2019 New York Laws
SOS - Social Services
Article 5 - Assistance and Care
Title 4 - Veteran Assistance
168 - Definitions.

§ 168. Definitions. As used in this title:
  * 1.  Veteran  means  a  person, male or female, who has served in the
armed forces of the United States in time of war, or who was a recipient
of the armed forces expeditionary medal,  navy  expeditionary  medal  or
marine  corps  expeditionary  medal  for  participation in operations in
Lebanon from June  first,  nineteen  hundred  eighty-three  to  December
first,   nineteen   hundred   eighty-seven,   in  Grenada  from  October
twenty-third, nineteen hundred eighty-three  to  November  twenty-first,
nineteen  hundred  eighty-three,  or  in Panama from December twentieth,
nineteen hundred eighty-nine to January thirty-first,  nineteen  hundred
ninety,  and  who  has  been  honorably  discharged  or  released  under
honorable circumstances from such service or furloughed to the reserve.
  * NB Effective until November 12, 2020
  * 1. Veteran means a person, male or female, who  has  served  in  the
armed forces of the United States in time of war, or who was a recipient
of  the  armed  forces  expeditionary medal, navy expeditionary medal or
marine corps expeditionary medal  for  participation  in  operations  in
Lebanon  from  June  first,  nineteen  hundred  eighty-three to December
first,  nineteen  hundred  eighty-seven,   in   Grenada   from   October
twenty-third,  nineteen  hundred  eighty-three to November twenty-first,
nineteen hundred eighty-three, or in  Panama  from  December  twentieth,
nineteen  hundred  eighty-nine to January thirty-first, nineteen hundred
ninety, and who (1) has been  honorably  discharged  or  released  under
honorable  circumstances from such service or furloughed to the reserve,
or (2) has a qualifying condition, as defined in section  three  hundred
fifty  of the executive law, and has received a discharge other than bad
conduct or dishonorable from such service, or (3) is a  discharged  LGBT
veteran, as defined in section three hundred fifty of the executive law,
and has received a discharge other than bad conduct or dishonorable from
such service.
  * NB Effective November 12, 2020
  2. In time of war means the periods herein set forth for the following
wars and conflicts:
  (1) Civil war; from twentieth day of April, eighteen hundred sixty-one
to and including the ninth day of April, eighteen hundred sixty-five.
  (2) Spanish-American war; from the twenty-first day of April, eighteen
hundred  ninety-eight  to  and  including  the  eleventh  day  of April,
eighteen hundred ninety-nine.
  (3) Philippine insurrection; from the eleventh day of April,  eighteen
hundred  ninety-nine  to  and including the fourth day of July, nineteen
hundred two.
  (4) World war I;  from  the  sixth  day  of  April,  nineteen  hundred
seventeen  to  and  including  the  eleventh  day  of November, nineteen
hundred eighteen.
  * (5) World war II; from the seventh day of December, nineteen hundred
forty-one to and including the thirty-first day  of  December,  nineteen
hundred   forty-six,   or   who   was   employed  by  the  War  Shipping
Administration or Office of Defense Transportation or their agents as  a
merchant   seaman  documented  by  the  United  States  Coast  Guard  or
Department of Commerce, or as a civil servant  employed  by  the  United
States  Army  Transport Service (later redesignated as the United States
Army Transportation Corps, Water Division) or the  Naval  Transportation
Service;  and  who  served  satisfactorily  as  a crew member during the
period of armed conflict, December seventh, nineteen hundred  forty-one,
to  August  fifteenth,  nineteen  hundred  forty-five,  aboard  merchant
vessels in oceangoing, i.e., foreign, intercoastal, or coastwise service
as such terms are defined under federal law (46 USCA 10301 & 10501)  and
further  to include "near foreign" voyages between the United States and

