S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   2504
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 17, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. BENDETT -- read once and referred to the Commit-
   tee on Veterans' Affairs
 
 AN ACT to amend the veterans' services law, in relation to  establishing
   the  veterans'  services  organization  capital  support  program; and
   making an appropriation therefor

   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 arti-
 cle 4 to read as follows:
                                  ARTICLE 4
          VETERANS' SERVICES ORGANIZATION CAPITAL SUPPORT PROGRAM
 SECTION 50. DEFINITIONS.
         51. ESTABLISHMENT AND CRITERIA.
         52. ELIGIBLE PURPOSES.
   §  50.  DEFINITIONS.  FOR  THE PURPOSES OF THIS ARTICLE, THE FOLLOWING
 TERMS SHALL HAVE THE FOLLOWING MEANINGS:
   1. "ELIGIBLE ENTITY" MEANS A VETERAN SERVICE ORGANIZATION  AS  DEFINED
 PURSUANT  TO  TITLE 38 U.S. CODE SECTION 5902 AND THAT ALSO IS ORGANIZED
 AS A NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATION PURSUANT TO  THE  TITLE  26  U.S.  CODE
 SECTION 501(C), WHICH MAY INCLUDE BUT SHALL NOT BE LIMITED TO THE AMERI-
 CAN  LEGION, VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS, DISABLED AMERICAN VETERANS, PARA-
 LYZED VETERANS OF AMERICA, AMERICAN VETERANS  AND  VIETNAM  VETERANS  OF
 AMERICA.
   §  51.  ESTABLISHMENT  AND  CRITERIA.  THERE IS HEREBY ESTABLISHED THE
 VETERANS' SERVICES ORGANIZATION CAPITAL SUPPORT PROGRAM FOR THE ELIGIBLE
 PURPOSES UNDER SECTION FIFTY-TWO OF THIS ARTICLE. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL
 DEVELOP CRITERIA FOR THE DISBURSEMENT OF FUNDS AUTHORIZED UNDER  SECTION
 FIFTY-TWO OF THIS ARTICLE TO AN ELIGIBLE ENTITY.
   §  52.  ELIGIBLE  PURPOSES.  WITHIN  AMOUNTS SPECIFICALLY APPROPRIATED
 THEREFORE, THE COMMISSIONER SHALL AWARD GRANTS NOT TO EXCEED TWO HUNDRED
 THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR PAYMENT  OF  THE  CAPITAL  COSTS  OF  CONSTRUCTION,
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD06173-01-5
              

 A. 2504                             2
 
 IMPROVEMENT,  REPAIRS,  REHABILITATION,  OR RECONSTRUCTION OF FACILITIES
 OWNED BY ELIGIBLE ENTITIES PURSUANT TO THIS ARTICLE, AND FOR THE  ACQUI-
 SITION  OF  RELATED  EQUIPMENT  WITH  A USEFUL LIFE OF NOT LESS THAN TEN
 YEARS.  SUCH  CAPITAL  COSTS  MAY  INCLUDE, BUT SHALL NOT BE LIMITED TO,
 ENGINEERING AND DESIGN COSTS. NO FUNDS  AUTHORIZED  UNDER  THIS  SECTION
 SHALL  BE  USED  AS  A  REQUIRED MATCH OR BE CONSIDERED A LOCAL SHARE TO
 OTHER STATE PROGRAMS OR TO LEVERAGE STATE AID OR GRANTS.
   § 2. The sum of ten million dollars ($10,000,000), or so much  thereof
 as  may be necessary, is hereby appropriated to the department of veter-
 ans' services out of any moneys in the state  treasury  in  the  general
 fund  to  the  credit  of  the  veterans'  services organization capital
 support program, not otherwise appropriated, and made immediately avail-
 able, for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of this  act.  Such
 moneys  shall  be payable on the audit and warrant of the comptroller on
 vouchers certified or approved by the commissioner of veterans' services
 in the manner prescribed by law.
   § 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.