S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
1623
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
I N A S S E M B L Y
January 10, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. RAMOS, DINOWITZ, JACKSON, SANTABARBARA -- read
once and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs
AN ACT to amend the civil service law, in relation to veterans and
competitive civil service exam points
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subdivision 1 of section 85 of the civil
service law, as separately amended by section 37 of part PP of chapter
56 and chapter 669 of the laws of 2022, is amended to read as follows:
(a) The terms "veteran" and "non-disabled veteran" mean: (1) a member
of the armed forces of the United States who was honorably discharged or
released under honorable circumstances from such service including (i)
having a qualifying condition as defined in section one of the veterans'
services law, and receiving a discharge other than bad conduct or
dishonorable from such service, or (ii) being a discharged LGBT veteran,
as defined in section one of the veterans' services law, and receiving a
discharge other than bad conduct or dishonorable from such service, who
is a citizen of the United States or a noncitizen lawfully admitted for
permanent residence in the United States and who is a resident of the
state of New York at the time of application for appointment or
promotion or at the time of retention, as the case may be; OR
(2) A MEMBER OF THE ARMED FORCES OF THE UNITED STATES WHO WAS HONOR-
ABLY DISCHARGED OR RELEASED UNDER HONORABLE CIRCUMSTANCES FROM SUCH
SERVICE, WHO IS A CITIZEN OF THE UNITED STATES OR A NONCITIZEN LAWFULLY
ADMITTED FOR PERMANENT RESIDENCE IN THE UNITED STATES, WHO IS A RESIDENT
OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK AT THE TIME OF APPLICATION FOR APPOINTMENT OR
PROMOTION OR AT THE TIME OF RETENTION, AS THE CASE MAY BE, AND WHO WAS
AWARDED EITHER A: (I) COMBAT ACTION RIBBON, (II) COMBAT INFANTRYMAN
BADGE, (III) COMBAT MEDICAL BADGE, (IV) COMBAT ACTION BADGE, (V) COMBAT
RECOGNITION RIBBON, OR (VI) AIR FORCE COMBAT ACTION MEDAL.
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02440-01-5
A. 1623 2
§ 2. Subparagraph 1 of paragraph (a) of subdivision 2 of section 85
of the civil service law, as added by chapter 790 of the laws of 1958,
is amended to read as follows:
(1) Disabled veterans shall be entitled to receive ten points addi-
tional CREDIT in a competitive examination for original appointment and
five points additional credit in a competitive examination for
promotion, and
§ 3. Paragraph (b) of subdivision 1 of section 85 of the civil service
law, as amended by chapter 608 of the laws of 2021, is amended to read
as follows:
(b) The term "disabled veteran" means a veteran who is certified by
the United States veterans' administration or a military department as
entitled to receive disability payments upon the certification of such
veterans' administration or a military department for a disability
incurred by [him or her] SUCH VETERAN in the course of [his or her] SUCH
VETERAN'S service and in existence at the time of application for
appointment or promotion or at the time of retention, as the case may be
AND WHO WAS AWARDED EITHER A: (I) COMBAT ACTION RIBBON, (II) COMBAT
INFANTRYMAN BADGE, (III) COMBAT MEDICAL BADGE, (IV) COMBAT ACTION BADGE,
(V) COMBAT RECOGNITION RIBBON, OR (VI) AIR FORCE COMBAT ACTION MEDAL.
Such disability shall be deemed to be in existence at the time of appli-
cation for appointment or promotion or at the time of retention, as the
case may be, if the certificate of such veterans' administration shall
state affirmatively that such veteran has been examined by a medical
officer of such veterans' administration on a date within one year of
either the date of filing application for competitive examination for
original appointment or promotion or the date of the establishment of
the resulting eligible list or within one year of the time of retention,
as the case may be; that at the time of such examination the disability
described in such certificate was found to exist; and that such disabil-
ity is rated at ten per centum or more. Such disability shall also be
deemed to be in existence at such time if the certificate of such veter-
ans' administration shall state affirmatively that a permanent stabi-
lized condition of disability exists to an extent of ten per centum or
more, notwithstanding the fact that such veteran has not been examined
by a medical officer of such veterans' administration within one year of
either the time of application for appointment or promotion or the date
of filing application for competitive examination for original appoint-
ment or promotion, or within one year of the time of retention, as the
case may be.
§ 4. This act shall take effect immediately.