Sen. Tedisco’s Veterans Internship Program (V.I.P.) Bill Signed Into Law by Governor Hochul

New law authored by Senator Jim Tedisco creates internship program to provide veterans with job experience and birds-eye view of state government

Senator Jim Tedisco (R,C-Saratoga Springs) today announced that Governor Kathy Hochul has signed into law his bipartisan Veterans Internship Program (V.I.P.) legislation to enable honorably discharged veterans to participate in the legislature’s annual paid legislative internship program that could help lead them to future employment.

Tedisco’s V.I.P. law (S.291/A.1347) sets aside 10 percent of the current legislative internship program positions in the Senate and Assembly for veterans to see the inner workings of the representative democracy they put their lives on the line to defend.

Veteran participants in the Veterans Internship Program would receive a stipend that’s equivalent to what graduate students currently receive in the Senate ($50,000) and Assembly ($17,000). The Senate and Assembly internship offices would work with county veterans services agencies to identify and recruit eligible candidates. There will be no additional cost to taxpayers to implement the V.I.P. law.

“What a fantastic Veterans Day message for our real American heroes: New York’s veterans!  I want to thank Governor Hochul for signing the Veterans Internship Program bill into law to give our unemployed and underemployed veterans a bird’s eye view of the government they sacrificed their blood, sweat and tears, and in some cases, nearly their own lives to protect. The Veterans Internship Program will provide significant work experience for our veterans to put on their resumes for future long-term employment and it sends the message that our state government truly values the service of our veterans in deeds as well as words,” said Senator Jim Tedisco.

“As our veterans learn about state government, my colleagues and I and our college and graduate interns will learn from them about patriotism, honor, duty, courage, and perseverance -- lessons that our leaders in state government probably need now, more than ever,” said Senator Tedisco.

The bipartisan V.I.P. legislation was sponsored in the Assembly by Assemblywoman Marianne Buttenschon (D-Utica/Rome).