NY State Senate Bill 2025-S4597

Senate Bill S4597

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Directs the division of veterans' services to establish a searchable database of veteran-owned businesses

download bill text pdf

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
Feb 10, 2025	referred to veterans, homeland security and military affairs

2025-S4597 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Veterans, Homeland Security And Military Affairs
Law Section:: Veterans' Service Law
Laws Affected:: Add §29-c, amd §4, Veterans' Services L

2025-S4597 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Directs the division of veterans' services to establish a searchable database of veteran-owned businesses; requires the use of a special mark to indicate service-disabled veteran-owned businesses.

2025-S4597 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S4597

SPONSOR: RAMOS
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the veterans' services law, in relation to establishing
a searchable database of veteran-owned businesses

 
PURPOSE:

To support veteran-owned businesses, including service-disabled veter-
an-owned businesses, in New York State.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 Amends the executive law to direct the Office of General
Services to assist Veteran Services in creating a searchable database of
veteran-owned businesses, including service-disabled veteran-owned busi-
nesses, to be published on the Office of General Services website.

Section 2 Amends the veterans' services law to require the Department of
Labor and the Office of General Services to include a searchable

centralized state registry on their website that would promote veteran-
owned businesses, including service-disabled veteran-owned businesses,
to the public and state agencies.

Section 3 Sets the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

New York State's small business owners have taken the most significant
hit through the economic collapse we saw during the COVID-19 pandemic
and are still struggling to recover. With veterans facing unique social
and economic challenges, this legislation creates a centralized location
to promote their information to the public.  Registering will give
enterprises visibility to prospective buyers, including government agen-
cies and private contractors seeking to purchase goods and services.
Small businesses across the board have faced closures, alongside a
decrease in employment in the fields of restaurant, retail and recre-
ational business since the pandemic.

With a projected number of over 15,000 veteran business owners (VBOs) in
New York City alone, New York State's veteran business enterprises
represent 5.2% of the nation's veteran-owned businesses. To better
support our state's VBOs to thrive in the business industry, this legis-
lation aims to serve this community of business owners through economic
recovery and development.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2024: S8444 (Ramos) - Referred to Veterans, Homeland Security and Mili-
tary Affairs

2023: S1803A (Ramos) - Veto No. 99

 
FISCAL IMPACT:

TBD

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
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 necessary
for the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized
to be made and completed on or before such effective date.

2025-S4597 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   4597
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             February 10, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  RAMOS  -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Veterans, Homeland Securi-
   ty and Military Affairs
 
 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-c to read as follows:
   §  29-C.  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;
   (D) "CERTIFIED  SERVICE-DISABLED  VETERAN-OWNED  BUSINESS  ENTERPRISE"
 SHALL HAVE THE SAME MEANING AS DEFINED IN SECTION FORTY OF THIS CHAPTER;
 AND
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD09081-01-5
 S. 4597                             2

 
   (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-C 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.

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