISION  IS
 HEREBY  DIRECTED  TO  ESTABLISH,  PRODUCE  AND  CONDUCT A NEW YORK STATE
 VETERANS CEMETERY FUNDING PROMOTION PROGRAM. THE PURPOSE OF THE NEW YORK
 STATE VETERANS CEMETERY FUNDING PROGRAM WOULD BE TO ENCOURAGE THE GIVING
 OF FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS, BY INDIVIDUALS, GROUPS AND CORPORATIONS,  TO
 THE  VETERANS  REMEMBRANCE  AND CEMETERY MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION FUND,
 CREATED PURSUANT TO SECTION NINETY-SEVEN-MMMM OF THE STATE FINANCE  LAW,
 WHICH  WAS ESTABLISHED TO PROVIDE FUNDING FOR VETERANS CEMETERIES PURSU-
 ANT TO THE NEW  YORK  STATE  VETERANS  CEMETERY  PROGRAM  CREATED  UNDER
 SECTION  THREE  HUNDRED  SIXTY-FIVE OF THIS CHAPTER. IN ESTABLISHING THE
 NEW YORK STATE VETERANS CEMETERY FUNDING PROMOTION PROGRAM, THE DIVISION
 SHALL ESTABLISH, PRODUCE AND CONDUCT PROGRAMS, PROJECTS,  AND  MATERIALS
 DESIGNED TO ENCOURAGE THE GIVING OF FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS, BY INDIVID-
 UALS,  GROUPS AND CORPORATIONS, TO THE VETERANS REMEMBRANCE AND CEMETERY
 MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION FUND. THE DIVISION SHALL FURTHER SEEK, AND MAY
 APPLY ON BEHALF OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, FOR GRANTS AND  CONTRIBUTIONS,
 FROM GOVERNMENTS AND/OR OTHER INSTITUTIONAL FUNDING SOURCES, FOR DEPOSIT
 IN,  AND  USE  BY, THE VETERANS REMEMBRANCE AND CEMETERY MAINTENANCE AND
 OPERATION FUND, FOR THE PURPOSE OF CONSTRUCTING, OPERATING AND FINANCING
 NEW YORK STATE VETERANS CEMETERIES.  EVERY  YEAR,  NOT  LATER  THAN  THE
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD05506-02-3

