BILL NUMBER: S8119C
SPONSOR: FERNANDEZ
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the veterans' services law, the military law, and the
executive law, in relation to establishing the Alex R. Jimenez New York
state military immigrant family legacy program
 
PURPOSE OF BILL:
The purpose of this bill is to establish a program that shall assist the
foreign-born family members of New York State Veterans, discharged LGBT
Veterans, and currently serving service members, as well as non-citizen
service members or Veterans, to secure legal immigration status in the
United States, including but not limited to citizenship. The intended
recipient may be dead or alive.
 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Section (1) of the bill is the title clause, the veterans' services law
is amended by adding a new section 29-b that establishes the Staff
Sergeant Alex R. Jimenez New York state Military Immigrant Family Legacy
Program.
Subdivision 1 establishes the definitions used throughout the new
section of 29-b.
Subdivision 2 creates the Staff Sergeant Alex R. Jimenez New York State
Military Immigrant Family Legacy Program within the Office of New Ameri-
cans. The purpose of the program is to assist foreign-born family
members of veterans and current service members in securing legal immi-
gration status in the United States by means including naturalization
and citizenship.
Subdivision 3 delegates the administrative responsibility of choosing
program liaisons to the Director of the Office for New Americans, the
Commissioner of Veterans' Services and the Adjutant General. Liaisons
designated by the Commissioner of Veterans' Services and the Adjutant
General shall have the responsibility of referring intended recipients
in need of assistance with an immigration matter to the Office for New
Americans. The duties of the liaisons designated by the Director of the
Office for New Americans shall include identifying, developing, and
organizing all statewide programs to assist family members of veterans
and current service members obtain special immigration status, communi-
cation with the to ensure policy and regulation compliance, serving as a
liaison between relevant departments and organizations focusing on immi-
gration and veteran services, facilitating in the naturalization
services of those family members in coordination with the United States
Citizenship and Immigration Services or other appropriate agencies,
advocating for equal application of these services to all veterans and
current service members, providing information on this new program as
well as developing pamphlets to disseminate information and list the
contributions of veterans and service members, and preparing research
reports on the unique needs of foreign-born service members and veterans
as a whole.
Subdivision 4 provides that liaisons appointed pursuant to subdivision 2
shall jointly submit a report to the Commissioner of Veterans' Services,
the Adjutant Geneal and the Director of the Office of New Americans on
January first each year following the first full year after the effec-
tive date. Such report shall include, but not be limited to, a
description and evaluation of the program and the liaisons' activities
for the preceding calendar year as well as any recommendations for
future programmatic changes. The Director of the Office of New Americans
shall submit the report to the Governor and the Legislature.
Section 2 amends section 4 of the veterans' services law to add encour-
aging the development of and providing for the establishment of a state
military immigrant family legacy program liaison to the powers and
duties of the department of veterans' services.
Section 3 adds a new section 256 of the military law to require the
adjutant general to encourage the development of and provide for the
establishment of a state military immigrant family legacy program liai-
son.
Section 4 amends section 94-b of the executive law to require the Office
for New Americans to encourage the development of and provide for the
establishment of a state military immigrant family legacy program liai-
son and to ask individuals seeking assistance from the office whether
they or a family member have ever served in the U.S military for the
purpose of identifying intended recipients advising them of the Staff
Sergeant Alex R. Jimenez New York state Military Immigrant Family Legacy
Program as well as informing them of federal and state benefit assist-
ance available through the department of veterans' services and local
veteran service agencies.
Section 5 states that this act shall take effect on the one hundred
fiftieth day after it shall have become a law.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
The difficult and dangerous work of those that are currently serving in
the military, as well as those who have served our country previously,
should be recognized and rewarded by the State and by the country as a
whole. Those who have and continue to serve in the armed forces display
patriotism and perseverance for the values of democracy that continue to
better our communities. As such, those that have served in the United
States Military and their families receive the proper recognition and
rights that they defended during their times of service. By providing an
efficient program to expedite the naturalization process for veterans
and current service members the State can properly acknowledge their
hard work both in and out of the country. Additionally, all veterans who
have completed their service to the United States, regardless of their
sexual orientation or immigration status, will be equally covered by
this program. By providing these services; New York State can thank its
service members and their family members in a meaningful and impactful
way.
 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
S3586A / A 3403A: 2023 Veto Memo 44
A4660A : 2021-2022 Passed Assembly
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
TBD.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the one hundred fiftieth day it shall have
become a law.

Statutes affected:
S8119: 94-b executive law, 94-b(5) executive law