Bill Text: NY A01532 | 2009-2010 | General Assembly | Amended
Bill Title: Directs the director of the division of veterans affairs to develop a program relating to veteran educational speakers; requires distribution of informational pamphlet to schools describing program and containing names of area veterans willing to speak to students regarding their military service experience.
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 12-3)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2010-02-02 - REFERRED TO VETERANS, HOMELAND SECURITY AND MILITARY AFFAIRS [A01532 Detail]
Download: New_York-2009-A01532-Amended.html
S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K ________________________________________________________________________ 1532--A 2009-2010 Regular Sessions I N A S S E M B L Y (PREFILED) January 7, 2009 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. COLTON, PHEFFER, CHRISTENSEN, J. RIVERA, SCHROE- DER, ALFANO, ABBATE, LUPARDO -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. BALL, BARRA, JOHN, SCARBOROUGH, SWEENEY, TOWNS, WEISENBERG -- read once and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to a veteran speaker education program within the division of veterans' affairs THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM- BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: 1 Section 1. Legislative findings and intent. The legislature hereby 2 finds that the defining moments of our nation's history came in wartime, 3 especially during the great conflicts of the twentieth century. The 4 legislature further maintains that it is imperative that all of society, 5 and particularly young people, be aware of the contributions of those 6 who participated in these conflicts as members of the armed forces. 7 These men and women established a remarkable record of service and 8 sacrifice. They were ordinary men and women who did extraordinary things 9 to preserve and protect our nation and its cherished freedoms. Their 10 personal accounts, which constitute a valuable historical record, are in 11 danger of being lost forever as these individuals pass away. The legis- 12 lature, therefore, has determined that it is necessary and appropriate 13 to take steps to help encourage greater knowledge and appreciation of 14 veterans, particularly in our schools. 15 In this regard, many states have already enacted school-based programs 16 honoring those who served in the military. The legislature now finds 17 and declares that New York should make available to students, teachers 18 and administrators in public and private schools a new resource that 19 will encourage greater understanding and appreciation of the contrib- 20 ution of veterans. EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. A LBD04301-04-9 A. 1532--A 2 1 S 2. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 353-a to 2 read as follows: 3 S 353-A. VETERAN SPEAKER EDUCATION PROGRAM. 1. THERE IS HEREBY ESTAB- 4 LISHED WITHIN THE DIVISION A VETERAN SPEAKER EDUCATION PROGRAM TO BE 5 DEVELOPED AND IMPLEMENTED BY THE DIRECTOR IN CONSULTATION WITH THE 6 DIRECTOR OF THE NEW YORK STATE MILITARY MUSEUM AND VETERANS RESOURCE 7 CENTER AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION. SUCH 8 PROGRAM SHALL PROVIDE SCHOOL DISTRICTS WITHIN THIS STATE WITH A LISTING 9 OF AVAILABLE VETERAN SPEAKERS WILLING TO VISIT CLASSROOMS FOR THE 10 PURPOSE OF DISCUSSING THEIR MILITARY EXPERIENCE. 11 2. THE DIVISION SHALL DEVELOP AN INFORMATIONAL PAMPHLET TO BE DISTRIB- 12 UTED EITHER BY MAIL OR ELECTRONICALLY TO SCHOOL DISTRICTS WHICH PROVIDES 13 A GENERAL OVERVIEW OF THE PROGRAM INCLUDING ITS PURPOSE AND HOW TO 14 PARTICIPATE. THE DIVISION SHALL, FROM ITS AVAILABLE RESOURCES INCLUDING 15 ASSISTANCE FROM ORGANIZED VETERANS GROUPS, APPOINT AND CREATE A LISTING 16 OF VETERAN SPEAKERS COORDINATORS FOR EACH COUNTY OF THE STATE WHO SHALL 17 BE LISTED IN THE INFORMATIONAL PAMPHLET. THE VETERAN SPEAKERS COORDINA- 18 TORS' DUTIES SHALL INCLUDE BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO CONTACTING VETERANS WHO 19 RESIDE IN THEIR COUNTY INCLUDING THOSE WHO HAVE PARTICIPATED IN THE 20 VETERAN'S ORAL HISTORY PROGRAM AT THE NEW YORK STATE MILITARY MUSEUM OR 21 THE WEST POINT ORAL HISTORY PROJECT OR THE VETERANS HISTORY PROJECT OF 22 THE AMERICAN FOLKLORE CENTER OR ANY SIMILAR ORAL HISTORY PROJECT WITH 23 INFORMATION ABOUT THIS PROGRAM AND INQUIRING AS TO WHETHER SUCH PERSONS 24 WOULD BE WILLING TO PARTICIPATE AS SPEAKERS OR IN ANY OTHER CAPACITY. 25 THE LISTING SHALL INCLUDE THE NAMES AND CONTACT INFORMATION FOR SUCH 26 VETERANS INCLUDING INFORMATION DESCRIBING THE TYPE OF MILITARY SERVICE 27 PERFORMED BY EACH SUCH PERSON, THE TIME AND LENGTH OF SERVICE, GEOGRAPH- 28 IC AREA OR AREAS WHERE SUCH PERSON SERVED AND RANK. THE DIVISION AND THE 29 VETERAN SPEAKERS COORDINATORS SHALL ANNUALLY UPDATE SUCH INFORMATION 30 REGARDING THE AVAILABILITY OF SUCH VETERANS. 31 3. NO TEACHER OR VETERAN SHALL BE REQUIRED TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS 32 PROGRAM. ANY TEACHER WHO WISHES TO SUPPLEMENT HIS OR HER CLASSROOM 33 INSTRUCTION CONCERNING A PARTICULAR ERA IN AMERICAN MILITARY HISTORY MAY 34 CONTACT A PARTICIPATING VETERAN PERSONALLY TO REQUEST THAT SUCH PERSON 35 VISIT A CLASSROOM TO DISCUSS HIS OR HER MILITARY EXPERIENCE. A TEACHER 36 SHALL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ASCERTAINING THE APPROPRIATENESS OF ANY 37 PROPOSED SPEAKER BASED UPON THE AGE OF THE CHILDREN AND THE INTENDED 38 SUBJECT MATTER. NOTHING IN THIS SECTION SHALL BE INTENDED TO SUPERSEDE 39 ANY PARTICULAR OR GENERAL SCHOOL RULES OR REGULATIONS OR OTHER LAWS 40 RELATING TO CURRICULUM. 41 4. THE DIVISION SHALL REQUIRE A CERTIFIED COPY OF THE VETERAN'S 42 DISCHARGE PAPERS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE VETERAN SPEAKER PROGRAM. SUCH 43 FORM SHALL BE FILED WITH THE DIVISION TO SERVE AS EVIDENCE THAT SUCH 44 PERSON IS A VETERAN WHO SERVED IN THE UNITED STATES MILITARY HONORABLY. 45 5. THE DIVISION SHALL IMPLEMENT A PROCEDURE FOR EVALUATIONS OF EACH 46 SPEAKER TO BE COMPLETED BY TEACHERS AND STUDENTS, AND MAINTAIN SUCH 47 EVALUATIONS AND MAKE THEM AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST TO OTHER TEACHERS WHO 48 PLAN TO PARTICIPATE. 49 6. THE DIVISION MAY CONSULT WITH OTHER VETERANS ORGANIZATIONS AND ANY 50 BRANCH OF THE U.S. MILITARY IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS PROGRAM. 51 S 3. This act shall take effect one year after it shall have become a 52 law, provided that any rules and regulations necessary for the implemen- 53 tation of this act on its effective date shall be promulgated on or 54 before such date.