S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    401
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                                (PREFILED)
 
                              January 8, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  STIRPE,  BURDICK,  LUNSFORD -- read once and
   referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs
 
 AN ACT to amend the veterans' services law, in relation to  establishing
   the  hire  a  vet  grant program; and providing for the repeal of such
   provisions upon expiration thereof
 
   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 36 to read as follows:
   § 36. HIRE A VET GRANT. 1. ALLOWANCE OF GRANT. A MUNICIPALITY SHALL BE
 ALLOWED A GRANT EQUIVALENT TO THE CREDIT PROVIDED TO ELIGIBLE  TAXPAYERS
 IN  THE "HIRE A VET CREDIT" AS ESTABLISHED IN SUBDIVISION TWENTY-NINE OF
 SECTION TWO HUNDRED TEN-B OF THE TAX LAW, WHERE SUCH MUNICIPALITY  HIRES
 AND  EMPLOYS,  FOR  NOT  LESS  THAN  TWELVE CONTINUOUS AND UNINTERRUPTED
 MONTHS (HEREINAFTER REFERRED TO AS THE "TWELVE-MONTH PERIOD") IN A FULL-
 TIME OR PART-TIME POSITION, A QUALIFIED VETERAN WITHIN  THE  STATE.  THE
 MUNICIPALITY  MAY  CLAIM  THE  GRANT  IN THE YEAR IN WHICH THE QUALIFIED
 VETERAN COMPLETES THE TWELVE-MONTH PERIOD OF EMPLOYMENT WITH THE MUNICI-
 PALITY.
   2. QUALIFIED VETERAN. A QUALIFIED VETERAN IS AN INDIVIDUAL:
   (A) WHO SERVED ON ACTIVE DUTY IN THE UNITED  STATES  ARMY,  NAVY,  AIR
 FORCE,  SPACE  FORCE, MARINE CORPS, COAST GUARD OR THE RESERVES THEREOF,
 OR WHO SERVED IN ACTIVE MILITARY SERVICE  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES  AS  A
 MEMBER OF THE ARMY NATIONAL GUARD, AIR NATIONAL GUARD, NEW YORK GUARD OR
 NEW  YORK  NAVAL MILITIA, OR WHO SERVED IN THE ACTIVE UNIFORMED SERVICES
 OF THE UNITED STATES AS A  MEMBER  OF  THE  COMMISSIONED  CORPS  OF  THE
 NATIONAL  OCEANIC  AND  ATMOSPHERIC  ADMINISTRATION  OR THE COMMISSIONED
 CORPS OF THE UNITED STATES PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE; WHO (I)  WAS  RELEASED
 FROM ACTIVE DUTY BY GENERAL OR HONORABLE DISCHARGE; OR (II) HAS A QUALI-
 FYING  CONDITION,  AS  DEFINED  IN  SECTION ONE OF THIS CHAPTER, AND HAS
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD01512-01-5
 A. 401                              2
 
