Establishes the New York state veterans cemetery act

Summary of specific provisions

This bill would add a new section 368-a to the executive law, to establish a New York state veterans cemetery funding promotion program within the Division of Veterans Affairs.

Pursuant to this bill, the purpose of this promotion program, would be to encourage the giving of financial contributions, by individuals, groups and corporations, to the Veterans Remembrance and Cemetery Maintenance and Operation Fund, which was established by act of the state legislature in 2013, as a means to provide funding for state veterans cemeteries, to be built and maintained in accordance with the New York State Veterans Cemetery program (also established in law in 2013 by section 368 of the executive law).

This bill, would additionally require the Division, in accordance with the promotion program, to establish, produce and conduct programs, projects, and materials, designed to encourage the giving of financial contributions, by individuals, groups and corporations, to the Veterans Remembrance and Cemetery Maintenance and Operation Fund, in order to support the construction and maintenance of New York State Veterans Cemeteries. This bill would further direct the Division to seek, and apply on behalf of the state of New York, for grants and contributions, from governments and/or other institutional funding sources, for deposit in, and use by, the fund

Finally, this bill would require the division to produce an annual report, on or before December 15, on the activities, operations and progress of the promotion program.

Justification:

In 2013, the legislature enacted for the first time in history, a New York State Veterans Cemetery Program Under the terms of this program, a Veterans Remembrance and Cemetery Maintenance and Operation Fund, was established as a means to provide funding for the construction, maintenance and operation of such cemeteries At this time, the legislature also appropriated $500,000 into such fund, and established a tax check off box on all state tax returns, to allow for gifts to be made to the fund.

As federal monies are available for state veteran cemetery construction, but not for perpetual maintenance, the law that created the New York State Veterans Cemetery Program (section 368 of the

executive law) provided that in order for the Division of Veterans Affairs to authorize the designation or construction of a state veterans cemetery, the Veterans Remembrance and Cemetery Maintenance and Operation Fund must have within its account, an endowment amount equal to fifteen years of perpetual maintenance funds for such cemetery. For an average size veterans cemetery, such would constitute a requirement of having the fund contain approximately between six to seven million dollars before a state veterans cemetery could be constructed or designated. Due to the declining effectiveness of tax check off boxes, when most returns are now filed electronically, as of January 2015, the fund contained less than $600,000.

This bill would seek to have the Division of Veterans Affairs promote charitable giving to the fund, in order to raise money, and accelerate the time, for the construction or designation of the first state veterans cemetery. Such would provide additional funding for this purpose, and supplement the proceeds raised by the tax check off box. Similar programs of private giving, such as those targeted to build the WWII memorial in Washington, D.C. have proven highly successful. It is hoped that the promotion program directed by this bill could have similar results.

Prior legislative history

This is a new bill

Fiscal implications

None noted, as this program could be achieved within current resource allocations.

Effective date

This act would take effect immediately.