New York passes six bills aiding veterans' benefits

State Sen. Jessica Scarcella-Spanton from Staten Island is working to improve the lives of New York veterans. She announced that the state Senate's Veterans Committee passed six new bills aimed at supporting military members, veterans, and their families. Scarcella-Spanton is the chair of the committee and introduced three of these bills herself. She believes that those who serve in the military deserve strong support from the state. While the committee has approved these bills, they still need to be voted on by the full Senate and Assembly before becoming law. One important bill would create a military pro bono program. This program would offer free legal help to active-duty military personnel and their families. Another bill would require local veterans' service agencies to receive certificates of honorable separation within 60 days. A third bill would have the Department of Motor Vehicles maintain a list of veterans applying for a veteran driver’s license to improve outreach efforts. Additionally, one bill will enforce a 120-day warning period for violations at veterans' organization facilities. Another bill will exempt certain veterans' service organizations from sales tax on specific beverages. The last bill aims to expand tuition awards so that unused benefits can be transferred to family members. This follows another set of six veteran-related bills passed by the committee in February, most of which were also introduced by Scarcella-Spanton. She remains dedicated to ensuring that New York veterans receive the resources and recognition they deserve.