 RECEIVED A DISCHARGE OTHER THAN BAD CONDUCT OR  DISHONORABLE  FROM  SUCH
 SERVICE;  OR  (III)  IS A DISCHARGED LGBT VETERAN, AS DEFINED IN SECTION
 ONE OF THIS CHAPTER, AND HAS RECEIVED A DISCHARGE OTHER THAN BAD CONDUCT
 OR DISHONORABLE FROM SUCH SERVICE;
   (B) WHO COMMENCES EMPLOYMENT WITH THE MUNICIPALITY ON OR AFTER JANUARY
 FIRST,  TWO  THOUSAND TWENTY-SIX, AND BEFORE JANUARY FIRST, TWO THOUSAND
 TWENTY-EIGHT; AND
   (C) WHO CERTIFIES BY SIGNED AFFIDAVIT, UNDER PENALTY OF PERJURY,  THAT
 SUCH  INDIVIDUAL  HAS  NOT  BEEN  EMPLOYED FOR THIRTY-FIVE OR MORE HOURS
 DURING ANY WEEK IN THE ONE HUNDRED EIGHTY-DAY PERIOD  IMMEDIATELY  PRIOR
 TO SUCH INDIVIDUAL'S EMPLOYMENT BY THE MUNICIPALITY.
   3.  PROHIBITION.  A  MUNICIPALITY  SHALL NOT DISCHARGE AN EMPLOYEE AND
 HIRE A QUALIFYING VETERAN SOLELY FOR THE PURPOSE OF QUALIFYING FOR  THIS
 GRANT.  THIS  SECTION  SHALL NOT BE DEEMED TO AMEND, MODIFY OR SUPERSEDE
 ANY OTHER LAW WHICH PRESCRIBES THE QUALIFICATIONS WHICH  A  PERSON  MUST
 HAVE TO BE APPOINTED TO A POSITION SUBJECT TO THE CIVIL SERVICE LAW.
   4.  AMOUNT  OF  GRANT.  (A)  THE  AMOUNT OF THE GRANT SHALL BE FIFTEEN
 PERCENT OF THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF  WAGES  PAID  TO  THE  QUALIFIED  VETERAN
 DURING  THE VETERAN'S FIRST TWELVE-MONTH PERIOD OF EMPLOYMENT. PROVIDED,
 HOWEVER, THAT, IF THE  QUALIFIED  VETERAN  IS  A  DISABLED  VETERAN,  AS
 DEFINED  IN  PARAGRAPH  (B) OF SUBDIVISION ONE OF SECTION EIGHTY-FIVE OF
 THE CIVIL SERVICE LAW, THE AMOUNT OF THE GRANT SHALL BE  TWENTY  PERCENT
 OF  THE  TOTAL  AMOUNT OF WAGES PAID TO THE QUALIFIED VETERAN DURING THE
 VETERAN'S FIRST TWELVE-MONTH PERIOD OF EMPLOYMENT.
   (B) THE GRANT ALLOWED PURSUANT TO THIS SUBDIVISION SHALL NOT EXCEED IN
 ANY YEAR:
   (I) FIFTEEN THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR ANY QUALIFIED VETERAN, OTHER  THAN  A
 DISABLED  VETERAN,  EMPLOYED  IN  A  FULL-TIME POSITION FOR ONE THOUSAND
 EIGHT HUNDRED TWENTY OR MORE HOURS IN ONE TWELVE-MONTH PERIOD;
   (II) TWENTY THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR ANY QUALIFIED VETERAN WHO IS A  DISA-
 BLED  VETERAN  EMPLOYED  IN  A FULL-TIME POSITION FOR ONE THOUSAND EIGHT
 HUNDRED TWENTY OR MORE HOURS IN ONE TWELVE-MONTH PERIOD;
   (III) SEVEN THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS FOR ANY  QUALIFIED  VETERAN,
 OTHER  THAN  A DISABLED VETERAN, EMPLOYED IN A PART-TIME POSITION FOR AT
 LEAST ONE THOUSAND FORTY HOURS BUT NOT  MORE  THAN  ONE  THOUSAND  EIGHT
 HUNDRED NINETEEN HOURS IN ONE TWELVE-MONTH PERIOD; AND
   (IV)  TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR ANY QUALIFIED VETERAN WHO IS A DISABLED
 VETERAN EMPLOYED IN A PART-TIME POSITION FOR AT LEAST ONE THOUSAND FORTY
 HOURS BUT NOT MORE THAN ONE THOUSAND EIGHT HUNDRED NINETEEN HOURS IN ONE
 TWELVE-MONTH PERIOD.
   5. DEFINITION. FOR PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, "MUNICIPALITY" MEANS  ANY
 COUNTY, CITY, TOWN, VILLAGE OR SCHOOL DISTRICT.
   §  2.  This  act shall take effect immediately and shall expire and be
 deemed repealed January 1, 2029.