Hochul signs 6 veterans laws on Veterans Day: property tax proof, accessible plates, free SUNY and CUNY gyms

Gov. Kathy Hochul marked Veterans Day on Wednesday by signing six bills aimed at veterans, active-duty service members and military families, from how veterans prove they qualify for property tax breaks to free access to public college gyms, her office announced. Most of the changes are about paperwork and fees rather than new money, but several touch homeowners directly.

What the six new laws do

• More ways to prove combat service for tax breaks (A5578A/S1788A). Veterans who served in combat zones can now use a wider range of military records to qualify for additional property tax exemptions, including discharge records, military awards and records of hazardous duty pay. State Sen. Michelle Hinchey said the fix is meant for veterans of classified and submarine missions whose service did not show up on standard paperwork.
• Persian Gulf conflict dates clarified (A3450A/S3194A). The law clarifies the time period of the Persian Gulf conflict used to decide who is eligible for veterans' property tax benefits.
• Lower costs for accessible homes (A10921A/S10398A). Local governments may waive or reduce fees for home improvements needed to accommodate a veteran's service-connected disability. Assembly Veterans' Affairs Committee chair Steve Stern called it the Disabled Veteran Home Modification Act.
• Accessible license plates (A9351A/S8571A). Veterans with a 100% disability rating from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs can use that existing federal rating to qualify for plates with the Universal Symbol of Access.
• Early registration renewal while deployed (A11233A/S9806A). Service members whose vehicle registration would expire during a deployment or other official military duty can renew early.
• SUNY and CUNY gyms and pools (A6001A/S7784A). Veterans with disabilities get free or discounted memberships at campus gyms and swimming pools that are open to the general public. State Sen. Jessica Scarcella-Spanton, who chairs the Senate veterans committee, sponsored the Senate version.

The state Department of Veterans' Services also announced $150,000 for six nonprofits through its Veterans Outdoor Recreational Therapy Grant Program, $25,000 each, SILive reported. The governor's release did not give effective dates for each law, and it did not name the six grant recipients.

Landmarks lit green tonight

Hochul directed 17 state landmarks to be lit green on Wednesday evening for Operation Green Light, a campaign started in 2021 by New York's county associations and veterans service officers. In the city, the list includes One World Trade Center, the Kosciuszko Bridge, the Pershing Square Viaduct at Grand Central Terminal, Moynihan Train Hall, the LIRR East End Gateway at Penn Station and the Roosevelt Island Lighthouse, according to the governor's office.

What's next in the city

The state changes are separate from a bigger local break for the most severely disabled veterans. State law lets localities fully exempt the home of a veteran the VA rates permanently and totally disabled, but New York City has to opt in. The City Council says it will vote Thursday, Nov. 12, on Int. 1051-A, which would do that, along with bills on veterans' access to Mitchell-Lama housing and a permanent LGBTQ+ veterans liaison, according to the Council. We will update that story with the result.