Governor Cuomo’s latest veterans legislation provides better educational and financial opportunities for heroes returning home.
Photo courtesy Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Office
Elected officials from across the state came together back in March to discuss some of the toughest issues facing our veterans as they return home, and one piece of legislation was signed into law this week to achieve that goal.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the new law on Monday, which he said would expand and strengthen services for veterans, active service members and their families by easing the transition to a new school for children of military families that relocate as a result of military orders.
“Honoring our veterans, service members and military families for their service and sacrifice is one of our highest responsibilities as New Yorkers – and today our state is taking a tremendous step forward in how we support both these brave men and women and their loved ones,” Cuomo said. “This new law is a comprehensive package of reforms that will benefit the members of the armed forces and those who support them in communities across the state.”
Under the new law, Cuomo said the cost of higher education would also be brought down for veterans receiving benefits under the GI bills. Military families will also see greater flexibility with professional licenses received from other states, the governor said. It also strengthens the supplemental burial assistance provided by the state to military families when a service member dies in combat or as a result of injuries sustained on the battlefield, officials said.
“From helping children of military families succeed in school, to opening doors to spouses and loved ones in their careers and honoring the ultimate sacrifice with expanded burial assistance, this legislation is comprehensive and needed,” Cuomo said.
“Veterans sacrifice so much to protect the freedoms we hold so dear. Their bravery and commitment to service, overseas and here at home, can sometimes exceed the scope of our own comprehension,” said Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver. “It is important to convey our gratitude and ensure that there are plenty of resources available to support veterans and their families, who are faced with many challenges.”
Most military children, as a result of one or both of their parents relocating during a 20- to 30- year military career from one installation to another, will attend six to nine different school systems from kindergarten to 12th grade, officials said. There are nearly 12,000 military children attending public schools near Fort Drum in Watertown, the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and Fort Hamilton in Brooklyn who would benefit from the enactment of this portion of the bill, the governor said in a statement.
Cuomo also said the new law allows veterans who attend a community college, college, or university within the SUNY or CUNY systems under the federal GI bills to qualify for the in-state tuition rate.
At the March summit, Cuomo and other officials discussed several different in which the state can improve services to its military men and women, as well as their families. Additionally, as part of the summit, the governor also announced multiple initiatives that will provide veterans and their families greater access to affordable housing, employment, and educational opportunities across the state.
The summit, which was held in Albany, focused on creating a comprehensive approach to improving services, including in the areas of affordable housing, employment, education, benefits, and mental health.
There are more than 886,000 veterans in New York – thousands of whom may not be using the benefits available to them, the governor said. Of New York’s nearly 900,000 veterans, 72 percent served during periods of combat. Approximately 88,000 New Yorkers were in Afghanistan or Iraq.
By The Forum staff
