Establishes the "cold war veterans medal" for members of the armed forces or organized militia serving at any time during the period April 16, 1947 through December 21, 1991.

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S3956-2011 Actions

• Jan 18, 2012: REPORTED AND COMMITTED TO FINANCE
• Jan 4, 2012: REFERRED TO VETERANS, HOMELAND SECURITY AND MILITARY AFFAIRS
• Jan 4, 2012: returned to senate
• Jan 4, 2012: died in assembly
• Jun 14, 2011: referred to veterans' affairs
• Jun 14, 2011: DELIVERED TO ASSEMBLY
• Jun 14, 2011: PASSED SENATE
• Mar 16, 2011: ADVANCED TO THIRD READING
• Mar 15, 2011: 2ND REPORT CAL.
• Mar 14, 2011: 1ST REPORT CAL.210
• Mar 10, 2011: REFERRED TO VETERANS, HOMELAND SECURITY AND MILITARY AFFAIRS

S3956-2011 Meetings

Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs: Jan 18, 2012, Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs: Mar 14, 2011

S3956-2011 Calendars

Active List: Jun 14, 2011 , Floor Calendar: Mar 15, 2011 , Floor Calendar: Mar 16, 2011 , Floor Calendar: Mar 21, 2011 , Floor Calendar: Mar 22, 2011 , Floor Calendar: Mar 23, 2011 , Floor Calendar: Mar 24, 2011 , Floor Calendar: Mar 28, 2011 , Floor Calendar: Mar 29, 2011 , Floor Calendar: Mar 30, 2011 , Floor Calendar: Mar 31, 2011 , Floor Calendar: Apr 4, 2011 , Floor Calendar: Apr 5, 2011 , Floor Calendar: Apr 6, 2011 , Floor Calendar: Apr 11, 2011 , Floor Calendar: Apr 12, 2011 , Floor Calendar: Apr 13, 2011 , Floor Calendar: May 2, 2011 , Floor Calendar: May 3, 2011 , Floor Calendar: May 4, 2011 , Floor Calendar: May 9, 2011 , Floor Calendar: May 10, 2011 , Floor Calendar: May 11, 2011 , Floor Calendar: May 16, 2011 , Floor Calendar: May 17, 2011 , Floor Calendar: May 18, 2011 , Floor Calendar: May 23, 2011 , Floor Calendar: May 24, 2011 , Floor Calendar: May 25, 2011 , Floor Calendar: Jun 1, 2011 , Floor Calendar: Jun 2, 2011 , Floor Calendar: Jun 6, 2011 , Floor Calendar: Jun 7, 2011 , Floor Calendar: Jun 13, 2011 , Floor Calendar: Jun 14, 2011

S3956-2011 Votes

S3956-2011 Memo

BILL NUMBER:S3956

TITLE OF BILL:
An act
to amend the military law, in relation to providing for the "cold war
veterans medal" to be granted to certain veterans

PURPOSE:
This bill would establish the "cold war veterans medal" for members
of the armed forces or organized militia serving during such war.

SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Amends Section 247 of the military law by adding a new subdivision
1-b, which would authorize the Governor to present in the name of the
Legislature of the State of New York, a military decoration, to be
known as the "Cold War Service Medal."

JUSTIFICATION:
In 1988 the United States Government recognized the contribution of
its armed forces and their sacrifices during the Cold War with a
Certificate of Recognition that had to be requested from the
Department of Defense. No federal campaign medal exists to recognize
the dedicated participation of those service members who "stood watch"
in the cause of promoting world peace and stability, and who also
participated in hundreds of military exercises and operations that
occurred between the start of the Cold War on September 2, 1945 and
the end of the Cold War on December 26, 1991. The United States
Government has not authorized or recognized a Cold War Medal
dedicated to the service of these veterans who sacrificed so much,
many of whom performed actions and duties still shrouded in secrecy
so that they receive and maintain no identity as Cold War Veterans.
These thousands of New York State Cold War Veterans prevented
communist world domination and nuclear war. Therefore, it is fitting
that these service members who served honorably during this era
receive proper state recognition for their efforts in the form of a
State Cold War medal.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
S.5650/A.5156-A of 2008, Veto Memo 20 of 2008.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
To be determined.

EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

S3956-2011 Text

                      S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
  ________________________________________________________________________

                                    3956

                         2011-2012 Regular Sessions

                              I N  SENATE

                               March 10, 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 "cold
    war veterans medal" to be granted to certain veterans

    THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
  BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:


    Section  1. Subdivisions 1-a and 4 of section 247 of the military law,
  subdivision 1-a as added and subdivision 4 as amended by chapter 184  of
  the laws of 1998, are amended and a new subdivision 1-b is added to read
  as follows:

    1-a.  The  governor is hereby authorized to present in the name of the
  legislature of the state of New York, a military decoration, to be known
  as the "conspicuous  service  star",  bearing  a  suitable  inscription,
  device,  and  ribbon,  all  of which shall be of suitable design, to any
  person (i) who is a citizen of the state of New York or (ii) who  was  a
  citizen  of  the  state of New York while serving in the armed forces of
  the United States, and who, while serving in  the  United  States  Armed
  Forces,  defined as army, air force, navy, marine corps, or coast guard,
  has, or shall have received a United States unit level decoration denot-
  ing combat participation and foreign unit awards, issued from a company,
  regimental, brigade, or division commander, or equivalent naval unit, or
  issued by the President of the United States, the Congress of the United
  States, the United States Defense Department  or  the  joint  chiefs  of
  staff,  such  as,  but not limited to, a presidential unit citation or a
  joint meritorious unit award. Not more than one conspicuous service star
  shall be issued to any one person; nor shall any citation be awarded  or
  presented, under the provisions of this subdivision, to any person whose
  entire  service subsequent to the time of the receipt of such star shall
  not have been honorable. For each succeeding star  as  provided  herein,
  such  person shall be entitled to wear, as the [chief of staff] ADJUTANT

   EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                        [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                             LBD09873-01-1

 S. 3956                             2

  GENERAL of the state may direct, a ribbon whose color and  design  shall
  be selected by the division of [miliary] MILITARY AND NAVAL affairs.  In
  the event of the death of any person during or subsequent to the receipt
  of such citation the conspicuous service star shall be presented to such
  representative  of  the  deceased  as  may  be designated. The [chief of
  staff] ADJUTANT GENERAL shall make such rules and regulations as may  be
  deemed  necessary  for  the proper presentation and distribution of such
  decorations.
    1-B. THE GOVERNOR IS HEREBY AUTHORIZED TO PRESENT IN THE NAME  OF  THE
  LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, A MILITARY DECORATION, TO BE KNOWN
  AS THE "COLD WAR VETERANS MEDAL", BEARING A SUITABLE INSCRIPTION, DEVICE
  AND  RIBBON, ALL OF WHICH SHALL BE OF SUITABLE DESIGN, TO ANY PERSON (I)
  WHO IS A CITIZEN OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK OR (II) WHO WAS A  CITIZEN  OF
  THE  STATE  OF  NEW YORK WHILE SERVING IN THE ARMED FORCES OF THE UNITED
  STATES, DEFINED AS THE ARMY, AIR FORCE,  NAVY,  MARINE  CORPS  OR  COAST
  GUARD,  OR  THE ORGANIZED MILITIA, AT ANY TIME DURING THE PERIOD BETWEEN
  APRIL  SIXTEENTH,  NINETEEN   HUNDRED   FORTY-SEVEN   THROUGH   DECEMBER
  TWENTY-FIRST,  NINETEEN  HUNDRED NINETY-ONE.  NOT MORE THAN ONE COLD WAR
  VETERANS MEDAL SHALL BE ISSUED TO ANY ONE PERSON; NOR SHALL ANY CITATION
  BE AWARDED OR PRESENTED, UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF  THIS  SUBDIVISION,  TO
  ANY PERSON WHOSE ENTIRE SERVICE SUBSEQUENT TO THE TIME OF THE RECEIPT OF
  SUCH  MEDAL  SHALL  NOT  HAVE  BEEN HONORABLE. FOR EACH SUCCEEDING MEDAL
  PRESENTED AS PROVIDED IN THIS SUBDIVISION, SUCH PERSON SHALL BE ENTITLED
  TO WEAR, AS THE ADJUTANT GENERAL OF THE STATE MAY DIRECT, A RIBBON WHOSE
  COLOR AND DESIGN SHALL BE SELECTED BY THE DIVISION OF MILITARY AND NAVAL
  AFFAIRS. IN THE EVENT OF THE DEATH OF ANY PERSON DURING OR SUBSEQUENT TO
  THE RECEIPT OF SUCH CITATION  THE  COLD  WAR  VETERANS  MEDAL  SHALL  BE
  PRESENTED  TO  SUCH REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DECEASED AS MAY BE DESIGNATED.
  THE ADJUTANT GENERAL SHALL MAKE SUCH RULES AND  REGULATIONS  AS  MAY  BE
  DEEMED  NECESSARY  FOR  THE PROPER PRESENTATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF SUCH
  DECORATIONS.
    4. This section shall not be construed to require that a recipient  of
  the  conspicuous service cross [or], the conspicuous service star OR THE
  COLD WAR VETERANS MEDAL has been a resident of the state of New York  at
  the  time  of  his  or her entry into the United States army, air force,
  navy, marine corps, COAST GUARD or nurses corps.
    S 2. This act shall take effect immediately.