Relates to eligibility for admission to New York state veterans' homes

Showing the cosponsors who are on Agora, A to Z. The official record may list more.

• Democratic4

Shown in neutral colors by design; Agora is non-partisan.

◆ The sponsor's argument

Why Pete Harckham says this is needed

While changes were recently made to this section of law (2024), there is still a slight change that needs to be made. Throughout an individual's life, they may have enlisted in one state, moved to another state when they came home, and their family may have relocated to yet another state. A veteran living in another state may have a family member residing in New York. Their independence could be declining a bit, and before that happened, they may have been able to live and flourish on their own with no help or additional support. However, once that independence is gone, having family close by could benefit the veterans for the rest of their lives. Once this starts to happen, it is important that they can be near their New York family by living in a New York State Veterans Home. With the six-month residence requirement, it would be difficult for the veteran to obtain residency in our state without first being a six-month resident. By allowing an immediate family member to be a resident of New York State, a family would be able to assist in filling out the forms necessary for the veteran to be accepted into a home, with the ability to move in directly upon acceptance. Often, the veteran is unable to live on their own for six months to establish residency, and their fami- ly is unable to take them in and care for them for those six months either. We know that veterans, and our elderly in general, benefit greatly from having family nearby. By adding a family member who has been a resident of New York State for a minimum of a year as an additional eligibility option, the veteran will clearly benefit from having the support of their family living in the vicinity. This legislation is needed to keep veterans near their families. They have served our country, and it should not matter which state they lived in when they joined our military or where they resided when it becomes evident that they can no longer live on their own.

This is the sponsor's own case for the bill, quoted from their memorandum. It is not Agora's description of what the bill does.