Bill Text: NY S03097 | 2011-2012 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes the "atomic veterans medal" for members of the armed forces or organized militia exposed to ionizing radiation as a result of atomic weapons tests conducted by the United State between 1945 and 1963.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 2-1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2012-06-06 - REPORTED AND COMMITTED TO FINANCE [S03097 Detail]
Download: New_York-2011-S03097-Introduced.html
S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K ________________________________________________________________________ 3097 2011-2012 Regular Sessions I N S E N A T E February 8, 2011 ___________ Introduced by Sen. BALL -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Veterans, Homeland Securi- ty and Military Affairs AN ACT to amend the military law, in relation to providing for the "atomic veterans medal" to be granted to certain veterans exposed to ionizing radiation as a result of atomic weapons tests THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM- BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: 1 Section 1. Subdivisions 1-a and 4 of section 247 of the military law, 2 subdivision 1-a as added and subdivision 4 as amended by chapter 184 of 3 the laws of 1998, are amended and a new subdivision 1-b is added to read 4 as follows: 5 1-a. The governor is hereby authorized to present in the name of the 6 legislature of the state of New York, a military decoration, to be known 7 as the "conspicuous service star", bearing a suitable inscription, 8 device, and ribbon, all of which shall be of suitable design, to any 9 person (i) who is a citizen of the state of New York or (ii) who was a 10 citizen of the state of New York while serving in the armed forces of 11 the United States, and who, while serving in the United States Armed 12 Forces, defined as army, air force, navy, marine corps, or coast guard, 13 has, or shall have received a United States unit level decoration denot- 14 ing combat participation and foreign unit awards, issued from a company, 15 regimental, brigade, or division commander, or equivalent naval unit, or 16 issued by the President of the United States, the Congress of the United 17 States, the United States Defense Department or the joint chiefs of 18 staff, such as, but not limited to, a presidential unit citation or a 19 joint meritorious unit award. Not more than one conspicuous service star 20 shall be issued to any one person; nor shall any citation be awarded or 21 presented, under the provisions of this subdivision, to any person whose 22 entire service subsequent to the time of the receipt of such star shall 23 not have been honorable. For each succeeding star as provided herein, EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD07848-01-1 S. 3097 2 1 such person shall be entitled to wear, as the [chief of staff] ADJUTANT 2 GENERAL of the state may direct, a ribbon whose color and design shall 3 be selected by the division of [miliary] MILITARY AND NAVAL affairs. In 4 the event of the death of any person during or subsequent to the receipt 5 of such citation the conspicuous service star shall be presented to such 6 representative of the deceased as may be designated. The [chief of 7 staff] ADJUTANT GENERAL shall make such rules and regulations as may be 8 deemed necessary for the proper presentation and distribution of such 9 decorations. 10 1-B. THE GOVERNOR IS HEREBY AUTHORIZED TO PRESENT IN THE NAME OF THE 11 LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, A MILITARY DECORATION, TO BE KNOWN 12 AS THE "ATOMIC VETERANS MEDAL", BEARING A SUITABLE INSCRIPTION, DEVICE 13 AND RIBBON, ALL OF WHICH SHALL BE OF SUITABLE DESIGN, TO ANY PERSON (I) 14 WHO IS A CITIZEN OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK OR (II) WHO WAS A CITIZEN OF 15 THE STATE OF NEW YORK WHILE SERVING IN THE ARMED FORCES OF THE UNITED 16 STATES OR THE ORGANIZED MILITIA, AND WHO, WHILE SERVING IN THE UNITED 17 STATES ARMED FORCES, DEFINED AS THE ARMY, AIR FORCE, NAVY, MARINE CORPS 18 OR COAST GUARD, OR THE ORGANIZED MILITIA WHO WAS EXPOSED TO IONIZING 19 RADIATION AS A RESULT OF ATOMIC WEAPONS TESTS CONDUCTED BY THE UNITED 20 STATES BETWEEN NINETEEN HUNDRED FORTY-FIVE AND NINETEEN HUNDRED 21 SIXTY-THREE. NOT MORE THAN ONE ATOMIC VETERANS MEDAL SHALL BE ISSUED TO 22 ANY ONE PERSON; NOR SHALL ANY CITATION BE AWARDED OR PRESENTED, UNDER 23 THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SUBDIVISION, TO ANY PERSON WHOSE ENTIRE SERVICE 24 SUBSEQUENT TO THE TIME OF THE RECEIPT OF SUCH MEDAL SHALL NOT HAVE BEEN 25 HONORABLE. FOR EACH SUCCEEDING MEDAL PRESENTED AS PROVIDED IN THIS 26 SUBDIVISION, SUCH PERSON SHALL BE ENTITLED TO WEAR, AS THE ADJUTANT 27 GENERAL OF THE STATE MAY DIRECT, A RIBBON WHOSE COLOR AND DESIGN SHALL 28 BE SELECTED BY THE DIVISION OF MILITARY AND NAVAL AFFAIRS. IN THE EVENT 29 OF THE DEATH OF ANY PERSON DURING OR SUBSEQUENT TO THE RECEIPT OF SUCH 30 CITATION THE ATOMIC VETERANS MEDAL SHALL BE PRESENTED TO SUCH REPRESEN- 31 TATIVE OF THE DECEASED AS MAY BE DESIGNATED. THE ADJUTANT GENERAL SHALL 32 MAKE SUCH RULES AND REGULATIONS AS MAY BE DEEMED NECESSARY FOR THE PROP- 33 ER PRESENTATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF SUCH DECORATIONS. 34 4. This section shall not be construed to require that a recipient of 35 the conspicuous service cross [or], the conspicuous service star OR THE 36 ATOMIC VETERANS MEDAL has been a resident of the state of New York at 37 the time of his or her entry into the United States army, air force, 38 navy, marine corps, COAST GUARD or nurses corps. 39 S 2. This act shall take effect immediately.