A02435 Summary:
| BILL NO | A02435 |
|   | |
| SAME AS | SAME AS S00791 |
|   | |
| SPONSOR | Cruz |
|   | |
| COSPNSR | |
|   | |
| MLTSPNSR | |
|   | |
| Amd §29-b, Veterans' Services L (as proposed in S.8119-C & A.8837-C) | |
|   | |
| Clarifies certain provisions of the Alex R. Jimenez New York state military immigrant family legacy program. | |
A02435 Actions:
| BILL NO | A02435 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|   | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 01/16/2025 | referred to veterans' affairs | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 01/22/2025 | reported referred to rules | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 01/22/2025 | reported | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 01/22/2025 | rules report cal.63 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 01/22/2025 | ordered to third reading rules cal.63 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 02/03/2025 | passed assembly | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 02/03/2025 | delivered to senate | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 02/03/2025 | REFERRED TO RULES | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 02/05/2025 | SUBSTITUTED FOR S791 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 02/05/2025 | 3RD READING CAL.65 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 02/05/2025 | PASSED SENATE | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 02/05/2025 | RETURNED TO ASSEMBLY | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 02/12/2025 | delivered to governor | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 02/14/2025 | signed chap.69 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
A02435 Committee Votes:
| Stern | Aye | Manktelow | Aye | ||||||
| Hunter | Aye | Morinello | Aye | ||||||
| Pheffer Amato | Aye | Hawley | Aye | ||||||
| Jones | Aye | Smullen | Aye | ||||||
| Buttenschon | Aye | Angelino | Aye | ||||||
| Rajkumar | Aye | ||||||||
| Septimo | Aye | ||||||||
| Burdick | Aye | ||||||||
| Eachus | Aye | ||||||||
| Berger | Aye | ||||||||
| Griffin | Aye | ||||||||
| Kay | Aye | ||||||||
| O'Pharrow | Excused | ||||||||
| Schiavoni | Aye | ||||||||
| Heastie | Excused | Barclay | Aye | ||||||
| Pretlow | Aye | Hawley | Aye | ||||||
| Cook | Aye | Blankenbush | Aye | ||||||
| Glick | Aye | Ra | Aye | ||||||
| Dinowitz | Aye | Brabenec | Aye | ||||||
| Colton | Aye | Palmesano | Aye | ||||||
| Magnarelli | Aye | Reilly | Aye | ||||||
| Paulin | Aye | Smith | Aye | ||||||
| Peoples-Stokes | Aye | Jensen | Aye | ||||||
| Benedetto | Aye | ||||||||
| Lavine | Aye | ||||||||
| Lupardo | Aye | ||||||||
| Braunstein | Aye | ||||||||
| Davila | Excused | ||||||||
| Hyndman | Aye | ||||||||
| Rozic | Aye | ||||||||
| Bronson | Aye | ||||||||
| Hevesi | Aye | ||||||||
| Hunter | Aye | ||||||||
| Taylor | Aye | ||||||||
| Cruz | Aye | ||||||||
| Vanel | Aye | ||||||||
Go to top
A02435 Floor Votes:
Yes
Alvarez
Yes
Carroll P
Yes
Friend
Yes
Lee
Yes
Peoples-Stokes
Yes
Slater
Yes
Anderson
Yes
Carroll RC
Yes
Gallagher
Yes
Lemondes
Yes
Pheffer Amato
Yes
Smith
Yes
Angelino
Yes
Chandler-Waterm
Yes
Gallahan
Yes
Levenberg
Yes
Pirozzolo
Yes
Smullen
Yes
Bailey
Yes
Chang
Yes
Gandolfo
Yes
Lucas
Yes
Pretlow
Yes
Solages
Yes
Barclay
Yes
Chludzinski
Yes
Gibbs
Yes
Lunsford
Yes
Ra
Yes
Steck
Yes
Barrett
Yes
Clark
Yes
Giglio
Yes
Lupardo
Yes
Raga
Yes
Stern
Yes
Beephan
Yes
Colton
Yes
Glick
Yes
Magnarelli
Yes
Rajkumar
Yes
Stirpe
Yes
Bendett
Yes
Conrad
Yes
Gonzalez-Rojas
Yes
Maher
Yes
Ramos
Yes
Tague
Yes
Benedetto
Yes
Cook
Yes
Gray
Yes
Mamdani
Yes
Reilly
Yes
Tannousis
Yes
Berger
Yes
Cruz
Yes
Griffin
Yes
Manktelow
Yes
Reyes
Yes
Tapia
Yes
Bichotte Hermel
Yes
Cunningham
Yes
Hawley
Yes
McDonald
Yes
Rivera
Yes
Taylor
ER
Blankenbush
Yes
Dais
ER
Hevesi
ER
McDonough
Yes
Romero
Yes
Torres
Yes
Blumencranz
Yes
Davila
Yes
Hooks
Yes
McMahon
Yes
Rosenthal
Yes
Valdez
Yes
Bologna
Yes
De Los Santos
Yes
Hunter
Yes
Meeks
Yes
Rozic
Yes
Vanel
Yes
Bores
Yes
DeStefano
Yes
Hyndman
Yes
Mikulin
Yes
Santabarbara
Yes
Walker
Yes
Brabenec
Yes
Dilan
Yes
Jackson
Yes
Miller
Yes
Sayegh
Yes
Walsh
Yes
Braunstein
Yes
Dinowitz
Yes
Jacobson
Yes
Mitaynes
Yes
Schiavoni
Yes
Weprin
Yes
Bronson
Yes ‡
DiPietro
Yes
Jensen
Yes
Molitor