Canada, Mexico, or the West Indies via ocean routes, or  public  vessels
in  oceangoing  service  or  foreign  waters  and  who  has  received  a
Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active  Duty  and  a  discharge
certificate,  or  an  Honorable  Service Certificate/Report of Casualty,
from the Department of Defense or who served as a United States civilian
employed by the American Field Service and served overseas under  United
States  Armies  and United States Army Groups in world war II during the
period of armed conflict, December seventh, nineteen  hundred  forty-one
through  May eighth, nineteen hundred forty-five, and who was discharged
or released therefrom under honorable conditions, or  who  served  as  a
United  States civilian Flight Crew and Aviation Ground Support Employee
of Pan American  World  Airways  or  one  of  its  subsidiaries  or  its
affiliates  and  served  overseas as a result of Pan American's contract
with Air Transport Command or Naval Air  Transport  Service  during  the
period   of   armed  conflict,  December  fourteenth,  nineteen  hundred
forty-one through August fourteenth, nineteen  hundred  forty-five,  and
who was discharged or released therefrom under honorable conditions.
  * NB Effective until November 12, 2020
  * (5) World war II; from the seventh day of December, nineteen hundred
forty-one  to  and  including the thirty-first day of December, nineteen
hundred  forty-six,  or  who  was   employed   by   the   War   Shipping
Administration  or Office of Defense Transportation or their agents as a
merchant  seaman  documented  by  the  United  States  Coast  Guard   or
Department  of  Commerce,  or  as a civil servant employed by the United
States Army Transport Service (later redesignated as the  United  States
Army  Transportation  Corps, Water Division) or the Naval Transportation
Service; and who served satisfactorily  as  a  crew  member  during  the
period  of armed conflict, December seventh, nineteen hundred forty-one,
to  August  fifteenth,  nineteen  hundred  forty-five,  aboard  merchant
vessels in oceangoing, i.e., foreign, intercoastal, or coastwise service
as  such terms are defined under federal law (46 USCA 10301 & 10501) and
further to include "near foreign" voyages between the United States  and
Canada,  Mexico,  or the West Indies via ocean routes, or public vessels
in  oceangoing  service  or  foreign  waters  and  who  has  received  a
Certificate  of  Release  or  Discharge from Active Duty and a discharge
certificate, or an Honorable  Service  Certificate/Report  of  Casualty,
from the Department of Defense or who served as a United States civilian
employed  by the American Field Service and served overseas under United
States Armies and United States Army Groups in world war II  during  the
period  of  armed conflict, December seventh, nineteen hundred forty-one
through May  eighth,  nineteen  hundred  forty-five,  and  who  (i)  was
discharged or released therefrom under honorable conditions, or (ii) has
a qualifying condition, as defined in section three hundred fifty of the
executive  law,  and  has received a discharge other than bad conduct or
dishonorable from such service, or (iii) is a discharged  LGBT  veteran,
as  defined in section three hundred fifty of the executive law, and has
received a discharge other than bad conduct or  dishonorable  from  such
service,  or  who  served  as  a  United States civilian Flight Crew and
Aviation Ground Support Employee of Pan American World Airways or one of
its subsidiaries or its affiliates and served overseas as  a  result  of
Pan  American's  contract  with  Air  Transport  Command  or  Naval  Air
Transport  Service  during  the  period  of  armed  conflict,   December
fourteenth,   nineteen  hundred  forty-one  through  August  fourteenth,
nineteen hundred forty-five, and who (iv)  was  discharged  or  released
therefrom under honorable conditions, or (v) has a qualifying condition,
as  defined in section three hundred fifty of the executive law, and has
received a discharge other than bad conduct or  dishonorable  from  such
service,  or  (vi)  is  a discharged LGBT veteran, as defined in section

three hundred fifty of the executive law, and has received  a  discharge
other than bad conduct or dishonorable from such service.
  * NB Effective November 12, 2020
  (6)  Korean  conflict;  from  the twenty-seventh day of June, nineteen
hundred fifty to and including the thirty-first day of January, nineteen
hundred fifty-five.
  (7) Viet  Nam  conflict;  from  the  twenty-eighth  day  of  February,
nineteen  hundred  sixty-one  to  and  including the seventh day of May,
nineteen hundred seventy-five.
  (8) Persian Gulf conflict; from the second  day  of  August,  nineteen
hundred ninety to and including the end of such conflict.
  3. Veteran organization means the:
  (a) Grand Army of the Republic;
  (b) United Spanish War Veterans;
  (c) American Legion;
  (d) Disabled American Veterans;
  (e) Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States;
  (f) Jewish War Veterans of the United States, Incorporated;
  (g) Catholic War Veterans, Incorporated;
  (h) Army and Navy Union of the United States;
  (i) Italian American War Veterans of the United States, Incorporated;
  (j) Polish Legion of American Veterans, Incorporated;
  (k) The Marine Corps League;
  (l) Military Order of the Purple Heart, Inc.;
  (m) Amvets.
  (n) American Veterans of World War II;
  (o) Veterans of World War I, U.S.A., Inc.
  (p) Polish-American Veterans of World War II;
  (q) Masonic War Veterans of the state of N.Y., Inc.;
  (r) American Gold Star Mothers, Inc.;
  (s) Regular Veterans Association, Inc.;
  (t) Vietnam Veterans of America;
  (u) Eastern Paralyzed Veterans Association;
  4.  Veteran  assistance  means safety net assistance given pursuant to
the provisions of this title, to the persons eligible therefor.