S 1009: Authorizes a veteran's close friend or family who is reasonably familiar with such veteran's wishes to request that such veteran be buried in a state veterans' cemetery.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 1009 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN SENATE (Prefiled) January 8, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sens. BROUK, ADDABBO, ASHBY, HARCKHAM, HELMING, RHOADS, STEC -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be commit- ted to the Committee on Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs AN ACT to amend the veterans' services law and the public health law, in relation to authorizing a veteran's close friend or family member who is reasonably familiar with such veteran's wishes to request that such veteran be buried in a veterans' cemetery The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The veterans' services law is amended by adding a new 2 section 27-a to read as follows: 3 § 27-a. Burial rights of certain veterans. 1. For the purposes of 4 this section, "agent in control of the disposition of remains" means the 5 person responsible or designated to control the disposition of a 6 deceased veteran's remains as defined and outlined in section forty-two 7 hundred one of the public health law who has knowledge of a veteran's 8 desire to be buried in a veterans' cemetery and can provide evidence of 9 the military service of the decedent which shall be furnished in the 10 manner and form prescribed by the state commissioner. 11 2. Notwithstanding any other provision of local law, law, rule or 12 regulation to the contrary, any agent in control of the disposition of 13 remains may request that a deceased veteran be buried in a veterans' 14 cemetery. 15 § 2. Subparagraph (ix) of paragraph (a) of subdivision 2 of section 16 4201 of the public health law, as amended by chapter 401 of the laws of 17 2007, is amended to read as follows: 18 (ix) a close friend or relative who is reasonably familiar with the 19 decedent's wishes, including the decedent's religious or moral beliefs, 20 when no one higher on this list is reasonably available, willing, or 21 competent to act[, provided that such person has executed a written 22 statement pursuant to subdivision seven of this section]; or 23 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD01504-01-5