Establishes a maximum age of seventy-two for service and a maximum enlistment or commission age of fifty for the New York naval militia and the New York guard; creates uniform and training requirements for the New York guard.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
10669
IN ASSEMBLY
March 20, 2026
___________
Introduced by M. of A. CHANG -- read once and referred to the Committee
on Governmental Operations
AN ACT to amend the military law, in relation to creating certain age
and other requirements for the New York naval militia and the New York
guard
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 43 of the military law, as
2 amended by chapter 722 of the laws of 2004, is amended to read as
3 follows:
4 1. The naval force of the organized militia shall be the New York
5 naval militia and shall comprise the units and personnel forming the
6 naval militia of the state at this date and such other naval units as
7 may be organized hereafter including the personnel who are enlisted,
8 appointed or commissioned therein; provided, that ninety-five percent of
9 the persons who are members of the New York naval militia shall be
10 members of the United States naval reserve, the United States marine
11 corps reserve or the United States coast guard reserve. Members of the
12 New York naval militia may serve until reaching seventy-two years of
13 age. The maximum age to enlist or commission with the New York naval
14 militia with no prior military service shall be fifty years of age;
15 provided, however, that members serving as chaplains or in critical
16 medical fields may be enlisted or commissioned at or above such age upon
17 the issuance of a waiver by the commanding general officer.
18 § 2. Section 44 of the military law, as amended by chapter 442 of the
19 laws of 1958, is amended to read as follows:
20 § 44. The New York guard. 1. The New York guard, whenever a state
21 force shall be duly organized under the constitution and laws of the
22 United States and of the state, shall be a reserve land force of the
23 organized militia, and shall be commanded by a general officer. Members
24 of the New York guard may serve until reaching seventy-two years of age.
25 The maximum age to enlist or commission with the New York guard with no
26 prior military service shall be fifty years of age; provided, however,
27 that members serving as chaplains or in critical medical fields may be
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD15254-01-6
A. 10669 2
1 enlisted or commissioned at or above such age upon the issuance of a
2 waiver by the commanding general officer.
3 2. All new members of the New York guard shall initially receive, with
4 costs reimbursed, two sets of field service uniforms and one set of
5 winter outerwear. The maximum cost per item of such field service
6 uniforms and such winter outerwear shall not exceed the cost from the
7 official uniform exchange. The commanding general officer shall deter-
8 mine and prescribe the initial items for the field service uniform.
9 3. All new members of the New York guard without prior military expe-
10 rience shall complete an initial accession training. All new members of
11 such guard with prior military service shall complete one full drill
12 weekend.
13 § 3. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
14 have become a law.
