Establishes the emergency safe return of U.S. citizens or permanent residents from Israel or Palestine fund to provide reimbursement to United States citizens or permanent residents who reside in the state of New York for expenses arising from leaving Israel or Palestine during or as a direct result of the conflict that started on October 7, 2023.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A8171
SPONSOR: Gallagher TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the state finance law, in relation to establishing a
fund to provide reimbursement to United States citizens or permanent
residents who reside in the state of New York for expenses arising from
leaving Israel or Palestine during or as a direct result of the conflict
that started on October 7, 2023
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
Establishes an Emergency safe return of U.S. citizens or permanent
residents from Israel or Palestine fund. The purpose is for New York
State to financially assist New Yorkers who need to evacuate from Israel
or Palestine during this crisis and to ensure that such individuals will
be able to be fully reimbursed for any expenses incurred in such evacu-
ation.
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Section 1: This bill shall be known as the "emergency safe return of
U.S. citizens or permanent residents from Israel or Palestine fund act".
Section 2: Amends the state finance law is amended to add a new section
97-BBBBB to create an emergency safe return of U.S. citizens or perma-
nent residents from Israel or Palestine fund. The fund will be utilized
to ensure the safe return of U.S. citizens or permanent residents with
bona fide residency in the State of New York as reimbursement for other-
wise unreimbursed actual expenses incurred relating to travel out of
Israel or Palestine during or as a direct result of the conflict that
started on or about October 7, 2023, including for travel, lodging, lost
personal property, medical care, or other related expenses including any
reimbursement the individual' was required to provide to the United
States for such travel related costs.
Section 3: Severability clause.
Section 4: Establishes the effective date.
JUSTIFICATION:
On October 7, 2023, the newest chapter in the long-running conflicts in
Israel and Palestine erupted with new violence, leading rapidly to a
significant escalation of war with devastating impact on people in Isra-
el and in Palestine. Many US citizens or permanent residents were in
Israel or Palestine during this period and desired and needed for their
safety return to the United States as quickly as possible. All commer-
cial air traffic was halted. The US government arranged for charter
flights and/or ships to assist in helping US citizens or permanent resi-
dents leave Israel or Palestine and return to the US. However, these
arrangements only provided transportation to locations nearby to Israel
or Palestine without any arrangements for lodging or for transportation
back to the US. Additionally, the US government program required indi-
viduals to agree to reimburse the US government for the cost of this
transportation.
The purpose and justification for this bill is for New York State to
financially assist New Yorkers who need to evacuate from Israel or
Palestine during this crisis and to ensure that such individuals will be
able to be fully reimbursed for any expenses incurred in such evacu-
ation.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
This is a new bill.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
To be determined.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This bill is effective immediately.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
8171
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
October 18, 2023
___________
Introduced by M. of A. GALLAGHER -- read once and referred to the
Committee on Ways and Means
AN ACT to amend the state finance law, in relation to establishing a
fund to provide reimbursement to United States citizens or permanent
residents who reside in the state of New York for expenses arising
from leaving Israel or Palestine during or as a direct result of the
conflict that started on October 7, 2023
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as
2 the "emergency safe return of U.S. citizens or permanent residents from
3 Israel or Palestine fund act".
4 § 2. The state finance law is amended by adding a new section 97-bbbbb
5 to read as follows:
6 § 97-bbbbb. Emergency safe return of U.S. citizens or permanent resi-
7 dents from Israel or Palestine fund. 1. There is hereby established in
8 the joint custody of the state comptroller and the commissioner of taxa-
9 tion and finance an account of the miscellaneous special revenue account
10 to be known as the "emergency safe return of U.S. citizens or permanent
11 residents from Israel or Palestine fund".
12 2. Moneys in the emergency safe return of U.S. citizens or permanent
13 residents from Israel or Palestine fund shall be kept separate and shall
14 not be commingled with any other moneys in the custody of the state
15 comptroller and the commissioner of taxation and finance.
16 3. The emergency safe return of U.S. citizens or permanent residents
17 from Israel or Palestine fund shall consist of moneys appropriated for
18 the purpose of such account, moneys transferred to such account pursuant
19 to law, contributions consisting of promises or grants of any money or
20 property of any kind or value, or any other thing of value, including
21 grants or other financial assistance from any agency of government and
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD13434-01-3
A. 8171 2
1 moneys required by the provisions of this section or any other law to be
2 paid into or credited to this account.
3 4. Moneys of the emergency safe return of U.S. citizens or permanent
4 residents from Israel or Palestine fund, when allocated, shall be avail-
5 able, to U.S. citizens or permanent residents with bona fide residency
6 in the state of New York as reimbursement for otherwise unreimbursed
7 actual expenses incurred relating to travel out of Israel or Palestine
8 during or as a direct result of the conflict that started on or about
9 October seventh, two thousand twenty-three, including for travel, lodg-
10 ing, lost personal property, medical care, or other related expenses,
11 including any reimbursement the individual was required to provide to
12 the U.S. for such travel related costs.
13 5. The moneys, when allocated, shall be paid out of the emergency safe
14 return of U.S. citizens or permanent residents from Israel or Palestine
15 fund, pursuant to subdivision four of this section, and subject to the
16 approval of the director of the budget, on the audit and warrant of the
17 comptroller on vouchers certified or approved by the secretary of state
18 or his or her designee.
19 § 3. Severability clause. If any clause, sentence, paragraph, subdivi-
20 sion, section or part of this act shall be adjudged by any court of
21 competent jurisdiction to be invalid, such judgment shall not affect,
22 impair, or invalidate the remainder thereof, but shall be confined in
23 its operation to the clause, sentence, paragraph, subdivision, section
24 or part thereof directly involved in the controversy in which such judg-
25 ment shall have been rendered. It is hereby declared to be the intent of
26 the legislature that this act would have been enacted even if such
27 invalid provisions had not been included herein.
28 § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.
