What's happening
This bill allows local governments to grant up to five days of paid leave for combat veterans to attend health-related services.
Why it matters
Expands local government authority. This bill gives municipal governments the explicit power to create policies that support combat veterans’ health needs, allowing for tailored responses to local veteran populations.
Targets veterans’ unique health challenges. By specifying leave for health services related to combat service, the bill acknowledges the ongoing physical and mental health impacts many veterans face, including PTSD and service-related injuries.
Ensures policy consistency and equity. Any local law or resolution must cover all qualifying combat veterans employed by the municipality, aiming to prevent selective or inconsistent application among employees.
Protects existing union agreements. The bill includes a safeguard so that these new paid leave provisions cannot override or reduce benefits already provided by collective bargaining agreements, ensuring current labor protections remain intact.
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Who cares
Municipal employees who are combat veterans
Eligible employees with documented combat theater or combat zone service could receive up to five working days of additional paid leave annually for health services related to that duty, if their municipality opts in.
Municipal governing bodies
The bill would let them authorize the paid leave by local law or resolution at their sole discretion, with coverage required for both combat theater and combat zone veterans they employ.
Unions representing municipal employees
The bill would preserve employees’ rights, privileges and remedies under collective bargaining agreements.
Headline styles
Paid Leave for Veteran Health
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
20 Co-sponsors
2 Multi-sponsors
History
- Signed chap.476
- Delivered to governor
- Returned to assembly
- Passed senateVote 62–0
- 3rd reading cal.1022
- Substituted for S5285A
- Referred to rules
- Delivered to senate
- Passed assembly
- Ordered to third reading rules cal.321
- Rules report cal.321
- Reported
Show 7 earlier actions
- Reported referred to rules
- Print number 1093b
- Amend and recommit to ways and means
- Reported referred to ways and means
- Print number 1093a
- Amend and recommit to governmental operations
- Referred to governmental operations
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.
Paid Leave for Veteran Health
Senate Floor Calendar · Sponsor John E. Brooks
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
1093--B
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 14, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. PAULIN, ORTIZ, TAYLOR, WILLIAMS, CAHILL, VANEL, DICKENS, D'URSO, GOTTFRIED, ENGLEBRIGHT, MIKULIN, MOSLEY, SEAWRIGHT, RIVERA, ARROYO, COOK, RAIA, BLAKE -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. BARCLAY, SIMON -- read once and referred to the Committee on Governmental Operations -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee -- reported and referred to the Committee on Ways and Means -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the military law, in relation to authorizing additional paid leave for health related services for certain employees
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision 5 of section 242 of the military law is amended by adding a new paragraph (c) to read as follows:
(c) Public officers or employees, as defined by paragraph (a) of subdivision one of this section, who are not employees of the state of New York and therefore not entitled to the benefits contained in paragraph (b) of this subdivision, who have served in a combat theater or combat zone of operations as documented by a copy of his or her DD214, certificate of release or discharge from active duty, or other applicable department of defense documentation, may be entitled to additional paid leave for health related services related to duty in a combat theater or combat zone of operations. The governing body of a municipal corporation may, in its sole discretion, adopt a resolution or local law providing for the payment of the salary or other compensation of such public officers or employees for any and all periods of absence while utilizing healthcare related services related to duty in a combat theater or combat zone of operations, not exceeding five working days, in any one calendar year. Any such local law or resolution adopted must apply to both combat theater veterans and combat zone of operations
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01659-06-9
A. 1093--B 2
veterans employed by such public employer. Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to diminish the rights, privileges, or remedies of any employee under any collective bargaining agreement.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth 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.