Relates to exempting disabled veterans from application fees relating to physical modification of a residence to accommodate a disability, including permit fees, plan review fees, inspection fees and reinspection fees.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A10921A
SPONSOR: Stern TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the general municipal law, in relation to exempting
disabled veterans from certain fees relating to physical modification of
a residence to accommodate a disability
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
To decrease building permit fees for veterans who need to modify their
residence to accommodate disabilities.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1: states that this act shall be known and may be cited as the
"Disabled Veteran Home Modification Act."
Section 2: amends the General Municipal Law by adding a new section 95-b
to authorize cities, towns and villages to provide reduced or free
permits to service-connected disabled veterans.
Section 3: establishes the effective date.
JUSTIFICATION:
Veterans returning from service with life-altering injuries or permanent
disabilities should be able to modify their homes and residences to
accommodate these service-connected disabilities without any undue
financial burdens. Unfortunately, the cost of retrofitting a home or
residence often escalates exponentially because of numerous local fees
for permits, plan reviews, inspections, re-inspections and a host of
other fees associated with residential building modifications. These
fees can add thousands of dollars to already expensive accessibility
projects such as wheelchair ramps and mobility accommodations that are
essential to ensuring safety and comfort in the veteran's place of resi-
dence. Accordingly, this bill seeks to provide our heroes with critical
financial relief by authorizing municipalities to exempt or provide
reduced fees for disabled veterans from local building department fees
associated with residential improvements or alterations required to
accommodate a disability of the veteran.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New bill.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None to the state.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on December 1st following enactment;
provided, however, that no fees paid to a city, town or village prior to
such effective date shall be required to be refunded.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
10921--A
IN ASSEMBLY
April 8, 2026
___________
Introduced by M. of A. STERN -- read once and referred to the Committee
on Local Governments -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered
reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the general municipal law, in relation to exempting
disabled veterans from certain fees relating to physical modification
of a residence to accommodate a disability
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "disabled
2 veteran home modification act".
3 § 2. The general municipal law is amended by adding a new section 95-b
4 to read as follows:
5 § 95-b. Fee exemptions for disabled veterans. 1. For the purposes of
6 this section:
7 (a) "Veteran" shall have the same meaning as set forth in section one
8 of the veterans' services law and shall also include a person who served
9 in the active military, naval, air, or space service, as defined in
10 section 101 of title 38 of the United States code and (i) has a qualify-
11 ing condition, as defined in section one of the veterans' services law,
12 and has received a discharge other than bad conduct or dishonorable from
13 such service, or (ii) is a discharged LGBT veteran, as defined in
14 section one of the veterans' services law, and has received a discharge
15 other than bad conduct or dishonorable from such service.
16 (b) "Service-connected" means with respect to disability, a determi-
17 nation by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs or the United
18 States Department of Defense, that such disability was incurred or
19 aggravated in line of duty in the active military, naval, air, or space
20 service of the United States.
21 2. (a) The governing body of a city, town or village may adopt a local
22 law, rule or ordinance to waive or reduce any building department fees,
23 including permit fees, plan review or plan examination fees, inspection
24 fees, reinspection fees, or other fees required in order to make
25 improvements or alterations to the primary residence of a veteran with a
26 service-connected disability if the improvements are required to accom-
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD15132-04-6
A. 10921--A 2
1 modate a service-connected disability of such veteran. Nothing in this
2 section relieves the obligation of any person to submit to the appropri-
3 ate city, town or village any applications, forms, or other paperwork
4 required to obtain a building permit. In order to receive a fee
5 reduction or waiver, a veteran must provide proof of veteran status,
6 documentation required by the governing body pursuant to paragraph (b)
7 of this subdivision, and attest to the fact that the improvements to the
8 residence are required to accommodate the veteran's disability.
9 (b) The governing body of a city, town or village shall specify by
10 local law, rule or ordinance, the documentation required to qualify for
11 a reduction of or waiver from fees under this section, which may
12 include, but is not limited to, a rating decision letter from the United
13 States Department of Veterans Affairs or similar documentation from the
14 United States Department of Defense, and any other information that such
15 city, town or village may require.
16 § 3. This act shall take effect on the first of December next succeed-
17 ing the date on which it shall have become a law; provided, however,
18 that no fees paid to a city, town or village prior to such effective
19 date shall be required to be refunded.
