What's happening
This bill excludes veterans' federal disability benefits from being counted as income for public housing eligibility and surcharges in New York.
Why it matters
Protects veterans’ financial well-being. By excluding federal disability benefits from income calculations, the bill ensures that disabled veterans are not penalized or disqualified from public housing assistance because of the benefits they receive for service-connected disabilities.
Increases housing stability for disabled veterans. Veterans who rely on these benefits are less likely to lose eligibility for public housing or face higher surcharges, potentially reducing homelessness or housing insecurity among this vulnerable group.
Aligns income assessment with fairness. The bill recognizes that disability benefits are intended as compensation for service-related injuries, not as regular income, making public housing policy more equitable for veterans.
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Who cares
Veterans receiving federal service-connected disability benefits
The bill would exclude those benefits from probable aggregate annual income and surcharge calculations under Section 156 of the Public Housing Law.
Public housing authorities
They would need to leave qualifying veterans’ disability benefits out of income and surcharge calculations covered by the bill.
Veterans’ housing advocates
The bill would address how federal service-connected disability benefits count toward veterans’ income and housing surcharges.
Headline styles
Protect Veterans’ Disability Benefits
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to housing
- Referred to housing
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.
Protect Veterans’ Disability Benefits
In Senate Committee · Veterans, Homeland Security And Military Affairs · Sponsor Rich Funke
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
6135
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 28, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. RYAN -- read once and referred to the Committee on Housing
AN ACT to amend the public housing law, in relation to the exclusion of veterans' disability benefits from computation of income
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 156 of the public housing law is amended by adding a new subdivision 8 to read as follows:
8. For the purposes of this section, probable aggregate annual income shall not include disability benefits paid by the federal government to a veteran for a service-connected disability nor shall such disability benefits be included in computing any surcharge against such veteran.
§ 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.
LBD07089-01-9
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.