What's happening
This bill requires counties and New York City to request veterans' organizations to arrange funerals and burials for veterans without next of kin.
Why it matters
Shifts responsibility from optional to mandatory. The bill changes current law so that counties and New York City are now required (rather than just permitted) to request help from veterans’ organizations for arranging funerals and burials for veterans without next of kin, ensuring consistent respect and care for unclaimed veterans.
Leverages veterans' organizations’ expertise. By mandating outreach to congressionally chartered veterans’ organizations, the bill ensures that organizations familiar with veterans’ needs and customs are involved, which may improve the dignity and appropriateness of funeral and burial arrangements.
Addresses a gap in support for vulnerable veterans. This measure directly supports veterans who die alone and without resources, ensuring they receive proper final honors and are not neglected by the system, which may matter to those concerned with veterans’ welfare and societal responsibility.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Honor Unclaimed Veterans’ Remains
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
2 Co-sponsors
History
- Referred to veterans' affairs
- Delivered to assembly
- Passed senateVote 61–0
- Ordered to third reading cal.1711
- Committee discharged and committed to rules
- Referred to veterans, homeland security and military affairs
- Print number 3477a
- Amend (t) and recommit to veterans, homeland security and military affairs
- 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.
Honor Unclaimed Veterans’ Remains
In Assembly Committee · Veterans' Affairs · Sponsor Aravella Simotas
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
3477--A
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 23, 2017
Introduced by Sens. GIANARIS, AVELLA -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Veterans, Homeland Security and Military 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.
LBD04139-02-7
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the 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
Purpose or general idea
To ensure that all those who serve our country are given a proper interment
Summary of specific provisions
Section 1 amends paragraph (a) of subdivision 1-a of section 148 of the general municipal law to require counties and the city of New York to request a congressionally chartered veterans organization to engage the services of a funeral firm to conduct a funeral and burial.
Justification
Too often, when a veteran dies and is subsequently cremated, their remains, whether due to neglect by loved ones or lack thereof, go unclaimed and are left to sit on the shelf of mortuaries. This practice is most inappropriate considering their heroic service to our country. This legislation would ensure that the unclaimed remains of our service men and women will be rightfully interred with the dignity they deserve. This bill ensures that localities work with veterans organizations to ensure that all veterans are given a proper funeral and burial.
Prior legislative history
2016: Died in Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs 2015: Died in Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs 2014: Senate Bill 610 (Gianaris) - Died in Senate Veterans, Homeland Security & Military Affairs Committee 2012: Senate Bill 2515 (Gianaris) - Died in Senate Veterans, Homeland Security & Military Affairs Committee 2012: Assembly Bill 4904 (Simotas) - Died in Assembly Veterans' Affairs Committee 2010: Assembly Bill 8667 (Gianaris) - Died in Assembly Veterans' Affairs Committee
Fiscal implications
To be determined.
Effective date
This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeeding the date on which it shall have become law.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.