Establishes the emergency safe return of U.S. citizens or permanent residents from Israel or Palestine fund to provide reimbursement to United States citizens or permanent residents who reside in the state of New York for expenses arising from leaving Israel or Palestine during or as a direct result of the conflict that started on October 7, 2023.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
8171
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
October 18, 2023
___________
Introduced by M. of A. GALLAGHER -- read once and referred to the
Committee on Ways and Means
AN ACT to amend the state finance law, in relation to establishing a
fund to provide reimbursement to United States citizens or permanent
residents who reside in the state of New York for expenses arising
from leaving Israel or Palestine during or as a direct result of the
conflict that started on October 7, 2023
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as
2 the "emergency safe return of U.S. citizens or permanent residents from
3 Israel or Palestine fund act".
4 § 2. The state finance law is amended by adding a new section 97-bbbbb
5 to read as follows:
6 § 97-bbbbb. Emergency safe return of U.S. citizens or permanent resi-
7 dents from Israel or Palestine fund. 1. There is hereby established in
8 the joint custody of the state comptroller and the commissioner of taxa-
9 tion and finance an account of the miscellaneous special revenue account
10 to be known as the "emergency safe return of U.S. citizens or permanent
11 residents from Israel or Palestine fund".
12 2. Moneys in the emergency safe return of U.S. citizens or permanent
13 residents from Israel or Palestine fund shall be kept separate and shall
14 not be commingled with any other moneys in the custody of the state
15 comptroller and the commissioner of taxation and finance.
16 3. The emergency safe return of U.S. citizens or permanent residents
17 from Israel or Palestine fund shall consist of moneys appropriated for
18 the purpose of such account, moneys transferred to such account pursuant
19 to law, contributions consisting of promises or grants of any money or
20 property of any kind or value, or any other thing of value, including
21 grants or other financial assistance from any agency of government and
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD13434-01-3
A. 8171 2
1 moneys required by the provisions of this section or any other law to be
2 paid into or credited to this account.
3 4. Moneys of the emergency safe return of U.S. citizens or permanent
4 residents from Israel or Palestine fund, when allocated, shall be avail-
5 able, to U.S. citizens or permanent residents with bona fide residency
6 in the state of New York as reimbursement for otherwise unreimbursed
7 actual expenses incurred relating to travel out of Israel or Palestine
8 during or as a direct result of the conflict that started on or about
9 October seventh, two thousand twenty-three, including for travel, lodg-
10 ing, lost personal property, medical care, or other related expenses,
11 including any reimbursement the individual was required to provide to
12 the U.S. for such travel related costs.
13 5. The moneys, when allocated, shall be paid out of the emergency safe
14 return of U.S. citizens or permanent residents from Israel or Palestine
15 fund, pursuant to subdivision four of this section, and subject to the
16 approval of the director of the budget, on the audit and warrant of the
17 comptroller on vouchers certified or approved by the secretary of state
18 or his or her designee.
19 § 3. Severability clause. If any clause, sentence, paragraph, subdivi-
20 sion, section or part of this act shall be adjudged by any court of
21 competent jurisdiction to be invalid, such judgment shall not affect,
22 impair, or invalidate the remainder thereof, but shall be confined in
23 its operation to the clause, sentence, paragraph, subdivision, section
24 or part thereof directly involved in the controversy in which such judg-
25 ment shall have been rendered. It is hereby declared to be the intent of
26 the legislature that this act would have been enacted even if such
27 invalid provisions had not been included herein.
28 § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.