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S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
7850
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
I N S E N A T E
May 9, 2025
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Introduced by Sen. SCARCELLA-SPANTON -- read twice and ordered printed,
and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Veterans, Home-
land Security and Military 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. Subdivision 1-f of section 247 of the military law, as
2 added by chapter 610 of the laws of 2023, is renumbered 1-g and a new
3 subdivision 1-h is added to read as follows:
4 1-H. THE GOVERNOR IS HEREBY AUTHORIZED TO PRESENT IN THE NAME OF THE
5 LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, A MEDAL, TO BE KNOWN AS THE "NEW
6 YORK STATE COLD WAR COMMEMORATIVE MEDAL", BEARING A SUITABLE
7 INSCRIPTION, TO ANY PERSON: (I) WHO IS A RESIDENT OF THE STATE OF NEW
8 YORK; OR WHO WAS A RESIDENT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK WHILE SERVING IN
9 THE ARMED FORCES OF THE UNITED STATES; (II) WHO SERVED IN THE UNITED
10 STATES ARMED FORCES, DURING THE PERIOD FROM SEPTEMBER SECOND, NINETEEN
11 HUNDRED FORTY-FIVE THROUGH DECEMBER TWENTY-SIXTH, NINETEEN HUNDRED NINE-
12 TY-ONE; AND (III) WHO WAS DISCHARGED UNDER HONORABLE CONDITIONS OR WHO
13 HAS A QUALIFYING CONDITION, AS DEFINED IN SECTION ONE OF THE VETERANS'
14 SERVICES LAW, AND RECEIVED A DISCHARGE OTHER THAN BAD CONDUCT OR
15 DISHONORABLE DISCHARGE, OR IS A DISCHARGED LGBT VETERAN, AS DEFINED IN
16 SECTION ONE OF THE VETERANS' SERVICES LAW, AND RECEIVED A DISCHARGE
17 OTHER THAN BAD CONDUCT OR DISHONORABLE DISCHARGE. NO PERSON SHALL
18 RECEIVE MORE THAN ONE NEW YORK STATE COLD WAR COMMEMORATIVE MEDAL. IN
19 THE EVENT OF THE DEATH OF ANY ELIGIBLE PERSON PRIOR TO THE RECEIPT OF
20 SUCH COMMEMORATIVE MEDAL, SUCH COMMEMORATIVE MEDAL SHALL BE PRESENTED TO
21 THE DESIGNATED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DECEASED. THE ADJUTANT GENERAL, IN
22 CONSULTATION WITH THE COMMISSIONER OF THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS'
23 SERVICES, SHALL MAKE SUCH RULES AND REGULATIONS AS MAY BE DEEMED NECES-
24 SARY FOR THE PROPER PRESENTATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF SUCH MEDALS,
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD11795-02-5
S. 7850 2
1 INCLUDING THE ELIGIBILITY OF COLD WAR VETERANS WHO HAVE ALREADY RECEIVED
2 THE COLD WAR CERTIFICATE PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION ONE-B OF THIS SECTION.
3 § 2. Subdivision 4 of section 247 of the military law, as separately
4 amended by chapters 609 and 610 of the laws of 2023, is amended to read
5 as follows:
6 4. This section shall not be construed to require that a recipient of
7 the conspicuous service cross, the conspicuous service star, the Cold
8 War Certificate, the New York State Silver Rose Veterans Service Certif-
9 icate, the New York State Iraq War Commemorative Medal, the New York
10 State Afghanistan War Commemorative Medal, THE NEW YORK STATE COLD WAR
11 COMMEMORATIVE MEDAL or the New York State Vietnam War Commemorative
12 Medal or the New York State Korean War Commemorative Medal has been a
13 resident of the state of New York at the time of [his or her] SUCH
14 RECIPIENT'S entry into the United States army, air force, navy, or
15 marine corps.
16 § 3. This act shall take effect on the first of April next succeeding
17 the date on which it shall have become a law. The division of military
18 and naval affairs is authorized to promulgate any and all rules and
19 regulations and take any other measures necessary to implement the
20 provisions of this act on its effective date on or before such date.