BILL NUMBER: S4735

SPONSOR: GRIFFO
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the executive law, in relation to the establishment of
the New York state veterans cemetery act

 
PURPOSE:

This bill would amend the executive law, to establish a New York state
veterans cemetery funding promotion program within the New York State
Division of Veterans' Affairs.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

This bill would add a new section 368-a to the executive law, to estab-
lish a New York state veterans cemetery funding promotion program within
the Division of Veterans Affairs.

Pursuant to this bill, the purpose of this promotion program, would be
              

to encourage the giving of financial contributions, by individuals,
groups and corporations, to the Veterans Remembrance and Cemetery Main-
tenance and Operation Fund, which was established by act of the state
legislature in 2013, as a means to provide funding for state veterans
cemeteries, to be built and maintained in accordance with the New York
State Veterans Cemetery program (also established in law in 2013 by
section 368 of the executive law).

This bill, would additionally require the Division, in accordance with
the promotion program, to establish, produce and conduct programs,
projects, and materials, designed to encourage the giving of financial
contributions, by individuals, groups and corporations, to the Veterans
Remembrance and Cemetery Maintenance and Operation Fund, in order to
support the construction and maintenance of New York State Veterans
Cemeteries. This bill would further direct the Division to seek, and
apply on behalf of the state of New York, for grants and contributions,
from governments and/or other institutional funding sources, for deposit
in, and use by, the fund.

Finally, this bill would require the division to produce an annual
report, on or before December 15, on the activities, operations and
progress of the promotion program.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

In 2013, the legislature enacted for the first time in history, a New
York State Veterans Cemetery Program Under the terms of this program, a
Veterans Remembrance and Cemetery Maintenance and Operation Fund, was
established as a means to provide funding for the construction, mainte-
nance and operation of such cemeteries At this time, the legislature
also appropriated $500,000 into such fund, and established a tax check
off box on all state tax returns, to allow for gifts to be made to the
fund.

As federal monies are available for state veteran cemetery construction,
but not for perpetual maintenance, the law that created the New York
State Veterans Cemetery Program (section 368 of the executive law)
provided that in order for the Division of Veterans Affairs to authorize
the designation or construction of a state veterans cemetery, the Veter-
ans Remembrance and Cemetery Maintenance and Operation Fund must have
within its account, an endowment amount equal to fifteen years of
perpetual maintenance funds for such cemetery. For an average size
veterans cemetery, such would constitute a requirement of having the
fund contain approximately between six to seven million dollars before a
state veterans cemetery could be constructed or designated. Due to the
declining effectiveness of tax check off boxes, when most returns are
now filed electronically, as of January 2015, the fund contained less
than $600,000.

This bill would seek to have the Division of Veterans Affairs promote
charitable giving to the fund, in order to raise money, and accelerate
the time, for the construction or designation of the first state veter-
ans cemetery. Such would provide additional funding for this purpose,
and supplement the proceeds raised by the tax check off box. Similar
programs of private giving, such as those targeted to build the WWII
memorial in Washington, D.C. have proven highly successful. It is hoped
that the promotion program directed by this bill could have similar
results.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2019-20 -S. 3780 -Veterans', Homeland Security and Military Affairs
Committee.
2017-18 - S. 3906 - Passed Senate/A. 3364 - Veterans' Affairs Committee.
2015-16 - S. 2941a - Passed Senate/A. 8189 - Veterans' Affairs Commit-
tee.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None noted, as this program could be achieved within current resource
allocations.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediate.