The Senate Democratic Majority today passed legislation to honor and support New York’s veterans and active-duty military personnel. Today’s package coincides with the Senate’s annual Veterans Hall of Fame ceremony, which has commemorated and honored outstanding and decorated veterans for two decades. This legislation builds on our efforts from this year's enacted budget, in which we expanded eligibility for the Gold Star Families Annuity Program to better support the family members of fallen veterans and invested in mental health services for our veterans.

The bills passed in this package would allow local municipalities to adopt new property tax relief for active duty service members who served in combat zones and disabled veterans; honor fallen veterans by establishing Veteran Suicide Awareness and Remembrance Day as a commemorative day in New York State and adopting the “Honor and Remember” flag as the state flag; and permit veterans to transfer their tuition award program benefits to an immediate family member.

“As we honor our veterans through the Senate’s Veterans Hall of Fame, we must also honor them through action,” said Senator Ryan. “This legislative package reaffirms our commitment to the brave men and women who serve by expanding mental health services, easing financial burdens, and ensuring their families are supported. These are not just policy advancements—they are deeply personal promises to the brave men and women, and the families of those, who have proudly served for our country.”

The legislation passed to support veterans and active service members by the Senate Majority includes:

• Real property tax exemption for active duty military personnel: This bill, S02068-A, sponsored by Senator Scarcella-Spanton, allows local municipalities to adopt a real property tax exemption for active duty service members and military personnel who served in a combat zone.
• Establishes an official state flag for honoring fallen veterans: This bill, S.02364, sponsored by Senator Scarcella-Spanton, designates The “Honor and Remember” Flag as the official state flag for recognizing armed service members who have died as a result of serving the United States in any war or conflict.
• Real property tax exemption for eligible disabled veterans: This bill, S.1183, sponsored by Senator Addabbo, allows local municipalities to adopt a full real property tax exemption on primary residences of veterans with a 100 percent service connected disability.
• Veteran Family Educational Attainment Act: This bill, S.4358, sponsored by Senator Jamaal Bailey, allows a qualified veteran to transfer their unused tuition awards and benefits to their spouse or children.
• Veteran Suicide Awareness and Remembrance Day: This bill, S.4152-A, sponsored by Senator James Sanders Jr., establishes September twenty-second of each year as Veteran Suicide Awareness and Remembrance Day in the State of New York.