S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   1487
 
                        2017-2018 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 12, 2017
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. ZEBROWSKI, ABBATE, LUPARDO, SCHIMMINGER, GUNTHER,
   M. G. MILLER  --  read  once and referred to the Committee on Ways and
   Means
 
 AN ACT to amend the tax law, in relation to authorizing the creation  of
   the  veteran  assistance  lottery game; and to amend the state finance
   law, in relation to establishing the veterans' assistance fund
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. The tax law is amended by adding a new section 1621 to read
 as follows:
   §  1621. VETERAN ASSISTANCE LOTTERY GAME. 1. THE DIRECTOR OF THE DIVI-
 SION OF LOTTERY SHALL DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT NO MORE THAN TWO SCRATCH-OFF
 LOTTERY GAMES WHOSE REVENUE, AFTER  PAYMENT  OF  PRIZES  AND  ASSOCIATED
 ADMINISTRATIVE  COSTS  OF  SUCH GAMES, SHALL BE DEPOSITED IN THE VETERAN
 ASSISTANCE FUND AS ESTABLISHED IN SECTION NINETY-SEVEN-YYYY OF THE STATE
 FINANCE LAW. THIS LOTTERY GAME SHALL BE MARKETED AND DISTRIBUTED IN  THE
 SAME  MANNER AS ALL LOTTERY GAMES CONTROLLED BY THE DIVISION OF LOTTERY.
 THIS SECTION SHALL NOT DIMINISH ANY EFFORTS OR FUNDING FOR OTHER LOTTERY
 GAMES UNDER THE CONTROL OF THE DIVISION OF LOTTERY.  EACH  TICKET  SHALL
 CLEARLY  STATE THAT ALL PROCEEDS FROM TICKET SALES GO TOWARDS THE VETER-
 ANS' ASSISTANCE FUND.
   2. THE DIVISION OF LOTTERY SHALL ESTABLISH AND BEGIN  SELLING  TICKETS
 AS  REQUIRED  BY  THIS  SECTION NO LATER THAN DECEMBER THIRTY-FIRST, TWO
 THOUSAND SEVENTEEN.
   § 2. The state finance law is amended by adding a new section  97-yyyy
 to read as follows:
   § 97-YYYY. VETERANS' ASSISTANCE FUND. 1. THE VETERANS' ASSISTANCE FUND
 IS  ESTABLISHED  IN THE SOLE CUSTODY OF THE STATE COMPTROLLER. MONIES IN
 THE FUND SHALL BE KEPT SEPARATE AND NOT COMMINGLED WITH OTHER  FUNDS  IN
 THE CUSTODY OF THE COMPTROLLER.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD04507-01-7
              

 A. 1487                             2
 
   2. MONIES OF THE FUND SHALL BE EXPENDED ONLY FOR COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH
 ASSISTANCE  FOR  VETERANS INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, EDUCATION, HOUS-
 ING, MEDICAL EXPENSES AND JOB TRAINING. MONIES SHALL BE PAYABLE FROM THE
 FUND BY THE COMPTROLLER ON VOUCHERS  APPROVED  BY  THE  NEW  YORK  STATE
 DIRECTOR OF VETERANS' AFFAIRS.
   3.  THE  NEW  YORK  STATE DIRECTOR OF VETERANS' AFFAIRS SHALL CREATE A
 DIRECT GRANT PROGRAM THAT WILL DISPERSE  FUNDS  TO  INDIVIDUAL  VETERANS
 BASED  ON NEED. THE INDIVIDUAL GRANTS SHALL BE AWARDED THROUGH AN APPLI-
 CATION PROCESS BASED ON CRITERIA CREATED WITHIN SUCH PROGRAM. THE  FUND-
 ING  FOR  VETERAN  ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS AND SERVICES SHOULD BE APPLIED IN
 AREAS WHERE THE NEED IS THE MOST FOR VETERANS IN NEW YORK STATE.
   4. MONIES SHALL  BE  CREDITED  TOWARDS  THE  FUND  IN  FORM  OF  GIFT,
 DONATION, FEDERAL ASSISTANCE OR GRANT, TRANSFERS, PAYMENT, APPROPRIATION
 OR  BY  A  DEDICATED  REVENUE  SOURCE  INCLUDING  THE VETERAN ASSISTANCE
 LOTTERY GAME AS ESTABLISHED IN SECTION SIXTEEN HUNDRED TWENTY-ONE OF THE
 TAX LAW.
   5. MONIES OF THE FUND SHALL NOT BE USED, TRANSFERRED  OR  APPROPRIATED
 FOR ANY PURPOSE OTHER THAN WHAT IS PROVIDED IN THIS SECTION, EXCEPT THAT
 SUCH  MONIES MAY BE USED FOR MINIMAL COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH ADMINISTERING
 THE PROGRAM WITHIN THE DIVISION OF VETERANS' AFFAIRS.
   6. FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, "VETERAN" SHALL HAVE THE  MEANING
 DEFINED IN SECTION THREE HUNDRED FIFTY OF THE EXECUTIVE LAW.
   §  3.  This  act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
 have become a law.