Senate veterans committee reports six bills on veterans benefits, taxes and services

The New York State Senate Committee on Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs reported six bills out of committee during its March 4, 2025 meeting, moving measures on veterans organization enforcement, Department of Motor Vehicles data sharing, sales tax exemptions for veteran organizations, tuition award transfers, legal assistance for military families and certificates of honorable separation.

The measures were advanced by voice votes or unanimous assent with little debate and were recorded as reported by the committee. Several items were specifically reported to the Senate Finance Committee for further consideration.

S.1188 (sponsor listed in committee as “senator Daba/Dabo”): The bill, described by committee staff as an amendment to the General Business Law, would require a 120-day warning period for certain violations at certain veterans organizations and schools. A motion to report the bill was made and seconded; the committee reported the bill out of committee (recorded as reported). Specific vote tallies and the committee referral beyond the generic report were not specified in the transcript.

S.2073 (sponsor listed in committee as “senator Marcellus Banton”): The committee read a bill amending Vehicle and Traffic Law and the Veterans’ Service Law to require the Department of Motor Vehicles to share certain veteran information with the Department of Veterans’ Services. Committee members voiced assent and the bill was recorded as reported; no roll-call tally was given in the transcript.

S.2607 (sponsor listed in committee as “senator Adabo”): The bill would amend the Tax Law to exempt certain veteran service organizations from taxes on sales of beer, wine and soda. The committee voted in favor and the bill was reported to the Finance Committee, according to the transcript.

S.4358 (sponsor listed in committee as “senator Bailey”): The proposal would amend Education Law to expand the veterans tuition awards program to allow transfer of unused benefits to a spouse, survivor or child. The committee voted to report the bill to the Finance Committee; no vote breakdown was recorded in the transcript.

F.4529 (sponsor listed in committee as “senator Ben Barcelos” in the transcript): Described as amendments to Military Law and State Finance Law relating to legal assistance for military families, the item was presented to the committee. The transcript notes there was "no second" on the initial motion, but the committee nonetheless recorded the bill as reported to the Finance Committee. The record does not show individual vote names or tallies.

S.5397 (sponsor listed in committee as “Dennis Carsellus Ban” in the transcript): The committee considered a bill amending Veterans’ Service Law, Military Law and Civil Rights Law relating to certificates of honorable separation from or service in the U.S. armed forces. A motion and a second were recorded and the bill was reported out of committee.

The meeting record shows limited debate on the merits of the individual bills; most items were moved, seconded and advanced by voice without roll-call tallies in the publicly available transcript. The committee concluded with a motion to adjourn.

Votes at a glance (as recorded in committee transcript): S.1188 — reported out of committee; S.2073 — recorded as reported; S.2607 — reported to Finance; S.4358 — reported to Finance; F.4529 — reported to Finance (transcript notes “no second” on motion); S.5397 — reported out of committee.

The transcript does not include detailed vote counts, named aye/nay votes, or committee referral numbers beyond the references noted above. The committee identified sponsors for each bill in the meeting remarks; the transcript contains minor inconsistencies in several sponsor name spellings, which are reproduced below under proper names to preserve the committee record.