N.Y. State Finance Law § 99-tt: Veterans' services fund

§ 99-tt. Veterans' services fund. 1. There is hereby established in

the joint custody of the commissioner of taxation and finance, the

commissioner of veterans' services, and the comptroller, a special fund

to be known as the "veterans' services fund".

2. Such fund shall consist of all civil penalties imposed pursuant to

section three hundred forty-nine-f of the general business law, any

additional moneys appropriated, credited or transferred to such fund by

the legislature, and the amounts of moneys received and deposited into

the fund from grants, gifts and bequests during the preceding calendar

year, as certified by the comptroller. Nothing in this section shall

prevent the state from soliciting and receiving grants, gifts or

bequests for the purposes of the fund as defined in this section and

depositing them into the fund according to law. Any interest earned by

the investment of moneys in such fund shall be added to such fund,

become part of such fund, and be used for the purposes of such fund.

3. On or before the first day of February each year, the commissioner

of veterans' services shall provide a written report to the temporary

president of the senate, speaker of the assembly, chair of the senate

finance committee, chair of the assembly ways and means committee, chair

of the senate committee on veterans, homeland security and military

affairs, chair of the assembly veterans' affairs committee, the state

comptroller and the public. Such report shall include how the moneys of

the fund were utilized during the preceding calendar year, and shall

include:

(a) the amount of money dispersed from the fund and the award process

used for such disbursements;

(b) recipients of awards from the fund;

(c) the amount awarded to each;

(d) the purposes for which such awards were granted; and

(e) a summary financial plan for such moneys which shall include

estimates of all receipts and all disbursements for the current and

succeeding fiscal years, along with the actual results from the prior

fiscal year.

4. On or before the first day of February of each calendar year, the

comptroller shall certify to the governor, the temporary president of

the senate, the speaker of the assembly, the chair of the senate finance

committee and the chair of the assembly ways and means committee, the

amount of money deposited in the veterans' services fund during the

preceding calendar year as the result of revenue derived pursuant to

section three hundred forty-nine-f of the general business law, and from

all grants, gifts and bequests.

5. Moneys of the fund shall be expended only for the award of grants

to veterans' service organizations certified by the United States

department of veterans affairs to assist claimants in the preparation,

presentation, and prosecution of claims for United States department of

veterans affairs benefits, as determined by the department of veterans'

services.

6. Moneys shall be paid out of the fund on the audit and warrant of

the comptroller on vouchers approved and certified by the commissioner

of veterans' services. Any interest received by the comptroller on

moneys on deposit in the veterans' services fund shall be retained in

and become part of such fund.