I know I’m not alone in believing that our veterans deserve to be supported for all they’ve done in the name of freedom. Improving the lives of the brave men and women who have served is incumbent upon all of us, and ensuring their entitled state benefits is certainly the least we can do.
That’s why I’m thrilled to share with you a piece of legislation I introduced earlier this year, S5195B, has been signed into law. Under the previous statute, only veterans who served during wartime were eligible to receive certain New York benefits. My bill expands those eligible so all veterans will have access to their entitled benefits, regardless of wartime status during service. The bill was signed on Veterans Day, and now all veterans will have access to all state benefits.
The Purple Heart was born in the Hudson Valley, and while there will always be more work to be done, I’m proud that this bill will be a small part of the area’s long history of recognizing and honoring our veterans.
