Bill Text: NY S02695 | 2021-2022 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Provides free tuition expenses for SUNY or CUNY to surviving dependent family members of NYS military personnel who have died while performing official military duties.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 4-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-01-05 - REFERRED TO VETERANS, HOMELAND SECURITY AND MILITARY AFFAIRS [S02695 Detail]

Download: New_York-2021-S02695-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          2695

                               2021-2022 Regular Sessions

                    IN SENATE

                                    January 22, 2021
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  Sen.  ORTT  --  read twice and ordered printed, and when
          printed to be committed to the Committee on Veterans, Homeland Securi-
          ty and Military Affairs

        AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to providing scholarships
          for surviving dependent family members  of  New  York  state  military
          personnel who have died while performing official military duties

          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section 1. Section 668-e of the education law, as added by chapter 106
     2  of the laws of 2003, is amended to read as follows:
     3    §  668-e.  Military  enhanced  recognition,  incentive   and   tribute
     4  ("MERIT")  scholarships. 1. Eligible persons. a.  Notwithstanding subdi-
     5  visions three and five of section six hundred sixty-one of this  [title]
     6  part,  children,  spouses  and  financial  dependents of a member of the
     7  armed forces of the United States or state organized militia who at  any
     8  time  on  or  after  the  second day of August, nineteen hundred ninety,
     9  while in service in the armed forces of the United States, as defined by
    10  subdivision eight of section one of the military law or in  a  force  of
    11  the  state  organized militia, as defined in subdivision nine of section
    12  one of the military law: (i) while a legal resident of New  York  state,
    13  died,  became  severely  and  permanently  disabled or was classified as
    14  missing in action [in a combat theater or combat zone of  operations  as
    15  part  of  military  operations, or died as a result of injury or illness
    16  suffered or incurred during such military service] in the performance of
    17  his or her official duties; or (ii) while a legal resident of  New  York
    18  state,  died  or became severely and permanently disabled as a result of
    19  injury or illness suffered or incurred during  military  training  oper-
    20  ations  in  preparation  for  duty in a combat theater or combat zone of
    21  operations.
    22    b. A member of the armed forces of the United States who:  (i)  became
    23  severely  and  permanently  disabled as a result of service in the armed

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD02082-01-1
        S. 2695                             2

     1  forces of the United States, as defined by subdivision eight of  section
     2  one  of  the  military law, [in a combat theater or combat zone of oper-
     3  ations] in the performance of his or her  official  duties  as  part  of
     4  military  operations  at  any time on or after the second day of August,
     5  nineteen hundred ninety; and (ii) was a legal resident of New York state
     6  at the time of military service.
     7    c. A member of the armed forces of the United States who:  (i)  became
     8  severely  and  permanently  disabled  as  a  result of injury or illness
     9  suffered or incurred during military training operations [in preparation
    10  for duty in a combat theater  or  combat  zone  of  operations]  in  the
    11  performance of his or her official duties; and (ii) was a legal resident
    12  of New York state at the time of military service.
    13    d.  A  member  of the state organized militia who: (i) became severely
    14  and permanently disabled as a result of injury or  illness  suffered  or
    15  incurred  during  active military service, as defined in subdivision six
    16  of section one of the military law related to duty [in a combat  theater
    17  or  combat zone of operations] in the performance of his or her official
    18  duties; and (ii) was a legal resident of New York state at the  time  of
    19  active military service.
    20    2.  Amount.  The  president shall grant annual scholarships in amounts
    21  determined in accordance with subdivisions two and three of section  six
    22  hundred sixty-eight-d of this part.
    23    § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.