Establishes a state visa bond fund administered by the office for New Americans funded entirely by private donations to assist persons in purchasing a visa bond for immigrants.
STATE OF NEW YORK
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10508
IN ASSEMBLY
March 6, 2026
___________
Introduced by M. of A. RAJKUMAR -- read once and referred to the Commit-
tee on Governmental Operations
AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to creating a state visa
bond fund to assist persons in obtaining visas
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 94-e
2 to read as follows:
3 § 94-e. State visa bond fund. 1. The office for new Americans shall
4 establish a not-for-profit entity charged with the responsibility of
5 raising funds for the administration of this section to assist persons
6 with purchasing bonds for an immigrant seeking a United States visa, the
7 office for new Americans shall:
8 (a) publicize the availability of such fund;
9 (b) develop criteria and a selection process for the recipients; and
10 (c) establish, by rule, procedures for accepting and evaluating appli-
11 cations issuing funds to selected applicants.
12 2. The fund shall be funded entirely by private contributions, and no
13 state funds shall be appropriated to or used by the fund. Such fund
14 shall be subject to the provisions of articles six and seven and section
15 seventy-four of the public officers law.
16 § 2. Paragraphs (o) and (p) of subdivision 5 of section 94-b of the
17 executive law, as added by chapter 625 of the laws of 2024, are amended
18 and a new paragraph (q) is added to read as follows:
19 (o) Encourage the development of and provide for the establishment of
20 a state military immigrant family legacy program liaison, as provided in
21 section twenty-nine-b of the veterans' services law; [and]
22 (p) Request individuals seeking assistance from the office answer the
23 following questions: "Have you served in the United States military?"
24 "Has someone in your family served in the United States military?"
25 Individuals identifying themselves or a family member as "intended
26 recipients" of the staff sergeant Alex R. Jimenez New York state mili-
27 tary immigrant family legacy program as such term is defined in para-
28 graph (e) of subdivision one of section [twenty-nine-b] twenty-nine-d of
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD15119-01-6
A. 10508 2
1 the veterans' services law, shall be advised of such program. In addi-
2 tion, such individuals shall be informed that the department of veter-
3 ans' services and local veterans' service agencies established pursuant
4 to section seventeen of the veterans' services law provide assistance to
5 uniformed service members, veterans and their families regarding bene-
6 fits available under federal and state law. Information regarding veter-
7 ans and military status provided by assisted individuals shall be
8 protected as personal confidential material, and used only to identify
9 such individuals as "intended recipients" of the staff sergeant Alex R.
10 Jimenez New York State military immigrant family legacy program, and to
11 assist such individuals in matters relating to immigration status and
12 citizenship, and in referring such individuals to the department of
13 veterans' services or local veterans' service agencies for information
14 and assistance with regard to benefits and entitlements under federal
15 and state law[.]; and
16 (q) Create a state visa bond fund to assist persons with purchasing
17 bonds for an immigrant seeking a United States visa.
18 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
