Bill Text: NY A01601 | 2013-2014 | 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: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 9-3)
Status: (Passed) 2013-07-31 - signed chap.183 [A01601 Detail]
Download: New_York-2013-A01601-Amended.html
S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
1601--A
2013-2014 Regular Sessions
I N A S S E M B L Y
(PREFILED)
January 9, 2013
___________
Introduced by M. of A. COLTON, ABBATE, LUPARDO, RIVERA -- Multi-Spon-
sored by -- M. of A. CURRAN, SCARBOROUGH, SWEENEY, TENNEY, 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 and the
4 beginning of the twenty-first century. The legislature further maintains
5 that it is imperative that all of society, and particularly young
6 people, be aware of the contributions of those who participated in these
7 conflicts as members of the armed forces.
8 These men and women established a remarkable record of service and
9 sacrifice. They were ordinary men and women who did extraordinary things
10 to preserve and protect our nation and its cherished freedoms. Their
11 personal accounts, which constitute a valuable historical record, are in
12 danger of being lost forever as these individuals pass away. The legis-
13 lature, therefore, has determined that it is necessary and appropriate
14 to take steps to help encourage greater knowledge and appreciation of
15 veterans, particularly in our schools.
16 In this regard, many states have already enacted school-based programs
17 honoring those who served in the military. The legislature now finds
18 and declares that New York should make available to students, teachers
19 and administrators in public and private schools a new resource that
20 will encourage greater understanding and appreciation of the contrib-
21 ution of veterans.
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04162-02-3
A. 1601--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, FROM ITS AVAILABLE RESOURCES, SHALL DEVELOP AN INFOR-
12 MATIONAL PAMPHLET TO BE DISTRIBUTED EITHER BY MAIL OR ELECTRONICALLY TO
13 SCHOOL DISTRICTS WHICH PROVIDES A GENERAL OVERVIEW OF THE PROGRAM
14 INCLUDING ITS PURPOSE AND HOW TO PARTICIPATE. THE DIVISION SHALL, IN
15 CONSULTATION WITH CONGRESSIONALLY CHARTERED VETERANS ORGANIZATIONS AND
16 LOCAL VETERANS SERVICES AGENCIES, APPOINT AND CREATE A LISTING OF VETER-
17 AN SPEAKERS COORDINATORS FOR EACH COUNTY OF THE STATE WHO SHALL BE LIST-
18 ED IN THE INFORMATIONAL PAMPHLET. THE VETERAN SPEAKERS COORDINATORS'
19 DUTIES SHALL INCLUDE BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO CONTACTING VETERANS WHO
20 RESIDE IN THEIR COUNTY INCLUDING THOSE WHO HAVE PARTICIPATED IN THE
21 VETERAN'S ORAL HISTORY PROGRAM AT THE NEW YORK STATE MILITARY MUSEUM OR
22 THE WEST POINT ORAL HISTORY PROJECT OR THE VETERANS HISTORY PROJECT OF
23 THE AMERICAN FOLKLORE CENTER OR ANY SIMILAR ORAL HISTORY PROJECT WITH
24 INFORMATION ABOUT THIS PROGRAM AND INQUIRING AS TO WHETHER SUCH PERSONS
25 WOULD BE WILLING TO PARTICIPATE AS SPEAKERS OR IN ANY OTHER CAPACITY.
26 THE LISTING SHALL INCLUDE THE NAMES AND CONTACT INFORMATION FOR SUCH
27 VETERANS INCLUDING INFORMATION DESCRIBING THE TYPE OF MILITARY SERVICE
28 PERFORMED BY EACH SUCH PERSON, THE TIME AND LENGTH OF SERVICE, GEOGRAPH-
29 IC AREA OR AREAS WHERE SUCH PERSON SERVED AND RANK. THE VETERAN SPEAK-
30 ERS COORDINATORS SHALL ANNUALLY UPDATE SUCH INFORMATION REGARDING THE
31 AVAILABILITY OF SUCH VETERANS.
32 3. NO TEACHER OR VETERAN SHALL BE REQUIRED TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS
33 PROGRAM. ANY TEACHER WHO WISHES TO SUPPLEMENT HIS OR HER CLASSROOM
34 INSTRUCTION CONCERNING A PARTICULAR ERA IN AMERICAN MILITARY HISTORY MAY
35 CONTACT A PARTICIPATING VETERAN PERSONALLY TO REQUEST THAT SUCH PERSON
36 VISIT A CLASSROOM TO DISCUSS HIS OR HER MILITARY EXPERIENCE. A TEACHER
37 SHALL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ASCERTAINING THE APPROPRIATENESS OF ANY
38 PROPOSED SPEAKER BASED UPON THE AGE OF THE CHILDREN AND THE INTENDED
39 SUBJECT MATTER. NOTHING IN THIS SECTION SHALL BE INTENDED TO SUPERSEDE
40 ANY PARTICULAR OR GENERAL SCHOOL RULES OR REGULATIONS OR OTHER LAWS
41 RELATING TO CURRICULUM.
42 4. THE DIVISION SHALL REQUIRE A CERTIFIED COPY OF THE VETERAN'S
43 DISCHARGE PAPERS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE VETERAN SPEAKER PROGRAM. SUCH
44 FORM SHALL BE FILED WITH THE DIVISION TO SERVE AS EVIDENCE THAT SUCH
45 PERSON IS A VETERAN WHO SERVED IN THE UNITED STATES MILITARY HONORABLY.
46 5. THE DIVISION SHALL IMPLEMENT A PROCEDURE FOR EVALUATIONS OF EACH
47 SPEAKER TO BE COMPLETED BY TEACHERS AND STUDENTS, AND MAINTAIN SUCH
48 EVALUATIONS AND MAKE THEM AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST TO OTHER TEACHERS WHO
49 PLAN TO PARTICIPATE.
50 6. THE DIVISION MAY CONSULT WITH OTHER VETERANS ORGANIZATIONS AND ANY
51 BRANCH OF THE U.S. MILITARY IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS PROGRAM.
52 S 3. This act shall take effect one year after it shall have become a
53 law, provided that any rules and regulations necessary for the implemen-
54 tation of this act on its effective date shall be promulgated on or
55 before such date.
