NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A4613C
SPONSOR: Jean-Pierre TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the general municipal law, in relation to providing for
an annual adjustment for reimbursements for certain veterans funerals
PURPOSE OF THE BILL:
The New York State Funeral Director Association will have the capacity
to adjust the funds that help families of deceased veterans pay for
funerals.
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Section 1. The bill amends the General Municipal Law by adding a new
section to subdivision 1-a of section 148 which allows the State of New
York to account for veteran funerals with any annual increase in the
cost.
Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
JUSTIFICATION:
Presently, New York State reimburses veteran organizations at the value
of $2,000. The average cost for a veteran's funeral is $2,800 in high-
cost areas, which leaves families of deceased veterans struggling to pay
for funerals. The bill proposes that the New York State Funeral Director
Association will have the power to calculate the appropriate adjustment
when deceased veterans are reimbursed, to help them pay the difference.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
- 2021/2022: A 1 0402/S8502
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
4613--C
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 17, 2023
___________
Introduced by M. of A. JEAN-PIERRE, PHEFFER AMATO -- read once and
referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs -- committee
discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted
to said committee -- reported and referred to the Committee on Ways
and Means -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as
amended and recommitted to said committee -- again reported from said
committee with amendments, ordered reprinted as amended and recommit-
ted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the general municipal law, in relation to providing for
an annual adjustment for reimbursements for certain veterans funerals
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Paragraph (d) of subdivision 1-a of section 148 of the
2 general municipal law, as amended by chapter 29 of the laws of 2016, is
3 amended to read as follows:
4 (d) The state shall reimburse such congressionally chartered veterans'
5 organization for such funeral and burial service expenses for veterans,
6 except those expenses previously reimbursed pursuant to section one
7 hundred forty-one of the social services law or any other law or those
8 expenses reimbursable or payable by the federal government; provided
9 however, that the total reimbursement pursuant to this subdivision shall
10 not exceed two thousand dollars per burial. With respect to any state
11 fiscal year, the commissioner of veterans' services shall provide a
12 percentage increase in the maximum amount of funeral and burial service
13 expenses payable under this paragraph, equal to the percentage by which
14 (i) the consumer price index (all items, United States city average) for
15 the twelve-month period ending on the March thirty-first preceding the
16 beginning of the state fiscal year for which the increase is made,
17 exceeds (ii) the consumer price index for the twelve-month period
18 preceding the twelve-month period described in subparagraph (i) of this
19 paragraph. Such percentage increase shall be rounded up to the next
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01440-09-4
A. 4613--C 2
1 highest one-tenth of one percent and shall not be less than one percent
2 nor more than four percent. Commencing in the year two thousand twenty-
3 six, the commissioner of veterans' services, not later than February
4 first of each year, shall publish the amount of the total reimbursement,
5 as adjusted, payable under this section.
6 § 2. This act shall take effect April 1, 2025.