 S. 6655                             2
 
 FIFTEENTH OF DECEMBER, THE DIVISION SHALL PRODUCE A REPORT OF THE ACTIV-
 ITIES  AND  OPERATION  OF  THE  NEW YORK STATE VETERANS CEMETERY FUNDING
 PROMOTION PROGRAM, AND SHALL DELIVER A COPY OF SUCH REPORT TO THE GOVER-
 NOR,  THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE, THE SENATE MINORITY LEADER,
 THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY, THE ASSEMBLY MINORITY LEADER, THE CHAIR  OF
 THE  SENATE  STANDING COMMITTEE ON VETERANS, HOMELAND SECURITY AND MILI-
 TARY AFFAIRS, THE RANKING MEMBER OF THE  SENATE  STANDING  COMMITTEE  ON
 VETERANS,  HOMELAND  SECURITY  AND  MILITARY  AFFAIRS,  THE CHAIR OF THE
 ASSEMBLY STANDING COMMITTEE ON VETERANS' AFFAIRS, AND THE RANKING MEMBER
 OF THE ASSEMBLY STANDING COMMITTEE ON VETERANS' AFFAIRS.    SUCH  REPORT
 SHALL CONTAIN INFORMATION ON THE OPERATIONS AND PROGRESS OF THE NEW YORK
 STATE  VETERANS CEMETERY FUNDING PROMOTION PROGRAM, AS WELL AS RECOMMEN-
 DATIONS TO THE LEGISLATURE ON THE NEW YORK STATE VETERANS CEMETERY FUND-
 ING PROMOTION PROGRAM, AND ESTABLISHING, MAINTAINING AND OPERATING STATE
 VETERANS CEMETERIES IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE NEW YORK STATE VETERANS CEME-
 TERY PROGRAM.
   § 3. The veterans' services law is amended by  adding  a  new  section
 24-a to read as follows:
   § 24-A. VETERANS CEMETERY FUNDING PROMOTION PROGRAM. THE DEPARTMENT IS
 HEREBY  DIRECTED  TO  ESTABLISH,  PRODUCE  AND  CONDUCT A NEW YORK STATE
 VETERANS CEMETERY FUNDING PROMOTION PROGRAM. THE PURPOSE OF THE NEW YORK
 STATE VETERANS CEMETERY FUNDING PROMOTION PROGRAM WOULD BE TO  ENCOURAGE
 THE GIVING OF FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS, BY INDIVIDUALS, GROUPS AND CORPO-
 RATIONS, TO THE VETERANS REMEMBRANCE AND CEMETERY MAINTENANCE AND OPERA-
 TION  FUND,  CREATED  PURSUANT TO SECTION NINETY-SEVEN-MMMM OF THE STATE
 FINANCE LAW, WHICH WAS ESTABLISHED TO PROVIDE FUNDING FOR VETERANS CEME-
 TERIES PURSUANT TO THE NEW YORK STATE VETERANS CEMETERY PROGRAM  CREATED
 UNDER  SECTION TWENTY-FOUR OF THIS ARTICLE. IN ESTABLISHING THE NEW YORK
 STATE VETERANS CEMETERY FUNDING PROMOTION PROGRAM, THE DEPARTMENT  SHALL
 ESTABLISH,   PRODUCE  AND  CONDUCT  PROGRAMS,  PROJECTS,  AND  MATERIALS
 DESIGNED TO ENCOURAGE THE GIVING OF FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS, BY INDIVID-
 UALS, GROUPS AND CORPORATIONS, TO THE VETERANS REMEMBRANCE AND  CEMETERY
 MAINTENANCE  AND OPERATION FUND.  THE DEPARTMENT SHALL FURTHER SEEK, AND
 MAY APPLY ON BEHALF OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, FOR  GRANTS  AND  CONTRIB-
 UTIONS, FROM GOVERNMENTS AND/OR OTHER INSTITUTIONAL FUNDING SOURCES, FOR
 DEPOSIT  IN,  AND  USE BY, THE VETERANS REMEMBRANCE AND CEMETERY MAINTE-
 NANCE AND OPERATION FUND, FOR THE PURPOSE OF CONSTRUCTING, OPERATING AND
 FINANCING NEW YORK STATE VETERANS CEMETERIES. EVERY YEAR, NOT LATER THAN
 THE FIFTEENTH OF DECEMBER, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL PRODUCE A REPORT OF  THE
 ACTIVITIES AND OPERATION OF THE NEW YORK STATE VETERANS CEMETERY FUNDING
 PROMOTION PROGRAM, AND SHALL DELIVER A COPY OF SUCH REPORT TO THE GOVER-
 NOR, THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE, THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY,
 THE CHAIR OF THE SENATE STANDING COMMITTEE ON VETERANS, HOMELAND SECURI-
 TY AND MILITARY AFFAIRS AND THE CHAIR OF THE ASSEMBLY STANDING COMMITTEE
 ON VETERANS' AFFAIRS. SUCH REPORT SHALL CONTAIN INFORMATION ON THE OPER-
 ATIONS  AND  PROGRESS  OF  THE  NEW YORK STATE VETERANS CEMETERY FUNDING
 PROMOTION PROGRAM, AS WELL AS RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE LEGISLATURE ON  THE
 NEW  YORK  STATE VETERANS CEMETERY FUNDING PROMOTION PROGRAM, AND ESTAB-
 LISHING, MAINTAINING AND OPERATING STATE VETERANS CEMETERIES IN  ACCORD-
 ANCE WITH THE NEW YORK STATE VETERANS CEMETERY PROGRAM.
   §  4.  This act shall take effect immediately; provided, however, that
 section 368-c of the executive law as added by section two of  this  act
 shall  be subject to the repeal of such article pursuant to section 1 of
 part PP of chapter 56 of the laws of 2022, as amended,  when  upon  such
 date the provisions of section three of this act shall take effect.

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Senate Bill S6655

Sponsored By

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Veterans, Homeland Security And Military Affairs Committee

co-Sponsors

2023-S6655 (ACTIVE) - Details

2023-S6655 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2023-S6655 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2023-S6655 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments

Senate Bill S6655

Share this bill

Sponsored By

Joseph A. Griffo

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Veterans, Homeland Security And Military Affairs Committee

co-Sponsors

Andrew J. Lanza

2023-S6655 (ACTIVE) - Details

2023-S6655 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2023-S6655 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2023-S6655 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments