What's happening
This bill creates a scratch-off lottery game to fund a new Veterans' Assistance Fund for veterans' needs in New York.
Why it matters
Creates a dedicated and protected funding stream. for veterans’ assistance that cannot be diverted to other state purposes, ensuring that raised money directly benefits veterans.
Establishes a direct grant program. for individual veterans in need, with funds to be distributed based on criteria designed by the state’s Director of Veterans’ Affairs—potentially allowing for more flexible and targeted support than existing programs.
Expands funding sources beyond the lottery game. , allowing the new Veterans’ Assistance Fund to also receive gifts, donations, federal aid, and other appropriations—broadening its potential impact and sustainability.
Focuses on critical areas of need. for veterans, including education, housing, medical expenses, and job training, aiming for resources to reach veterans facing the most significant challenges in New York.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Create Veterans Lottery Fund
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
History
- Referred to ways and means
- Referred to ways and means
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
1487
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 12, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. ZEBROWSKI, ABBATE, LUPARDO, SCHIMMINGER, GUNTHER, M. G. MILLER -- read once and referred to the Committee on Ways and Means
AN ACT to amend the tax law, in relation to authorizing the creation of the veteran assistance lottery game; and to amend the state finance law, in relation to establishing the veterans' assistance fund
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The tax law is amended by adding a new section 1621 to read as follows:
§ 1621. Veteran assistance lottery game. 1. The director of the division of lottery shall develop and implement no more than two scratch-off lottery games whose revenue, after payment of prizes and associated administrative costs of such games, shall be deposited in the veteran assistance fund as established in section ninety-seven-yyyy of the state finance law. This lottery game shall be marketed and distributed in the same manner as all lottery games controlled by the division of lottery. This section shall not diminish any efforts or funding for other lottery games under the control of the division of lottery. Each ticket shall clearly state that all proceeds from ticket sales go towards the veterans' assistance fund.
2. The division of lottery shall establish and begin selling tickets as required by this section no later than December thirty-first, two thousand seventeen.
§ 2. The state finance law is amended by adding a new section 97-yyyy to read as follows:
§ 97-yyyy. Veterans' assistance fund. 1. The veterans' assistance fund is established in the sole custody of the state comptroller. Monies in the fund shall be kept separate and not commingled with other funds in the custody of the comptroller.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04507-01-7
A. 1487 2
2. Monies of the fund shall be expended only for costs associated with assistance for veterans including but not limited to, education, housing, medical expenses and job training. Monies shall be payable from the fund by the comptroller on vouchers approved by the New York state director of veterans' affairs.
3. The New York state director of veterans' affairs shall create a direct grant program that will disperse funds to individual veterans based on need. The individual grants shall be awarded through an application process based on criteria created within such program. The funding for veteran assistance programs and services should be applied in areas where the need is the most for veterans in New York state.
4. Monies shall be credited towards the fund in form of gift, donation, federal assistance or grant, transfers, payment, appropriation or by a dedicated revenue source including the veteran assistance lottery game as established in section sixteen hundred twenty-one of the tax law.
5. Monies of the fund shall not be used, transferred or appropriated for any purpose other than what is provided in this section, except that such monies may be used for minimal costs associated with administering the program within the division of veterans' affairs.
6. For the purposes of this section, "veteran" shall have the meaning defined in section three hundred fifty of the executive law.
§ 3. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have become a law.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.