STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 5869 2025-2026 Regular Sessions IN ASSEMBLY February 24, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. SLATER -- read once and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs AN ACT to amend the military law, in relation to the issuance of a New York State Cold War Commemorative Medal The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Section 247 of the military law is amended by adding a new 2 subdivision 1-g to read as follows: 3 1-g. The governor is hereby authorized to present in the name of the 4 legislature of the state of New York, a medal, to be known as the "New 5 York State Cold War Commemorative Medal", bearing a suitable 6 inscription, to any person: (i) who is a resident of the state of New 7 York; or who was a resident of the state of New York while serving in 8 the armed forces of the United States; (ii) who served in the United 9 States Armed Forces, defined as army, air force, navy, marine corps, or 10 coast guard, on active duty, national guard, or reserves at any time 11 during the period from March twelfth, nineteen forty-seven through 12 December twenty-sixth, nineteen ninety-one; and (iii) who was discharged 13 under honorable conditions or who has a qualifying condition, as defined 14 in section one of the veterans' services law, and received a discharge 15 other than bad conduct or dishonorable discharge, or is a discharged 16 LGBT veteran, as defined in section one of the veterans' services law, 17 and received a discharge other than bad conduct or dishonorable 18 discharge. No person shall receive more than one New York State Cold War 19 Commemorative Medal. In the event of the death of any eligible person 20 prior to the receipt of such commemorative medal, such commemorative 21 medal shall be presented to the designated representative of the 22 deceased. The adjutant general, in consultation with the commissioner of 23 the department of veterans' services, shall make such rules and regu- 24 lations as may be deemed necessary for the proper presentation and 25 distribution of such medals. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD07432-01-5
A. 5869 2 1 § 2. Subdivision 4 of section 247 of the military law, as separately 2 amended by chapters 609 and 610 of the laws of 2023, is amended to read 3 as follows: 4 4. This section shall not be construed to require that a recipient of 5 the conspicuous service cross, the conspicuous service star, the Cold 6 War Certificate, the New York State Silver Rose Veterans Service Certif- 7 icate, the New York State Cold War Commemorative Medal, the New York 8 State Iraq War Commemorative Medal, the New York State Afghanistan War 9 Commemorative Medal or the New York State Vietnam War Commemorative 10 Medal or the New York State Korean War Commemorative Medal has been a 11 resident of the state of New York at the time of [his or her] their 12 entry into the United States army, air force, navy, or marine corps. 13 § 3. This act shall take effect on the first of April next succeeding 14 the date on which it shall have become a law. The division of military 15 and naval affairs is authorized to promulgate any and all rules and 16 regulations and take any other measures necessary to implement the 17 provisions of this act on its effective date on or before such date.