What's happening
This bill creates a program to promote funding and financial contributions for New York state veterans cemeteries.
Why it matters
Creates an official state effort to promote private and public funding for veterans cemeteries. , signaling a shift toward encouraging donations from individuals, corporations, and institutions—potentially increasing resources beyond what the state alone provides.
Directs the state’s Division of Veterans’ Services to actively seek grants and institutional contributions. , which could bring in federal or private foundation money, expanding the funding base for cemetery construction and ongoing operations.
Requires annual reporting to top state officials and legislative committees. , promoting transparency and accountability about fundraising progress and offering lawmakers regular updates and recommendations for improving cemetery maintenance and operations.
May help ensure the long-term sustainability and quality of veterans cemeteries in New York. , as increased and diversified funding could address deferred maintenance, enhance cemetery services, and honor veterans with better maintained final resting places.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Fund State Veterans Cemeteries
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
History
- Referred to veterans, homeland security and military affairs
- Referred to veterans, homeland security and military affairs
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
3780
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
February 14, 2019
Introduced by Sens. GRIFFO, AKSHAR, LANZA, RITCHIE -- 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 executive law, in relation to the establishment of the New York state veterans cemetery act
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "New York state veterans cemetery act".
§ 2. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 368-a to read as follows:
§ 368-a. Veterans cemetery funding promotion program. The division is hereby directed to establish, produce and conduct a New York state veterans cemetery funding promotion program. The purpose of the New York state veterans cemetery funding program would be to encourage the giving of financial contributions, by individuals, groups and corporations, to the veterans remembrance and cemetery maintenance and operation fund, created pursuant to section ninety-seven-mmmm of the state finance law, which was established to provide funding for veterans cemeteries pursuant to the New York state veterans cemetery program created under section three hundred sixty-five of this chapter. In establishing the New York state veterans cemetery funding promotion program, the division shall establish, produce and conduct programs, projects, and materials designed to encourage the giving of financial contributions, by individuals, groups and corporations, to the veterans remembrance and cemetery maintenance and operation fund. The division shall further seek, and may apply on behalf of the state of New York, for grants and contributions, from governments and/or other institutional funding sources, for deposit in, and use by, the veterans remembrance and cemetery maintenance and operation fund, for the purpose of constructing, operating and financing New York state veterans cemeteries. Every year, not later than the
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07849-01-9
S. 3780 2
fifteenth of December, the division shall produce a report of the activities and operation of the New York state veterans cemetery funding promotion program, and shall deliver a copy of such report to the governor, the temporary president of the senate, the speaker of the assembly, the chair of the senate standing committee on veterans, homeland security and military affairs and the chair of the assembly standing committee on veterans' affairs. Such report shall contain information on the operations and progress of the New York state veterans cemetery funding promotion program, as well as recommendations to the legislature on the New York state veterans cemetery funding promotion program, and establishing, maintaining and operating state veterans cemeteries in accordance with the New York state veterans cemetery program.
§ 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the executive law, in relation to the establishment of the New York state veterans cemetery act
Purpose
This bill would amend the executive law, to establish a New York state veterans cemetery funding promotion program within the New York State Division of Veterans' Affairs.
Summary of provisions
This bill would add a new section 368-a to the executive law, to estab- lish a New York state veterans cemetery funding promotion program within the Division of Veterans Affairs.
Read the full memo (661 words)
Pursuant to this bill, the purpose of this promotion program, would be to encourage the giving of financial contributions, by individuals, groups and corporations, to the Veterans Remembrance and Cemetery Main- tenance and Operation Fund, which was established by act of the state legislature in 2013, as a means to provide funding for state veterans cemeteries, to be built and maintained in accordance with the New York State Veterans Cemetery program (also established in law in 2013 by section 368 of the executive law).
This bill, would additionally require the Division, in accordance with the promotion program, to establish, produce and conduct programs, projects, and materials, designed to encourage the giving of financial contributions, by individuals, groups and corporations, to the Veterans Remembrance and Cemetery Maintenance and Operation Fund, in order to support the construction and maintenance of New York State Veterans Cemeteries. This bill would further direct the Division to seek, and apply on behalf of the state of New York, for grants and contributions, from governments and/or other institutional funding sources, for deposit in, and use by, the fund.
Finally, this bill would require the division to produce an annual report, on or before December 15, on the activities, operations and progress of the promotion program.
Justification
In 2013, the legislature enacted for the first time in history, a New York State Veterans Cemetery Program Under the terms of this program, a Veterans Remembrance and Cemetery Maintenance and Operation Fund, was established as a means to provide funding for the construction, mainte- nance and operation of such cemeteries At this time, the legislature also appropriated $500,000 into such fund, and established a tax check off box on all state tax returns, to allow for gifts to be made to the fund.
As federal monies are available for state veteran cemetery construction, but not for perpetual maintenance, the law that created the New York State Veterans Cemetery Program (section 368 of the executive law) provided that in order for the Division of Veterans Affairs to authorize the designation or construction of a state veterans cemetery, the Veter- ans Remembrance and Cemetery Maintenance and Operation Fund must have within its account, an endowment amount equal to fifteen years of perpetual maintenance funds for such cemetery. For an average size veterans cemetery, such would constitute a requirement of having the fund contain approximately between six to seven million dollars before a state veterans cemetery could be constructed or designated. Due to the declining effectiveness of tax check off boxes, when most returns are now filed electronically, as of January 2015, the fund contained less than $600,000.
This bill would seek to have the Division of Veterans Affairs promote charitable giving to the fund, in order to raise money, and accelerate the time, for the construction or designation of the first state veter- ans cemetery. Such would provide additional funding for this purpose, and supplement the proceeds raised by the tax check off box. Similar programs of private giving, such as those targeted to build the WWII memorial in Washington, D.C. have proven highly successful. It is hoped that the promotion program directed by this bill could have similar results.
Legislative history
2017-18 - S. 3906 - Passed Senate/A. 3364 - Veterans' Affairs Committee. 2015-16 - S. 2941a - Passed Senate/A. 8189 - Veterans' Affairs Commit- tee.
Fiscal implications
None noted, as this program could be achieved within current resource allocations.
Effective date
Immediate.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.