By Connor Adams Sheets
Just in time for Memorial Day, the state Senate approved a legislative package supported by Sen. Toby Stavisky (D-Whitestone) that would help the nation’s veterans and soldiers.
The nine bills would expand or launch new benefits programs for New York’s servicemen and women, both past and present, with provisions targeted at assisting disabled veterans, active-duty military members, veterans with families and others.
“As we approached Memorial Day, we passed a package of bills to assist veterans,” Stavisky said. “It’s our attempt not to repeat what happened when service members returned from Vietnam. They were treated so abysmally that we don’t want to repeat the mistakes of the past, especially for returning veterans who have been disabled.”
Two other bills will help soldiers’ families by creating a program to provide short-term military guardians and keep courts from using deployment status against parents in custody fights.
“Military status should not be used in child custody issues,” Stavisky said. “A child should not be penalized because they have a parent overseas in the military.”
One bill would provide for documents to inform veterans about real property tax exemptions they may qualify for and would allow for otherwise eligible service members not yet discharged from current combat duty status to benefit from an additional veteran real property owner exemption.
The bills would also provide a lifetime sportsman license for honorably discharged disabled veterans, develop a permit system to give disabled veterans access to certain restricted bodies of water through the use of float planes and authorize the state Department of Environmental Conservation to designate fishing events as rehabilitation for veterans and active service members.
The package has been sent to the state Assembly for consideration.
Reach reporter Connor Adams Sheets by e-mail at csheets@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4538.
