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A01532 Summary:

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A01532 Floor Votes:

A01532 Text:

 
                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                         1532--A
 
                               2009-2010 Regular Sessions
 
                   IN ASSEMBLY
 
                                       (Prefiled)
 
                                     January 7, 2009
                                       ___________
 
        Introduced  by M. of A. COLTON, PHEFFER, CHRISTENSEN, J. RIVERA, SCHROE-
          DER, ALFANO, ABBATE, LUPARDO -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of  A.  BALL,
          BARRA,  JOHN, SCARBOROUGH, SWEENEY, TOWNS, WEISENBERG -- read once and
          referred  to  the  Committee  on  Veterans'   Affairs   --   committee

          discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted
          to said committee
 
        AN  ACT  to  amend  the  executive law, in relation to a veteran speaker
          education program within the division of veterans' affairs
 
          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
 
     1    Section  1.    Legislative findings and intent. The legislature hereby
     2  finds that the defining moments of our nation's history came in wartime,
     3  especially during the great conflicts  of  the  twentieth  century.  The
     4  legislature further maintains that it is imperative that all of society,
     5  and  particularly  young  people, be aware of the contributions of those
     6  who participated in these conflicts as members of the armed forces.
     7    These men and women established a remarkable  record  of  service  and

     8  sacrifice. They were ordinary men and women who did extraordinary things
     9  to  preserve  and  protect  our nation and its cherished freedoms. Their
    10  personal accounts, which constitute a valuable historical record, are in
    11  danger of being lost forever as these individuals pass away. The  legis-
    12  lature,  therefore,  has determined that it is necessary and appropriate
    13  to take steps to help encourage greater knowledge  and  appreciation  of
    14  veterans, particularly in our schools.
    15    In this regard, many states have already enacted school-based programs
    16  honoring  those  who  served in the military.  The legislature now finds
    17  and declares that New York should make available to  students,  teachers
    18  and  administrators  in  public  and private schools a new resource that
    19  will encourage greater understanding and appreciation  of  the  contrib-
    20  ution of veterans.
 

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
        A                                                          LBD04301-04-9
        A. 1532--A                          2
 
     1    §  2.  The  executive  law is amended by adding a new section 353-a to
     2  read as follows:
     3    §  353-a. Veteran speaker education program. 1. There is hereby estab-
     4  lished within the division a veteran speaker  education  program  to  be
     5  developed  and  implemented  by  the  director  in consultation with the
     6  director of the New York state military  museum  and  veterans  resource
     7  center  and  in  accordance  with  the  provisions of this section. Such

     8  program shall provide school districts within this state with a  listing
     9  of  available  veteran  speakers  willing  to  visit  classrooms for the
    10  purpose of discussing their military experience.
    11    2. The division shall develop an informational pamphlet to be distrib-
    12  uted either by mail or electronically to school districts which provides
    13  a general overview of the program  including  its  purpose  and  how  to
    14  participate.  The division shall, from its available resources including
    15  assistance from organized veterans groups, appoint and create a  listing
    16  of  veteran speakers coordinators for each county of the state who shall
    17  be listed in the informational pamphlet.  The veteran speakers coordina-

    18  tors' duties shall include but not be limited to contacting veterans who
    19  reside in their county including those  who  have  participated  in  the
    20  veteran's  oral history program at the New York state military museum or
    21  the West Point oral history project or the veterans history  project  of
    22  the  American  Folklore  Center or any similar oral history project with
    23  information about this program and inquiring as to whether such  persons
    24  would  be  willing  to participate as speakers or in any other capacity.
    25  The listing shall include the names and  contact  information  for  such
    26  veterans  including  information describing the type of military service
    27  performed by each such person, the time and length of service, geograph-

    28  ic area or areas where such person served and rank. The division and the
    29  veteran speakers coordinators shall  annually  update  such  information
    30  regarding the availability of such veterans.
    31    3.  No  teacher  or  veteran  shall be required to participate in this
    32  program. Any teacher who wishes  to  supplement  his  or  her  classroom
    33  instruction concerning a particular era in American military history may
    34  contact  a  participating veteran personally to request that such person
    35  visit a classroom to discuss his or her military experience.  A  teacher
    36  shall  be  responsible  for  ascertaining  the  appropriateness  of  any
    37  proposed speaker based upon the age of the  children  and  the  intended

    38  subject  matter.  Nothing in this section shall be intended to supersede
    39  any particular or general school rules  or  regulations  or  other  laws
    40  relating to curriculum.
    41    4.  The  division  shall  require  a  certified  copy of the veteran's
    42  discharge papers to participate in the  veteran  speaker  program.  Such
    43  form  shall  be  filed  with the division to serve as evidence that such
    44  person is a veteran who served in the United States military honorably.
    45    5. The division shall implement a procedure for  evaluations  of  each
    46  speaker  to  be  completed  by  teachers and students, and maintain such
    47  evaluations and make them available upon request to other  teachers  who
    48  plan to participate.

    49    6.  The division may consult with other veterans organizations and any
    50  branch of the U.S. military in the development of this program.
    51    § 3. This act shall take effect one year after it shall have become  a
    52  law, provided that any rules and regulations necessary for the implemen-
    53  tation  of  this  act  on  its effective date shall be promulgated on or
    54  before such date.