N.Y. Veterans' Services Law § 29-d: Staff sergeant Alex R

§ 29-d. Staff sergeant Alex R. Jimenez New York state military

immigrant family legacy program. 1. For the purposes of this section,

the following terms shall have the following meanings:

(a) "Uniformed service member" shall mean a member of the army, navy,

air force, space force, marine corps, coast guard, public health service

commissioned corps, or national oceanic and atmospheric administration

commissioned officer corps serving on active duty.

(b) "The program" shall mean the staff sergeant Alex R. Jimenez

military immigrant family legacy program.

(c) "Liaison" shall mean an employee of the office for new Americans

designated by the director of the office for new Americans, an employee

of the division of military and naval affairs designated by the adjutant

general, and an employee of the department designated by the

commissioner, to serve as a military immigrant family legacy program

liaison pursuant to subdivision three of this section.

(d) "Veteran" shall have the same meaning as such term is defined in

section one of this article and shall also include any veteran with a

qualifying condition, as defined in section one of this article, and has

received a discharge other than bad conduct or dishonorable from such

service, or is a discharged LGBT veteran, as defined in section one of

this article, and has received a discharge other than bad conduct or

dishonorable from such service.

(e) "Intended recipients" shall mean uniformed service members,

veterans, reserve component members and their spouse, domestic partner,

mother, father, stepmother, stepfather, mother through adoption, father

through adoption, or children, stepchildren, or adopted children. The

term "intended recipients" shall also include the next-of-kin of an

eligible uniformed service member, veteran or reserve component member

who died as a result of injury or disease incurred in or aggravated by

their service in the uniformed services, making a request for the grant

of posthumous U.S. citizenship on behalf of such uniformed service

member, veteran or reserve component member.

(f) "Reserve component members" shall mean those serving in the army

reserve, navy reserve, marine corps reserve, the army national guard,

the air national guard, or reserve corps of the public health service

during the time the unit was federally recognized as a reserve

component.

2. There is hereby established within the office for new Americans the

staff sergeant Alex R. Jimenez New York state military immigrant family

legacy program. The commissioner and adjutant general shall designate

one or more staff as liaisons to the office for new Americans who shall

refer any intended recipient in need of assistance with an immigration

matter to the office for new Americans. The office for new Americans

shall designate one or more staff to be liaisons with the department and

the division of military and naval affairs who shall coordinate such

referrals from the department and the division of military and naval

affairs and ensure the intended recipient is referred to existing office

for new Americans programs, including, but not limited to, immigration

legal service programs delivered by partnering community organization

and immigration counsel. The primary purpose of the program shall be to

assist intended recipients to secure legal immigration status in the

United States, including but not limited to, citizenship.

3. The office for new Americans shall have the responsibility to:

(a) refer intended recipients in matters related to immigration

status, to service providers.

(b) serve as liaison for the department and the division of military

and naval affairs, local veterans' service agencies, state agencies,

community groups, advocates, and other veterans and military

organizations and interested parties for the purpose of coordinating

efforts to provide access to immigration services to intended recipients

as specified in paragraph (a) of this subdivision.

(c) maintain a toll-free, multi-lingual hotline and website for

purposes including, but not limited to, disseminating information and

resources relating to the program as well as other federal, state, local

and non-profit programs that may offer assistance to intended recipients

in immigration matters.

(d) coordinate with the department and the division of military and

naval affairs and otherwise marshal the resources of the state to serve

the needs of intended recipients.

(e) share information about the program with congressionally chartered

veterans' organizations, and local veterans' service agencies.

4. The liaisons appointed pursuant to subdivision two of this section

shall jointly report the number of intended recipients referred to the

office for new Americans through the program to the commissioner on

January first each year following the first full year after the

effective date of this section. The commissioner shall submit the report

to the governor and the legislature by March first of each year.

5. For the purposes of this program, personally identifying

information provided by intended recipients shall not be retained,

disclosed, disseminated, or otherwise published or made available by the

department, the division of military and naval affairs, or the office

for new Americans.