* § 29-b. Staff sergeant Alex R. Jimenez New York state military
immigrant family legacy program. 1. For the purposes of this section,
the following terms shall have the following meanings:

(a) "Uniformed service member" shall mean a member of the army, navy,
air force, space force, marine corps, coast guard, public health service
commissioned corps, or national oceanic and atmospheric administration
commissioned officer corps serving on active duty.

(b) "The program" shall mean the staff sergeant Alex R. Jimenez
military immigrant family legacy program.

(c) "Liaison" shall mean an employee of the office for new Americans
designated by the director of the office for new Americans, an employee
of the division of military and naval affairs designated by the adjutant
general, or the department designated by the commissioner, to serve as a
military immigrant family legacy program liaison pursuant to subdivision
three of this section.

(d) "Veteran" shall have the same meaning as such term is defined in
section one of this article and shall also include any veteran with a
qualifying condition, as defined in section one of this article, and has
received a discharge other than bad conduct or dishonorable from such
service, 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 from such service.

(e) "Intended recipients" shall mean uniformed service members,
veterans, reserve component members and their family members.

(f) "Reserve component members" shall mean those serving in the army
reserve, navy reserve, marine corps reserve, the army national guard,
the air national guard, or reserve corps of the public health service
during the time the unit was federally recognized as a reserve
component.

2. There is hereby established within the office for new Americans the
staff sergeant Alex R. Jimenez New York state military immigrant family
legacy program. The commissioner and adjutant general shall designate
one or more staff as liaisons to the office for new Americans who shall
refer any intended recipient, alive or deceased, in need of assistance
with an immigration matter to the office for new Americans. The office
for new Americans shall designate one or more staff to be liaisons with
the department and the division of military and naval affairs who shall
receive and coordinate such referrals from the department and the
division of military and naval affairs and secure legal assistance under
existing office for new Americans legal services for intended
recipients. The primary purpose of the program shall be to assist
intended recipients to secure legal immigration status in the United
States, including but not limited to, citizenship.

3. The duties of the liaisons at the office for new Americans shall
include:

(a) assisting intended recipients, who may qualify for adjustment of
status, special immigration status through the federal Parole in Place
program authorized by section 1758 of the 2020 National Defense
Authorization Act, or any other sort of immigration relief, including
relief that can lead to citizenship, in securing legal representation or
consultation by qualified immigration attorneys or duly authorized board
of immigration appeals representatives as may be necessary to obtain
such relief.

(b) serving as liaison between the department and the division of
military and naval affairs, the United States citizenship and
immigration services, the United States immigration and customs
enforcement, the United States department of veterans affairs, the
United States department of defense, local veterans' service agencies,
state agencies, community groups, advocates, and other veterans and
military organizations and interested parties for the purpose of
coordinating efforts to provide immigration relief to intended
recipients.

(c) consulting with qualified immigration attorneys or duly authorized
board of immigration appeals approved representatives to facilitate such
coordination with the United States citizenship and immigration services
or other appropriate agency.

(d) advocating for intended recipients.

(e) developing and maintaining a clearinghouse for information and
resources relating to the program as well as other federal, state, local
and non-profit programs that may offer assistance to intended recipients
in immigration matters.

(f) promoting events and activities that educate and assist intended
recipients, including but not limited to, veteran human rights
conferences, veterans benefit and resources events.

(g) developing information to be made available to congressionally
chartered veterans' organizations, and local veterans' service agencies
to provide a general overview of the program, including but not limited
to, its purpose and the eligibility requirements for adjustment of
status, citizenship, or any other form of available relief.

(h) preparing yearly reports on topics, including but not limited to,
the demographics of intended recipients residing in the state, including
the number of such intended recipients by county, an estimate of how
many may be eligible for naturalization, and the unique needs of the
intended recipients within New York state to the commissioner, the
adjutant general of the division of military and naval affairs and the
office for new Americans.

4. The liaisons appointed pursuant to subdivision two of this section
shall jointly submit a report to the commissioner, the adjutant general
and the director of the office for new Americans on January first each
year following the first full year after the effective date of this
section. Such report shall include, but not be limited to, a description
and evaluation of the program and the liaisons' activities for the
preceding calendar year, and the number of intended recipients aided by
the program, as well as any recommendations for future programmatic
changes. The director of the office for new Americans shall submit the
report to the governor and the legislature in accordance with the
provisions of paragraph (n) of subdivision five of section ninety-four-b
of the executive law.

* NB There are 3 § 29-b's

* NB Effective May 20, 2025