Yes
Seawright
Yes
Wieder
Yes
Brook-Krasny
Yes
Durso
Yes
Jones
Yes
Morinello
Yes
Sempolinski
Yes
Williams
Yes
Brown EA
Yes
Eachus
Yes
Kassay
Yes
Norber
Yes
Septimo
Yes
Woerner
Yes
Brown K
Yes
Eichenstein
Yes
Kay
Yes
Novakhov
Yes
Shimsky
Yes
Wright
Yes
Burdick
Yes
Epstein
Yes
Kelles
Yes
O'Pharrow
Yes
Shrestha
Yes
Yeger
Yes
Burke
Yes
Fall
Yes
Kim
Yes
Otis
Yes
Simon
Yes
Zaccaro
Yes
Burroughs
Yes
Fitzpatrick
Yes
Lasher
Yes
Palmesano
Yes
Simone
Yes
Zinerman
Yes
Buttenschon
Yes
Forrest
Yes
Lavine
Yes
Paulin
Yes
Simpson
Yes
Mr. Speaker
‡ Indicates voting via videoconference
A02435 Memo:
Go to topNEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY
MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION
submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)   BILL NUMBER: A2435 SPONSOR: Cruz
  TITLE OF BILL: An act to amend the veterans' services law, in relation to the Alex R. Jimenez New York state military immigrant family legacy program   PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL: This is a chapter amendment that makes changes to provisions of Chapter 625 of the Laws of 2024, which established the Alex R. Jimenez New York Military Immigrant Family Program.   SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS: This bill would: * clarify the definition of "intended recipients" of the Alex R. Jime- nez New York Military Immigrant Family Program to specifically include spouses, parents, and children of a uniformed service member, veteran, or reserve component member as well as the next-of-kin of such service members and veterans requesting a grant of posthumous U.S. citizenship on their behalf; * modify the responsibilities of the Office for New Americans (ONA) with respect to implementing the Program; * require the Department of Veterans' Services, the Division of Military and Naval Affairs, and ONA not to retain, disclose, disseminate, or otherwise publish or make available personally identifying information provided by the intended recipients; and, * modify the reporting obligations of Program liaisons to include an annual report of the number of intended recipients to ONA through the Program.   JUSTIFICATION: Army Staff Sergeant Alex R. Jimenez was killed while serving during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Chapter 625 of the Laws of 2024 created the Alex R. Jimenez New York State Military Immigrant Family Legacy Program. This chapter amendment, which is a negotiated revision to Chapter 623 of the Laws of 2024, contains proposed changes that were requested by the Executive to help ensure easier Program implementation.   PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY: This is a new bill.   FISCAL IMPLICATIONS: None to the State.   EFFECTIVE DATE: This act shall take effect on the same date and in the same manner as a chapter of the laws of 2024 amending the veterans' services law, the military law, and the executive law relating to establishing the Alex R. Jimenez New York state military immigrant family legacy program, as proposed in legislative bills numbers S.8119-C and
A02435 Text:
Go to topSTATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 2435 2025-2026 Regular Sessions IN ASSEMBLY January 16, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. CRUZ -- read once and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs AN ACT to amend the veterans' services law, in relation to the Alex R. Jimenez New York state military immigrant family legacy program The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Section 29-b of the veterans' services law, as added by a 2 chapter of the laws of 2024 amending the veterans' services law, the 3 military law, and the executive law relating to establishing the Alex R. 4 Jimenez New York state military immigrant family legacy program, as 5 proposed in legislative bills numbers S. 8119-C and A. 8837-C, is renum- 6 bered section 29-d and is amended to read as follows: 7 § 29-d. Staff sergeant Alex R. Jimenez New York state military immi- 8 grant family legacy program. 