What's happening
This bill requires SUNY and CUNY campuses to provide free fitness and pool memberships to disabled veterans.
Why it matters
Expands access to wellness resources for disabled veterans. , which could significantly benefit their physical and mental health by removing financial barriers to fitness and aquatic facilities at public colleges.
Encourages campus-community integration. , as veterans would be able to participate alongside students and local residents, fostering inclusion and mutual understanding.
Standardizes eligibility and access across all SUNY and CUNY campuses. , ensuring that disabled veterans receive consistent treatment and benefits regardless of which campus they visit.
May serve as a model for other states or institutions. , potentially influencing broader adoption of veteran support policies in higher education and public facilities.
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Who cares
Disabled veterans
Veterans certified as entitled to service-related disability payments could obtain fee-free fitness and aquatic memberships at covered campuses by presenting documentation of their status.
SUNY board of trustees
The board would have to adopt a policy requiring covered campuses to offer these memberships on the same terms as public memberships, but without fees or other charges.
SUNY, CUNY and community college fitness and aquatic facilities
Campuses offering memberships to the general public would have to provide qualifying disabled veterans with free memberships and accept disability documentation at application or afterward.
Headline styles
Free Gym Access for Veterans
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
History
- Recommit, enacting clause stricken
- Referred to higher education
Companion bills
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.
Free Gym Access for Disabled Veterans
Senate Floor Calendar · Sponsor Jessica Scarcella-Spanton
Free Gym Access for Veterans
Passed Senate · Sponsor Tommy Schiavoni
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
1040
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE (Prefiled)
January 8, 2025
Introduced by Sens. PALUMBO, BORRELLO, GALLIVAN, HELMING, MURRAY, ROLI- SON -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Higher Education
AN ACT relating to the issuance of pool and health memberships to disabled veterans at certain SUNY and CUNY campuses
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. For the purposes of this section, "disabled veteran" shall mean a veteran who is certified by the United States veterans' administration or a military department as entitled to receive disability payments upon the certification of such veterans' administration or a military department for a disability incurred by the veteran in the course of their service.
§ 2. The state university of New York's board of trustees shall adopt a policy requiring all state university of New York, city university of New York, college, and community college campuses that offer membership programs to the general public for the use of fitness and aquatic facilities, to permit disabled veterans to obtain a membership for the use of fitness and aquatic facilities upon the same terms and conditions as apply to the general public, but without payment of any fees or other charges. Such membership shall be granted upon the presentation of documentation confirming disabled veteran status at the time of application or any time after such membership has been granted.
§ 3. This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD03049-01-5
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act relating to the issuance of pool and health memberships to disa- bled veterans at certain SUNY and CUNY campuses
Purpose
To allow disabled veterans to use SUNY and CUNY aquatic facilities.
Summary of provisions
Section 1. Provides the definition of "disabled veteran".
Section 2. Requires the State University of New York's Board of Trustees to adopt a policy to permit disabled veterans to obtain a membership for the use of fitness and aquatic facilities upon the same terms and condi- tions as apply to the public, but without payment of any fees or other charges.
Justification
New York State is proudly home to the one of the largest veteran popu- lations in the country and it is critical that the State provides them with the support they earned. This legislation would require certain SUNY and CUNY campuses that offer membership programs to the public for the use of fitness facilities and pools to provide free access to our disabled veterans.
Legislative history
2024 S.6531
Fiscal implications
TBD.
Effective date
This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall have become a law.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.