Assembly Bill A9282

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   9282
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             February 23, 2024
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. BENDETT -- read once and referred to the Commit-
   tee on Veterans' Affairs
 
 AN ACT to amend the veterans' services law, in relation to  establishing
   the veterans' services organization capital support program
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section 1. The veterans' services law is amended by adding a new arti-
 cle 4 to read as follows:
                                  ARTICLE 4
          VETERANS' SERVICES ORGANIZATION CAPITAL SUPPORT PROGRAM
 
 SECTION 50. DEFINITIONS.
         51. ESTABLISHMENT AND CRITERIA.
         52. ELIGIBLE PURPOSES.
   § 50. DEFINITIONS. FOR THE PURPOSES OF  THIS  ARTICLE,  THE  FOLLOWING
 TERMS SHALL HAVE THE FOLLOWING MEANINGS:
   1.  "ELIGIBLE  ENTITY" MEANS A VETERAN SERVICE ORGANIZATION AS DEFINED
 PURSUANT TO TITLE 38 U.S. CODE SECTION 5902 AND THAT ALSO  IS  ORGANIZED
 AS  A  NOT-FOR-PROFIT  ORGANIZATION  PURSUANT  TO THE TITLE 26 U.S. CODE
 SECTION 501(C), WHICH MAY INCLUDE BUT SHALL NOT BE LIMITED TO THE AMERI-
 CAN LEGION, VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS, DISABLED AMERICAN VETERANS,  PARA-
 LYZED  VETERANS  OF  AMERICA,  AMERICAN VETERANS AND VIETNAM VETERANS OF
 AMERICA.
   § 51. ESTABLISHMENT AND CRITERIA.  THERE  IS  HEREBY  ESTABLISHED  THE
 VETERANS' SERVICES ORGANIZATION CAPITAL SUPPORT PROGRAM FOR THE ELIGIBLE
 PURPOSES UNDER SECTION FIFTY-TWO OF THIS ARTICLE. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL
 DEVELOP  CRITERIA FOR THE DISBURSEMENT OF FUNDS AUTHORIZED UNDER SECTION
 FIFTY-TWO OF THIS ARTICLE TO AN ELIGIBLE ENTITY.
   § 52. ELIGIBLE  PURPOSES.  WITHIN  AMOUNTS  SPECIFICALLY  APPROPRIATED
 THEREFORE, THE COMMISSIONER SHALL AWARD GRANTS NOT TO EXCEED TWO HUNDRED
 THOUSAND  DOLLARS  FOR  PAYMENT  OF  THE  CAPITAL COSTS OF CONSTRUCTION,
 IMPROVEMENT, REPAIRS, REHABILITATION, OR  RECONSTRUCTION  OF  FACILITIES
 OWNED  BY ELIGIBLE ENTITIES PURSUANT TO THIS ARTICLE, AND FOR THE ACQUI-
 SITION OF RELATED EQUIPMENT WITH A USEFUL LIFE  OF  NOT  LESS  THAN  TEN
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD14385-01-4
 A. 9282                             2
 
 YEARS.  SUCH  CAPITAL  COSTS  MAY  INCLUDE, BUT SHALL NOT BE LIMITED TO,
 ENGINEERING AND DESIGN COSTS. NO FUNDS  AUTHORIZED  UNDER  THIS  SECTION
 SHALL  BE  USED  AS  A  REQUIRED MATCH OR BE CONSIDERED A LOCAL SHARE TO
 OTHER STATE PROGRAMS OR TO LEVERAGE STATE AID OR GRANTS.
   §  2. The sum of ten million dollars ($10,000,000), or so much thereof
 as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated to the department of  veter-
 ans'  services  out  of  any moneys in the state treasury in the general
 fund to the  credit  of  the  veterans'  services  organization  capital
 support program, not otherwise appropriated, and made immediately avail-
 able,  for  the purpose of carrying out the provisions of this act. Such
 moneys shall be payable on the audit and warrant of the  comptroller  on
 vouchers certified or approved by the commissioner of veterans' services
 in the manner prescribed by law.
   § 3. Severability clause. If any clause, sentence, paragraph, subdivi-
 sion,  section  or  part  of  this act shall be adjudged by any court of
 competent jurisdiction to be invalid, such judgment  shall  not  affect,
 impair,  or  invalidate  the remainder thereof, but shall be confined in
 its operation to the clause, sentence, paragraph,  subdivision,  section
 or part thereof directly involved in the controversy in which such judg-
 ment shall have been rendered. It is hereby declared to be the intent of
 the  legislature  that  this  act  would  have been enacted even if such
 invalid provisions had not been included herein.
   § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.