Assemblyman David DiPietro (R,C-East Aurora) has long sponsored legislation to allow all veterans to be able to buy back three years of time in the state’s pension system. Currently, this is a privilege extended to specific veterans and unavailable to those who served during recent conflicts like Kosovo and Afghanistan and those who served during periods of peace.

“The governor told veterans groups when he vetoed the bill for a second time that this program would be in the Executive Budget Proposal. He went back on his word,” DiPietro said. “Three years buyback is the least we can do for our nation’s veterans. Our Legislature has spoken loudly and clearly regarding this bill. We want this to be law, the people of our state want this to be law, and our nation’s heroes deserve this opportunity. There’s only one person in New York who doesn’t want this program extended to all veterans, and that’s Gov. Cuomo. Our veterans deserve so much better. Should this program not make it back into the budget, I am certain my colleagues and I will send it back to his desk for a third time.”

DiPietro sponsors numerous other bills designed to assist and honor our nation’s heroes. This includes a bill to award the “Campaign Medal for Service” to those who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan (A.3652 and A.3714, respectively), and Assembly Bill 6137, which would create a post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury trust fund to better serve our veterans when they return home.