What's happening
This bill requires counties and New York City to request veterans' organizations arrange funerals for deceased veterans without next of kin.
Why it matters
Shifts county and NYC responsibility from optional to mandatory. The bill changes the language from "may" to "shall," meaning counties and New York City are now required—not just permitted—to seek out veterans' organizations for arranging funerals for unclaimed veterans.
Ensures dignified burials for all veterans. By mandating this outreach, the law aims to provide deceased veterans without family or designated contacts the respect and honor of a proper funeral and burial, addressing past gaps where some veterans may have been interred without ceremony.
Strengthens the role of veterans’ organizations. The legislation formalizes and prioritizes the involvement of congressionally chartered veterans' groups, not only acknowledging their expertise and commitment but also fostering ongoing relationships between municipalities and these organizations.
Addresses social isolation among veterans. The bill recognizes that some veterans die without next of kin or advocates, and puts in place a safeguard to ensure they are not forgotten, responding to both moral obligations and public concern about veterans’ welfare.
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Who cares
Counties and New York City
They would be required, rather than merely permitted, to request help from a congressionally chartered veterans' organization when a deceased veteran lacks sufficient funeral funds or insurance and has no next of kin or designated person to control final disposition.
Congressionally chartered veterans' organizations
Organizations in the county or New York City where the veteran resided would receive mandatory requests to engage a funeral firm for funeral and burial services.
Funeral firms
They could be engaged by veterans' organizations responding to these required requests to conduct funeral and burial services for eligible deceased veterans.
Headline styles
Honor Unclaimed Veterans’ Remains
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
History
- Print number 4298a
- Amend (t) and recommit to veterans' affairs
- Referred to veterans' affairs
- Referred to veterans' affairs
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Honor Unclaimed Veterans’ Remains
In Assembly Committee · Veterans' Affairs · Sponsor Michael Gianaris
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
4298--A
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 2, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. SIMOTAS, MONTESANO, COLTON, M. G. MILLER, HOOPER, JAFFEE, PERRY -- read once and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the general municipal law, in relation to directing counties and the city of New York to request a congressionally chartered veterans' organization to arrange for the funeral and burial of a deceased veteran who has no next of kin or other person to make such arrangements
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subdivision 1-a of section 148 of the general municipal law, as amended by chapter 29 of the laws of 2016, is amended to read as follows:
(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, in the case of a veteran, as defined in section forty-two hundred three of the public health law, who died in a county or the city of New York leaving no funds or insurance sufficient to pay funeral and burial expenses of such veteran and such veteran has no next of kin or person of record previously designated to control his or her final disposition pursuant to section four thousand two hundred one of the public health law, such county or the city of New York [may] shall request a congressionally chartered veterans' organization within the county or the city of New York where the decedent resided at the time of death, to engage the services of a funeral firm to conduct the funeral and burial services.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04139-03-7
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.