What's happening
This bill updates the law to include newer GI Bill programs for veterans seeking leave from public employment to continue their studies.
Why it matters
Expands eligibility for educational leave to veterans using modern GI Bill programs. By updating the law to reference the Post-9/11 GI Bill, Montgomery GI Bill, and related education benefits, more recent veterans can now access paid leave from public employment to pursue studies, not just those covered by older benefits.
Promotes workforce reintegration and skill development for veterans. The expanded coverage ensures veterans can enhance their qualifications or retrain for new careers while preserving their public sector jobs, supporting smoother transitions back into civilian life.
Reflects ongoing changes in federal veterans’ education policy. The amendment keeps state law in sync with evolving federal education assistance programs, ensuring no eligible veteran is excluded simply because the law references outdated programs.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Veterans Get Study Leave
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to governmental employees
- Delivered to assembly
- Passed senateVote 62–0
- Advanced to third reading
- 2nd report cal.
- 1st report cal.1074
- Referred to veterans, homeland security and military affairs
- Returned to senate
- Died in assembly
- Referred to governmental employees
- Delivered to assembly
- Passed senateVote 60–0
Show 3 earlier actions
- Ordered to third reading cal.1783
- Committee discharged and committed to rules
- Referred to veterans, homeland security and military 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.
Expand Veterans’ Education Leave
In Assembly Committee · Governmental Employees · Sponsor Michael DenDekker
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
2813
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 17, 2017
Introduced by Sen. HANNON -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs
AN ACT to amend the military law, in relation to leave of absence for public employees who are war veterans to continue study
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 246 of the military law, as amended by chapter 43 of the laws of 1967, is amended to read as follows:
§ 246. Leave of absence for public employees who are war veterans to continue study. Notwithstanding the provisions of any law to the contrary, every public officer and employee, who served in the armed forces of the United States on or after September sixteenth, nineteen hundred forty, and prior to the termination of hostilities in world war II, or during the period of hostilities engaged in by the armed forces of the United States on and after June twenty-fifth, nineteen hundred fifty, or who served in the armed forces of the United States after January thirty-first, nineteen hundred fifty-five, and who is eligible under the provisions enacted by the congress of the United States known as ["Servicemen's Readjustment Act of nineteen hundred forty-four," or "Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act of nineteen hundred fifty-two," or "Veterans' Readjustment Benefits Act of nineteen hundred sixty-six,"] the "Post - 9/11 GI Bill", or "Montgomery GI Bill - Active Duty" (MGIB - AD), or "Montgomery GI Bill - Selected Reserve" (MGIB-SR), or "Reserve Educational Assistance Program" (REAP), or "Veterans Educational Assistance Program" (VEAP), or "Educational Assistance Test Program" (Section 901 of Public Law 96-342), to continue the pursuit of studies or to take a refresher or retraining course shall be granted a leave of absence from his position for the period of such course of study, not to exceed four years. Such public officer or employee shall be reinstated to his position provided he makes application for such reinstatement within sixty days after the termination of such course of study.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD08113-01-7
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the military law, in relation to leave of absence for public employees who are war veterans to continue study
Purpose
To extend the application of § 246 of the Military Law such that veterans may take a leave of absence to continue study.
Summary of provisions
Section 1 revives and amends § 246 of the Military Law to extend its application to public employees and officers who served in the armed forces' of the United States and who are eligible for education benefits under the Post-9/11 GI Bill, Montgomery GI Bill - Active Duty (MGIBAD), the Montgomery GI Bill - Selected Reserve (MGIB-SR), the Reserve Educational Assistance Program (REAP), the Veterans Educational Assistance Program (VEAP), or the Educational Assistance Test Program (Section 901).
Section 2 provides the effective date.
Justification
At one point, section 246 of the Military Law provided educational leaves of absence not to exceed four years for veterans who served during World War II, the Korean Conflict or after January 31, 1955, and who were eligible to continue their education or training under corresponding Federal Acts for those periods. Since enactment of this New York State law, there have been multiple changes to the federals laws that effectively rendered § 246 moot.
This legislation revives and amends § 246 to allow public officers and employees who served in the armed forces of the United States and who qualify for educational benefits under the Federal Acts enumerated within the section, to take a leave of absence to continue or pursue their education or to take refresher or retraining courses under such Acts. Such a provision for the allowance of educational leave has been the policy of New York State since World War II and this legislation would be a recognition and furtherance of that policy. Since the federal acts lack a leave of absence provision for veterans to use the educational benefits they are afforded, this bill results in New York's law working in conjunction with the Federal Acts.
Legislative history
Chp. 43; 1967
Fiscal implications
None.
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.