The New York City Council - File #: Int 2354-2021

• File #: Int 2354-2021
• Version: B
• Name: Relation to the definition of the term veteran and the membership of the veterans’ advisory board.
• Type: Introduction
• Status: Enacted
• Committee: Committee on Veterans
• On agenda: 6/30/2021
• Enactment date: 1/9/2022
• Law number: 2022/019
• Title: A Local Law to amend the New York city charter, in relation to the definition of the term veteran and the membership of the veterans' advisory board
• Sponsors: Eric Dinowitz, Paul A. Vallone, Kalman Yeger , James F. Gennaro, (by request of the Mayor)
• Council Member Sponsors: 4
• Summary: This bill would amend the definition of the term “veteran” to additionally include persons currently serving in the active military service, regardless of discharge status or time served. The bill would also amend the definition to include those who serve or have served in the United States Public Health Service or as a commissioned member of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. This bill would also increase the membership of the Veterans’ Advisory Board (VAB) to 13 members, two of whom must be immediate family members, spouses or domestic partners, survivors or caregivers of veterans. The Department of Veterans’ Services (DVS) would also be required to publish, and regularly update, a list of all VAB members on the department’s website including term information and appointing official.
• Indexes: Council Appointment Required, Other Appointment Required

Date	Ver.	Prime Sponsor	Action By	Action	Result
1/10/2022	B	Eric Dinowitz	City Council	Returned Unsigned by Mayor
1/9/2022	B	Eric Dinowitz	Administration	City Charter Rule Adopted
12/9/2021	B	Eric Dinowitz	City Council	Sent to Mayor by Council
12/9/2021	B	Eric Dinowitz	City Council	Approved by Council	Pass
12/8/2021	*	Eric Dinowitz	Committee on Veterans	Hearing Held by Committee
12/8/2021	*	Eric Dinowitz	Committee on Veterans	Amendment Proposed by Comm
12/8/2021	*	Eric Dinowitz	Committee on Veterans	Amended by Committee
12/8/2021	B	Eric Dinowitz	Committee on Veterans	Approved by Committee	Pass
9/27/2021	*	Eric Dinowitz	Committee on Veterans	Hearing Held by Committee
9/27/2021	*	Eric Dinowitz	Committee on Veterans	Laid Over by Committee
6/30/2021	*	Eric Dinowitz	City Council	Referred to Comm by Council
6/30/2021	*	Eric Dinowitz	City Council	Introduced by Council

Int. No. 2354-B

By Council Members Dinowitz, Vallone, Yeger and Gennaro (by request of the Mayor)

A Local Law to amend the New York city charter, in relation to the definition of the term veteran and the membership of the veterans’ advisory board

Be it enacted by the Council as follows:

Section 1. Section 3101 of the New York city charter, as added by local law number 113 for the year 2015, is amended to read as follows:

§3101.Definition. As used in this chapter, the following term has the following meaning:

Veteran. The term "veteran" [shall mean] means a person who serves or has served in the active military service [of the United States and who has been released from such service other than by dishonorable discharge, or who has been furloughed to the reserve], including the navy, coast guard, air force, marines, army, space force, and their respective national guard or reserve components, regardless of discharge status or time served. “Veteran” also means a person who serves or has served in the United States public health service or as a commissioned member of the national oceanic and atmospheric administration.

§ 2.  Section 3103 of the New York city charter, as added by local law number 113 for the year 2015, is amended to read as follows:

§3103.Veterans' advisory board. a. There shall be a veterans' advisory board consisting of [eleven] 13 members, [all] 11 of whom shall be veterans[, six of whom] and two of whom shall be immediate family members, spouses or domestic partners, survivors, or caregivers of veterans.  Of these 13 members, seven shall be appointed by the mayor, including one immediate family member, spouse or domestic partner, survivor or caregiver of a veteran, and [five of whom] six shall be appointed by the speaker of the council, including one immediate family member, spouse or domestic partner, survivor or caregiver of a veteran. Of these [eleven appointees] 13 members, there shall be at least one representative from each of the five boroughs of the city of New York. The mayor and the speaker shall each consider service in conflicts involving members of the United States armed forces when making such appointments.

b. All members shall serve for a term of three years and may be removed by the appointing official for cause. Members of the advisory board shall elect by majority vote one such member to serve as [chairperson] chair and one such member to serve as [vice-chairperson] vice chair, each to serve in that capacity for one-year terms. In the event of a vacancy on the advisory board during the term of office of a member by reason of removal, death, resignation, or otherwise, a successor shall be chosen in the same manner as the original appointment within 120 days from the date such vacancy occurred. A member appointed to fill a vacancy shall serve for the balance of the unexpired term.

c. The advisory board shall:

[(i) advise] 1. Advise the commissioner on all matters concerning veterans;

[(ii) hold] 2. Hold at least one meeting open to the public in each borough on an annual basis, with notice of each public meeting provided in accordance with the public notice requirements of article 7 of the public officers law except with respect to those requirements provided in section 31-105 of the administrative code, and with each public meeting recorded and broadcast in accordance with subdivision d of section 1063 of the charter;

[(iii) keep] 3. Keep a record of its deliberations;

[(iv) determine] 4. Determine its own rules of procedure; and

[(v) submit] 5. Submit an annual report of its activities to the mayor and the council on or before December 31 of each year. Such annual report should include policy and legislative recommendations for the department of veterans' services and the council.

d. The department shall maintain on its website and regularly update a list of all members appointed to serve on the veterans’ advisory board, including information about each member’s term, appointing official and any additional information deemed by the department to be relevant.

§ 3. This local law takes effect 120 days after it becomes law.

BV

11/30/21