S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   6081
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             February 26, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of  A. HUNTER, BUTTENSCHON, PHEFFER AMATO, RAJKUMAR,
   EACHUS, OTIS, BURDICK -- read once and referred to  the  Committee  on
   Veterans' Affairs
 
 AN  ACT to amend the veterans' services law, in relation to establishing
   a searchable database of veteran-owned businesses

   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
 section 29-c to read as follows:
   § 29-C. VETERAN-OWNED BUSINESS DIRECTORY. 1. AS USED IN  THIS  SECTION
 THE FOLLOWING TERMS SHALL HAVE THE FOLLOWING MEANINGS:
   (A)  "BUSINESS  OWNED AND CONTROLLED BY VETERANS" MEANS A BUSINESS (I)
 NOT LESS THAN FIFTY-ONE PERCENT OF WHICH IS OWNED BY ONE OR MORE  VETER-
 ANS,  OR,  IN  THE  CASE  OF  ANY PUBLICLY OWNED BUSINESS, NOT LESS THAN
 FIFTY-ONE PERCENT OF THE STOCK OF WHICH IS OWNED BY ONE OR  MORE  VETER-
 ANS;  (II)  THE  MANAGEMENT  AND  DAILY BUSINESS OPERATIONS OF WHICH ARE
 CONTROLLED BY ONE OR MORE VETERANS; AND (III) AUTHORIZED TO DO  BUSINESS
 IN THE STATE AND WHICH IS INDEPENDENTLY OWNED AND OPERATED.
   (B)  "VETERAN" MEANS A PERSON, AS DEFINED IN SECTION ONE OF THIS ARTI-
 CLE, WHO SERVED ON ACTIVE DUTY AND HAS BEEN DISCHARGED OR RELEASED THER-
 EFROM UNDER CONDITIONS OTHER THAN  DISHONORABLE,  OR  HAS  A  QUALIFYING
 CONDITION  AS  DEFINED IN SECTION ONE OF THIS ARTICLE AND HAS RECEIVED A
 DISCHARGE OTHER THAN BAD CONDUCT OR DISHONORABLE,  OR  IS  A  DISCHARGED
 LGBT  VETERAN AS DEFINED IN SECTION ONE OF THIS ARTICLE AND HAS RECEIVED
 A DISCHARGE OTHER THAN BAD CONDUCT OR DISHONORABLE;
   (C) "SERVICE-DISABLED VETERAN" SHALL HAVE THE SAME MEANING AS  DEFINED
 IN SECTION FORTY OF THIS CHAPTER;
   (D)  "CERTIFIED  SERVICE-DISABLED  VETERAN-OWNED  BUSINESS ENTERPRISE"
 SHALL HAVE THE SAME MEANING AS DEFINED IN SECTION FORTY OF THIS CHAPTER;
 AND
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD09081-01-5
 A. 6081                             2
              

 
   (E) "VETERAN-OWNED BUSINESS ENTERPRISES" SHALL MEAN  BUSINESSES  OWNED
 AND  CONTROLLED BY VETERANS, AND SERVICE-DISABLED VETERAN-OWNED BUSINESS
 ENTERPRISES.
   2.  THE  DEPARTMENT,  WITH  THE  AID AND ASSISTANCE OF THE DIVISION OF
 SMALL BUSINESS, THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR, THE DIVISION  OF  SERVICE-DISA-
 BLED VETERANS' BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, AND THE OFFICE OF GENERAL SERVICES,
 SHALL  DEVELOP,  REGULARLY  UPDATE, AND MAKE AVAILABLE TO STATE AGENCIES
 AND THE PUBLIC A DIRECTORY OF VETERAN-OWNED BUSINESS  ENTERPRISES  WHICH
 SHALL,  WHEREVER  PRACTICABLE,  BE  DIVIDED  INTO  CATEGORIES  OF LABOR,
 SERVICES, SUPPLIES, EQUIPMENT,  MATERIALS  AND  RECOGNIZED  CONSTRUCTION
 TRADES  AND  WHICH  SHALL INDICATE AREAS OR LOCATIONS OF THE STATE WHERE
 SUCH ENTERPRISES ARE AVAILABLE TO  PERFORM  SERVICES.    SUCH  DIRECTORY
 SHALL  USE AN ASTERISK OR OTHER SPECIAL MARK TO DENOTE ANY VETERAN-OWNED
 BUSINESS ENTERPRISES WHICH ARE SERVICE-DISABLED  VETERAN-OWNED  BUSINESS
 ENTERPRISES.    SUCH  DIRECTORY  SHALL  BE  POSTED  ON  THE DEPARTMENT'S
 WEBSITE.
   3. THE OFFICE OF GENERAL SERVICES SHALL ALSO USE THIS  INFORMATION  TO
 CREATE  AND  REGULARLY  UPDATE AN INTERNET BASED, SEARCHABLE CENTRALIZED
 STATE DATABASE TO PROMOTE  VETERAN-OWNED  BUSINESS  ENTERPRISES  TO  THE
 PUBLIC  AND  SHALL POST SUCH DATABASE ON THE OFFICE OF GENERAL SERVICES'
 WEBSITE.
   4. THE DEPARTMENT WITH THE OFFICE OF GENERAL  SERVICES  SHALL  CONDUCT
 OUTREACH  TO NOTIFY VETERAN-OWNED BUSINESS ENTERPRISES OF SUCH DIRECTORY
 AND DATABASE.
   5. THE DEPARTMENT SHALL DEVELOP A REGISTRATION PROCESS WITH THE OFFICE
 OF GENERAL SERVICES FOR VETERAN-OWNED BUSINESS ENTERPRISES  TO  COMPLETE
 IN ORDER TO COMPILE INFORMATION FOR INCLUSION IN THE DIRECTORY AND DATA-
 BASE.    THE DEPARTMENT SHALL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR VERIFYING BUSINESSES AS
 BEING A BUSINESS OWNED AND CONTROLLED BY VETERANS  AS  DEFINED  IN  THIS
 SECTION INCLUDING THE DEVELOPMENT OF RULES AND REGULATIONS GOVERNING THE
 APPROVAL,  DENIAL,  OR  REVOCATION  OF A BUSINESS'S STATUS AS A BUSINESS
 OWNED AND CONTROLLED BY VETERANS.
   § 2. Subdivision 7 of section 4  of  the  veterans'  services  law  is
 amended to read as follows:
   7.  To  provide in cooperation with the office of general services and
 the office of the comptroller  a  series  of  seminars,  that  shall  be
 conducted four or more times per year at regional sites located through-
 out  the  state  of  New  York for the purpose of advising veteran-owned
 businesses regarding the opportunities available for obtaining  procure-
 ment contracts from New York state agencies, municipalities, and author-
 ities.    [Furthermore  the] THE seminars shall provide requirements and
 training that  will  enable  veteran-owned  businesses  to  successfully
 participate  in the procurement process. FURTHERMORE, THE SEMINARS SHALL
 PROVIDE REGISTRATION INFORMATION REGARDING  THE  VETERAN-OWNED  BUSINESS
 DIRECTORY  AND  DATABASE PURSUANT TO SECTION TWENTY-NINE-C OF THIS ARTI-
 CLE.
   § 3. This act shall take effect on the first of April next  succeeding
 the  date  upon which it shall have become a law. Effective immediately,
 the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or  regulation  neces-
 sary  for  the  implementation  of  this  act  on its effective date are
 authorized to be made and completed on or before such effective date.