S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    854
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              January 6, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. SANDERS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules
 
 AN ACT to amend the executive law, in  relation  to  authorizing  public
   requests  for  information  from  any  county,  city, town, or village
   desiring to have any memorial located within their municipality listed
   within the veterans memorial registry; to amend the veterans' services
   law, in relation to directing the department of veterans' services  to
   establish a veterans memorial registry; and to repeal section 368-b of
   the executive law relating thereto
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Subdivisions 2 and 3 of section 368-b of the executive law,
 as added by a chapter of the laws of 2022, amending  the  executive  law
 relating  to  directing  the division of veterans' services to develop a
 veterans memorial registry, as proposed in legislative bills numbers  S.
 8729 and A. 9590, are amended to read as follows:
   2. The registry shall consist of a searchable database of THOSE veter-
 ans memorials located within the state SUBMITTED PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION
 THREE  OF  THIS  SECTION. The registry shall include, but not be limited
 to, information regarding the location of a memorial  and  who  or  what
 veteran  or battle the memorial is honoring.  Additional information may
 include historical information such as who authorized  the  erection  of
 such  memorial  and  the year of the dedication.  Such registry shall be
 searchable by location, veteran or battle.
   3. [In developing such registry,] THE STATE DIRECTOR SHALL  ISSUE,  ON
 BEHALF  OF  the  division [may solicit information from local historians
 pursuant to section 57.09 of the  arts  and  cultural  affairs  law],  A
 PUBLIC  REQUEST  FOR  INFORMATION FOR ANY COUNTY, CITY, TOWN, OR VILLAGE
 DESIRING TO HAVE ANY MEMORIAL LOCATED WITHIN THEIR  MUNICIPALITY  LISTED
 WITHIN  THE  REGISTRY.  EACH  COUNTY,  CITY, TOWN, OR VILLAGE MAY SUBMIT
 RESPONSES TO THE DIVISION'S REQUEST FOR INFORMATION AT  ANY  TIME  AFTER
 SUCH  REQUEST FOR INFORMATION HAS BEEN ISSUED. Individuals and organiza-
 tions, including but not limited to, local  veterans'  service  agencies
 staff, and members of congressionally chartered veterans' service organ-
 
              

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD04153-01-3
 S. 854                              2
 
 izations may [submit information for] PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS TO A MUNI-
 CIPALITY  FOR  inclusion  in  the  registry[, on a form developed by the
 division]. IN RESPONDING TO THE DIVISION'S PUBLIC REQUEST  FOR  INFORMA-
 TION, A MUNICIPALITY SHALL IDENTIFY THE MEMORIAL OR MEMORIALS IT DESIRES
 TO  HAVE  INCLUDED  IN  THE REGISTRY AND SUBMIT ANY INFORMATION REQUIRED
 PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION TWO OF THIS SECTION TO THE DIVISION.
   § 2. The veterans' services law is amended by  adding  a  new  section
 29-a to read as follows:
   §  29-A.  VETERANS MEMORIAL REGISTRY. 1. THE DEPARTMENT IS DIRECTED TO
 DEVELOP A VETERANS MEMORIAL REGISTRY IN CONSULTATION WITH  THE  DIRECTOR
 OF  THE NEW YORK STATE MILITARY MUSEUM AND VETERANS RESOURCE CENTER, THE
 COMMISSIONER OF THE OFFICE OF PARKS, RECREATION AND  HISTORIC  PRESERVA-
 TION,  THE  COMMISSIONER OF THE OFFICE OF GENERAL SERVICES AND THE STATE
 HISTORIAN. THE REGISTRY SHALL BE  MADE  AVAILABLE  ON  THE  DEPARTMENT'S
 WEBSITE.
   2. THE REGISTRY SHALL CONSIST OF A SEARCHABLE DATABASE OF THOSE VETER-
 ANS MEMORIALS LOCATED WITHIN THE STATE SUBMITTED PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION
 THREE  OF  THIS  SECTION. THE REGISTRY SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED
 TO, INFORMATION REGARDING THE LOCATION OF A MEMORIAL  AND  WHO  OR  WHAT
 VETERAN  OR BATTLE SUCH MEMORIAL IS HONORING. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION MAY
 INCLUDE HISTORICAL INFORMATION SUCH AS WHO AUTHORIZED  THE  ERECTION  OF
 SUCH  MEMORIAL  AND  THE  YEAR OF THE DEDICATION. SUCH REGISTRY SHALL BE
 SEARCHABLE BY LOCATION, VETERAN OR BATTLE.
   3. THE STATE COMMISSIONER SHALL ISSUE, ON BEHALF OF THE DEPARTMENT,  A
 PUBLIC  REQUEST  FOR  INFORMATION FOR ANY COUNTY, CITY, TOWN, OR VILLAGE
 DESIRING TO HAVE ANY MEMORIAL LOCATED WITHIN THEIR  MUNICIPALITY  LISTED
 WITHIN  THE  REGISTRY.  EACH  COUNTY,  CITY, TOWN, OR VILLAGE MAY SUBMIT
 RESPONSES TO THE DEPARTMENT'S REQUEST FOR INFORMATION AT ANY TIME  AFTER
 THE  REQUEST  FOR INFORMATION HAS BEEN ISSUED. INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZA-
 TIONS, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, LOCAL  VETERANS'  SERVICE  AGENCIES
 STAFF  AND MEMBERS OF CONGRESSIONALLY CHARTERED VETERANS' SERVICE ORGAN-
 IZATIONS MAY PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS TO A MUNICIPALITY FOR INCLUSION  IN
 THE  REGISTRY.  IN  RESPONDING  TO  THE  DEPARTMENT'S PUBLIC REQUEST FOR
 INFORMATION, A MUNICIPALITY SHALL IDENTIFY THE MEMORIAL OR MEMORIALS  IT
 DESIRES  TO  HAVE  INCLUDED  IN  THE REGISTRY AND SUBMIT ANY INFORMATION
 REQUIRED PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION TWO OF THIS SECTION TO THE DEPARTMENT.
   § 3. Section 368-b of the executive law, as added by a chapter of  the
 laws of 2022, amending the executive law relating to directing the divi-
 sion  of  veterans' services to develop a veterans memorial registry, as
 proposed in legislative bills numbers S. 8729 and A. 9590, is REPEALED.
   § 4. This act shall take effect on the  same  date  and  in  the  same
 manner  as  a  chapter  of  the  laws of 2022 amending the executive law
 relating to directing the division of veterans' services  to  develop  a
 veterans  memorial registry, as proposed in legislative bills numbers S.
 8729 and A. 9590, takes effect; provided, however, that section three of
 this act shall take effect on the same date and in the  same  manner  as
 section  2  of  part PP of chapter 56 of the laws of 2022, takes effect.
 Provided, further:
   (a) that the amendments made to subdivisions 2 and 3 of section  368-b
 of  the  executive  law made by section one of this act shall not affect
 the repeal of such section and shall be deemed repealed therewith; and
   (b) that if section 2 of part PP of chapter 56 of  the  laws  of  2022
 shall  not  have taken effect on or before such date then section two of
 this act shall take effect on the same date and in the  same  manner  as
 section 2 of part PP of chapter 56 of the laws of 2022, takes effect.