1. For the purposes of this section, the 9 following terms shall have the following meanings: 10 (a) "Uniformed service member" shall mean a member of the army, navy, 11 air force, space force, marine corps, coast guard, public health service 12 commissioned corps, or national oceanic and atmospheric administration 13 commissioned officer corps serving on active duty. 14 (b) "The program" shall mean the staff sergeant Alex R. Jimenez mili- 15 tary immigrant family legacy program. 16 (c) "Liaison" shall mean an employee of the office for new Americans 17 designated by the director of the office for new Americans, an employee 18 of the division of military and naval affairs designated by the adjutant 19 general, [or] and an employee of the department designated by the 20 commissioner, to serve as a military immigrant family legacy program 21 liaison pursuant to subdivision three of this section. 22 (d) "Veteran" shall have the same meaning as such term is defined in 23 section one of this article and shall also include any veteran with a 24 qualifying condition, as defined in section one of this article, and has 25 received a discharge other than bad conduct or dishonorable from such EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD02723-01-5A. 2435 2 1 service, or is a discharged LGBT veteran, as defined in section one of 2 this article, and has received a discharge other than bad conduct or 3 dishonorable from such service. 4 (e) "Intended recipients" shall mean uniformed service members, veter- 5 ans, reserve component members and their [family members] spouse, domes- 6 tic partner, mother, father, stepmother, stepfather, mother through 7 adoption, father through adoption, or children, stepchildren, or adopted 8 children. The term "intended recipients" shall also include the next-of- 9 kin of an eligible uniformed service member, veteran or reserve compo- 10 nent member who died as a result of injury or disease incurred in or 11 aggravated by their service in the uniformed services, making a request 12 for the grant of posthumous U.S. citizenship on behalf of such 13 uniformed service member, veteran or reserve component member. 14 (f) "Reserve component members" shall mean those serving in the army 15 reserve, navy reserve, marine corps reserve, the army national guard, 16 the air national guard, or reserve corps of the public health service 17 during the time the unit was federally recognized as a reserve compo- 18 nent. 19 2. There is hereby established within the office for new Americans the 20 staff sergeant Alex R. Jimenez New York state military immigrant family 21 legacy program. The commissioner and adjutant general shall designate 22 one or more staff as liaisons to the office for new Americans who shall 23 refer any intended recipient[, alive or deceased,] in need of assistance 24 with an immigration matter to the office for new Americans. The office 25 for new Americans shall designate one or more staff to be liaisons with 26 the department and the division of military and naval affairs who shall 27 [receive and] coordinate such referrals from the department and the 28 division of military and naval affairs and [secure legal assistance29under existing office for new Americans legal services for intended30recipients] ensure the intended recipient is referred to existing office 31 for new Americans programs, including, but not limited to, immigration 32 legal service programs delivered by partnering community organization 33 and immigration counsel. The primary purpose of the program shall be to 34 assist intended recipients to secure legal immigration status in the 35 United States, including but not limited to, citizenship. 36 3. The [duties of the liaisons at the] office for new Americans shall 37 [include] have the responsibility to: 38 (a) [assisting] refer intended recipients[, who may qualify for39adjustment of status, special immigration status through the federal40Parole in Place program authorized by section 1758 of the 2020 National41Defense Authorization Act, or any other sort of immigration relief,42including relief that can lead to citizenship, in securing legal repre-43sentation or consultation by qualified immigration attorneys or duly44authorized board of immigration appeals representatives as may be neces-45sary to obtain such relief] in matters related to immigration status, to 46 service providers. 