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A01601 Summary:

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A01601 Text:

 
                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                         1601--A
 
                               2013-2014 Regular Sessions
 
                   IN ASSEMBLY
 
                                       (Prefiled)
 
                                     January 9, 2013
                                       ___________
 
        Introduced  by  M.  of A. COLTON, ABBATE, LUPARDO, RIVERA -- Multi-Spon-
          sored by -- M. of A. CURRAN, SCARBOROUGH, SWEENEY, TENNEY,  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  and  the
     4  beginning of the twenty-first century. The legislature further maintains
     5  that  it  is  imperative  that  all  of  society, and particularly young
     6  people, be aware of the contributions of those who participated in these
     7  conflicts as members of the armed forces.
     8    These men and women established a remarkable  record  of  service  and

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

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD04162-02-3
        A. 1601--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, from its available resources, shall develop an infor-
    12  mational pamphlet to be distributed either by mail or electronically  to
    13  school  districts  which  provides  a  general  overview  of the program
    14  including its purpose and how to participate.  The  division  shall,  in
    15  consultation  with  congressionally chartered veterans organizations and
    16  local veterans services agencies, appoint and create a listing of veter-
    17  an speakers coordinators for each county of the state who shall be list-

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

    28  performed by each such person, the time and length of service, geograph-
    29  ic area or areas where such person served and rank.  The veteran  speak-
    30  ers  coordinators  shall  annually update such information regarding the
    31  availability of such veterans.
    32    3. No teacher or veteran shall be  required  to  participate  in  this
    33  program.  Any  teacher  who  wishes  to  supplement his or her classroom
    34  instruction concerning a particular era in American military history may
    35  contact a participating veteran personally to request that  such  person
    36  visit  a  classroom to discuss his or her military experience. A teacher
    37  shall  be  responsible  for  ascertaining  the  appropriateness  of  any

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

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