S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K ________________________________________________________________________ 6109 I N S E N A T E (PREFILED) January 4, 2012 ___________ Introduced by Sen. ROBACH -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Racing, Gaming and Wager- ing AN ACT to amend the tax law, in relation to authorizing the creation of the veteran assistance lottery game and to amend the state finance law, in relation to establishing the veterans' assistance fund THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM- BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: 1 Section 1. The tax law is amended by adding a new section 1621 to read 2 as follows: 3 S 1621. VETERAN ASSISTANCE LOTTERY GAME. 1. THE DIRECTOR OF THE DIVI- 4 SION OF LOTTERY SHALL DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT NO MORE THAN TWO SCRATCH-OFF 5 LOTTERY GAMES WHOSE REVENUE, AFTER PAYMENT OF PRIZES AND ASSOCIATED 6 ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS OF SUCH GAMES, SHALL BE DEPOSITED IN THE VETERAN 7 ASSISTANCE FUND AS ESTABLISHED IN SECTION NINETY-SEVEN-LLLL OF THE STATE 8 FINANCE LAW. THIS LOTTERY GAME SHALL BE MARKETED AND DISTRIBUTED IN THE 9 SAME MANNER AS ALL LOTTERY GAMES CONTROLLED BY THE DIVISION OF LOTTERY. 10 THIS SECTION SHALL NOT DIMINISH ANY EFFORTS OR FUNDING FOR OTHER LOTTERY 11 GAMES UNDER THE CONTROL OF THE DIVISION OF LOTTERY. EACH TICKET SHALL 12 CLEARLY STATE THAT ALL PROCEEDS FROM TICKET SALES GO TOWARDS THE VETER- 13 ANS' ASSISTANCE FUND. 14 2. THE DIVISION OF LOTTERY SHALL ESTABLISH AND BEGIN SELLING TICKETS 15 AS REQUIRED BY THIS SECTION NO LATER THAN DECEMBER THIRTY-FIRST, TWO 16 THOUSAND ELEVEN. 17 S 2. The state finance law is amended by adding a new section 97-llll 18 to read as follows: 19 S 97-LLLL. VETERANS' ASSISTANCE FUND. 1. THE VETERANS' ASSISTANCE FUND 20 IS ESTABLISHED IN THE SOLE CUSTODY OF THE STATE COMPTROLLER. MONIES IN 21 THE FUND SHALL BE KEPT SEPARATE AND NOT COMMINGLED WITH OTHER FUNDS IN 22 THE CUSTODY OF THE COMPTROLLER. 23 2. MONIES OF THE FUND SHALL BE EXPENDED ONLY FOR COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH 24 ASSISTANCE FOR VETERANS INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, EDUCATION, HOUS- 25 ING, MEDICAL EXPENSES AND JOB TRAINING. MONIES SHALL BE PAYABLE FROM THE EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD00546-03-2 S. 6109 2 1 FUND BY THE COMPTROLLER ON VOUCHERS APPROVED BY THE NEW YORK STATE 2 DIRECTOR OF VETERANS' AFFAIRS. 3 3. THE NEW YORK STATE DIRECTOR OF VETERANS' AFFAIRS SHALL CREATE A 4 DIRECT GRANT PROGRAM THAT WILL DISPERSE FUNDS TO INDIVIDUAL VETERANS 5 BASED ON NEED. THE INDIVIDUAL GRANTS SHALL BE AWARDED THROUGH AN APPLI- 6 CATION PROCESS BASED ON CRITERIA CREATED WITHIN SUCH PROGRAM. THE FUND- 7 ING FOR VETERAN ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS AND SERVICES SHOULD BE APPLIED IN 8 AREAS WHERE THE NEED IS THE MOST FOR VETERANS IN NEW YORK STATE. 9 4. MONIES SHALL BE CREDITED TOWARDS THE FUND IN FORM OF GIFT, 10 DONATION, FEDERAL ASSISTANCE OR GRANT, TRANSFERS, PAYMENT, APPROPRIATION 11 OR BY A DEDICATED REVENUE SOURCE INCLUDING THE VETERAN ASSISTANCE 12 LOTTERY GAME AS ESTABLISHED IN SECTION SIXTEEN HUNDRED TWENTY-ONE OF THE 13 TAX LAW. 14 5. MONIES OF THE FUND SHALL NOT BE USED, TRANSFERRED OR APPROPRIATED 15 FOR ANY PURPOSE OTHER THAN WHAT IS PROVIDED IN THIS SECTION, EXCEPT THAT 16 SUCH MONIES MAY BE USED FOR MINIMAL COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH ADMINISTERING 17 THE PROGRAM WITHIN THE DIVISION OF VETERANS' AFFAIRS. 18 6. FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, "VETERAN" SHALL HAVE THE MEANING 19 DEFINED IN SECTION THREE HUNDRED FIFTY OF THE EXECUTIVE LAW. 20 S 3. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall 21 have become a law.