47 (b) [serving] serve as liaison [between] for the department and the 48 division of military and naval affairs, [the United States citizenship49and immigration services, the United States immigration and customs50enforcement, the United States department of veterans affairs, the51United States department of defense,] local veterans' service agencies, 52 state agencies, community groups, advocates, and other veterans and 53 military organizations and interested parties for the purpose of coordi- 54 nating efforts to provide access to immigration [relief] services to 55 intended recipients as specified in paragraph (a) of this subdivision.A. 2435 3 1 (c) [consulting with qualified immigration attorneys or duly author-2ized board of immigration appeals approved representatives to facilitate3such coordination with the United States citizenship and immigration4services or other appropriate agency.5(d) advocating for intended recipients.6(e) developing and maintaining a clearinghouse for] maintain a toll- 7 free, multi-lingual hotline and website for purposes including, but not 8 limited to, disseminating information and resources relating to the 9 program as well as other federal, state, local and non-profit programs 10 that may offer assistance to intended recipients in immigration matters. 11 [(f) promoting events and activities that educate and assist intended12recipients, including but not limited to, veteran human rights confer-13ences, veterans benefit and resources events.14(g) developing information to be made available to] 15 (d) coordinate with the department and the division of military and 16 naval affairs and otherwise marshal the resources of the state to serve 17 the needs of intended recipients. 18 (e) share information about the program with congressionally chartered 19 veterans' organizations, and local veterans' service agencies [to20provide a general overview of the program, including but not limited to,21its purpose and the eligibility requirements for adjustment of status,22citizenship, or any other form of available relief.23(h) preparing yearly reports on topics, including but not limited to,24the demographics of intended recipients residing in the state, including25the number of such intended recipients by county, an estimate of how26many may be eligible for naturalization, and the unique needs of the27intended recipients within New York state to the commissioner, the adju-28tant general of the division of military and naval affairs and the29office for new Americans]. 30 4. The liaisons appointed pursuant to subdivision two of this section 31 shall jointly [submit a] report the number of intended recipients 32 referred to the office for new Americans through the program to the 33 commissioner[, the adjutant general and the director of the office for34new Americans] on January first each year following the first full year 35 after the effective date of this section. [Such report shall include,36but not be limited to, a description and evaluation of the program and37the liaisons' activities for the preceding calendar year, and the number38of intended recipients aided by the program, as well as any recommenda-39tions for future programmatic changes.] The [director of the office for40new Americans] commissioner shall submit the report to the governor and 41 the legislature [in accordance with the provisions of paragraph (n) of42subdivision five of section ninety-four-b of the executive law] by March 43 first of each year. 44 5. For the purposes of this program, personally identifying informa- 45 tion provided by intended recipients shall not be retained, disclosed, 46 disseminated, or otherwise published or made available by the depart- 47 ment, the division of military and naval affairs, or the office for new 48 Americans. 49 § 2. This act shall take effect on the same date and in the same 50 manner as a chapter of the laws of 2024 amending the veterans' services 51 law, the military law, and the executive law relating to establishing 52 the Alex R. Jimenez New York state military immigrant family legacy 53 program, as proposed in legislative bills numbers S. 8119-C and A. 54 8837-C, takes effect.
A02435 LFIN:
|   | NO LFIN |
A02435 Chamber Video/Transcript:
| 2-3-25 | Video (@ 00:44:25) | Transcript pdf | Transcript html |