New York State Assembly

 
•  Summary 
 
•  Actions 
 
•  Committee Votes 
 
•  Floor Votes 
 
•  Memo 
 
•  Text 
 
•  LFIN 
 
•  Chamber Video/Transcript 

A08485 Summary:

A08485 Actions:

A08485 Committee Votes:

Committee:VETERANS' AFFAIRS   Chair:Stern      
DATE:05/19/2025AYE/NAY:18/0  Action: Favorable refer to committee Rules        
Stern
Aye
Manktelow
Aye
Hunter
Aye
Morinello
Aye
Pheffer Amato
Aye
Hawley
Aye
Jones
Aye
Smullen
Aye
Buttenschon
Aye
Angelino
Aye
Rajkumar
Aye
Septimo
Absent
Burdick
Aye
Eachus
Aye
Berger
Aye
Griffin
Aye
Kay
Aye
O'Pharrow
Aye
Schiavoni
Aye

Committee:RULES   Chair:Glick      
DATE:06/09/2025AYE/NAY:25/0  Action: Favorable         
Heastie
Excused
Barclay
Aye
Pretlow
Aye
Hawley
Aye
Cook
Aye
Blankenbush
Aye
Glick
Aye
Ra
Aye
Dinowitz
Aye
Brabenec
Aye
Colton
Aye
Palmesano
Aye
Magnarelli
Excused
Reilly
Excused
Paulin
Aye
Smith
Aye
Peoples-Stokes
Aye
Jensen
Aye
Benedetto
Aye
Lavine
Aye
Lupardo
Aye
Braunstein
Aye
Davila
Excused
Hyndman
Excused
Rozic
Aye
Bronson
Aye
Hevesi
Aye
Hunter
Aye
Taylor
Aye
Cruz
Aye
Vanel
Excused

A08485 Floor Votes:

A08485 Memo:

NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY
MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION
 submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)



 
BILL NUMBER: A8485
 
SPONSOR: Stern

 
TITLE OF BILL:
 
An act to amend the veterans' services law, in relation to establishing
voluntary opportunities for veterans
 
 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
 
The purpose of this bill is to increase awareness of volunteer opportu-
nities available to veterans.
 
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
 
Section 1 of the bill requires the Department of Veteran Services to
provide information on the department's website on volunteer opportu-
nities available to veterans and post any relevant application forms on
the employment portal.

Section 2 of the bill provides those local veterans' service agencies
have an• obligation to inform members of the uniformed services and
their families of any volunteer opportunities at the department.
 
Section three provides the effective date.
 
 
JUSTIFICATION:
 
Many times veterans when they come back home want to continue to serve
their community but they may not know how to start the process. This
bill requires the Department of Veterans' Services to provide on their
website information about volunteering at a volunteer fire department or
emergency services provider. Many voluntary fire departments and emer-
gency services across the state are looking to increase the number of
volunteers and this bill would tap into ready available qualified candi-
dates.
 
 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
 
This is a new bill.
 
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
 
None noted.
 
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have
become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or
repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of
this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed
on or before such date.

A08485 Text:

 
                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                          8485
 
                               2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                   IN ASSEMBLY
 
                                      May 16, 2025
                                       ___________
 
        Introduced  by M. of A. STERN -- read once and referred to the Committee
          on Veterans' Affairs
 
        AN ACT to amend the veterans' services law, in relation to  establishing
          voluntary opportunities for veterans
 
          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section 1. Section 4 of the  veterans'  services  law  is  amended  by
     2  adding a new subdivision 30-a to read as follows:
     3    30-a. (a) To provide information on the department's website on volun-
     4  teer  opportunities  available  to veterans as defined in section one of
     5  this article, including but not limited to working at the department, or
     6  a volunteer fire department or emergency services provider.
     7    (b) The department shall post on their website  under  the  employment
     8  portal  any  relevant application forms that a qualified veteran can use
     9  to apply for volunteer opportunities or to request  additional  informa-
    10  tion.
    11    §  2.  Subdivision  1  of section 15 of the veterans' services law, as
    12  amended by chapter 445 of the laws  of  2024,  is  amended  to  read  as
    13  follows:
    14    1.  A local veterans' service agency shall have power under the direc-
    15  tion of the state veterans' service agency, and it shall be its duty  to
    16  inform  military  and  naval authorities of the United States and assist
    17  members of the uniformed services and veterans,  who  are  residents  of
    18  this state, and their families, in relation to (1) matters pertaining to
    19  educational training and retraining services and facilities, (2) health,
    20  medical  and  rehabilitation  services and facilities, (3) provisions of
    21  federal, state and local laws and regulations affording  special  rights
    22  and  privileges  to  members  of the uniformed services and veterans and
    23  their families, (4) employment and re-employment services, (5) the proc-
    24  ess of  submitting  an  application  for  a  discharge  upgrade  to  the
    25  discharge  upgrade  advisory board, [and] (6) volunteer opportunities at
 
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD13169-01-5
        A. 8485                             2
 
     1  the department and volunteer  fire  departments  or  emergency  services
     2  providers,  and  (7)  other  matters  of similar, related or appropriate
     3  nature.  The local veterans' service agency may also assist families  of
     4  members  of  the  reserve  components  of the uniformed services and the
     5  organized militia ordered into active duty to ensure that they are  made
     6  aware of and are receiving all appropriate support available to them and
     7  are  placed  in  contact with the agencies responsible for such support,
     8  including, but not limited  to,  the  division  of  military  and  naval
     9  affairs and other state agencies responsible for providing such support.
    10  The  local veterans' service agency also shall perform such other duties
    11  as may be assigned by the state commissioner.
    12    § 3. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day  after  it  shall
    13  have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or
    14  repeal  of  any  rule  or regulation necessary for the implementation of
    15  this act on its effective date are authorized to be made  and  completed
    16  on or before such date.