New York legislation · 2025-2026 General Assembly
New York A6559: Establishes a veterans' bill of rights
Status: Passed both chambers, June 2, 2026
Establishes a veterans' bill of rights; provides sample language for such bill of rights; requires the department of veterans' services to establish and distribute a veterans' bill of rights and to make such bill of rights available on the department's website.
What the bill says
An act to amend the veterans' services law, in relation to the establishing a veterans' bill of rights.
From the amended text, January 12, 2026:
AN ACT to amend the veterans' services law, in relation to the establishing a veterans' bill of rights THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: Section 1. The veterans' services law is amended by adding a new section 29-f to read as follows: § 29-F. VETERANS' BILL OF RIGHTS. 1. THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ESTABLISH, PRINT, PUBLISH AND DISTRIBUTE A VETERANS' BILL OF RIGHTS. SUCH BILL OF RIGHTS SHALL INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING OR SUBSTANTIALLY SIMILAR TEXT DESCRIBING THE EXISTING RIGHTS OF VETERANS UNDER CURRENT LAW: "VETERANS' BILL OF RIGHTS YOU AS A VETERAN HAVE A 2. TO RECEIVE ASSISTANCE FROM YOUR LOCAL STATE VETERANS' SERVICE AGENCY AND ALL OFFICES OF THE NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS' SERVICES; 3. TO RECEIVE, UPON REQUEST, AN EXPLANATION OF ANY SERVICES AND BENEFITS AVAILABLE UNDER FEDERAL AND NEW YORK STATE LAWS, RULES AND REGULATIONS; 4. TO RECEIVE WRITTEN NOTICE AND AN EXPLANATION OF THE APPROVAL OR DENIAL OF YOUR APPLICATION FOR BENEFITS AVAILABLE THROUGH THE NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS' SERVICES; 5. TO BE TREATED WITH DIGNITY AND RESPECT; EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD09703-06-6 A. 6559--C 2 6. TO APPEAL, SUBJECT TO APPLICABLE LAW, AN ADVERSE DETERMINATION OR DENIAL OF …
Sponsors
- Michael Benedetto (D, 82) · primary sponsor
- Judy Griffin (D, 21)
- Joseph Angelino (R, 121)
- Amato, Stacey Pheffer (I, 23)
Latest actions
- : RETURNED TO ASSEMBLY
- : PASSED SENATE
- : 3RD READING CAL.1161
- : SUBSTITUTED FOR S7708B
- : REFERRED TO VETERANS, HOMELAND SECURITY AND MILITARY AFFAIRS
- : DELIVERED TO SENATE
- : PASSED ASSEMBLY
- : AMENDED ON THIRD READING 6559C
- : ORDERED TO THIRD READING CAL.164
- : RETURNED TO ASSEMBLY
Votes
- Senate Floor Vote (June 2, 2026): 61 yea, 0 nay, passed
- FLOOR Vote (June 2, 2026): 61 yea, 0 nay, passed
- Assembly Floor Vote - Final Passage (February 26, 2026): 140 yea, 0 nay, passed
Subjects: Veterans' Service Law
Common questions
- What is A6559?
- A6559 is a bill in the New York Legislature (2025-2026 General Assembly): Establishes a veterans' bill of rights.
- What does A6559 do?
- In its own words: An act to amend the veterans' services law, in relation to the establishing a veterans' bill of rights.
- What is the status of A6559?
- Passed both chambers as of June 2, 2026. Latest action: RETURNED TO ASSEMBLY (June 2, 2026).
- Who sponsored A6559?
- Michael Benedetto (D, 82), with 3 co-sponsors.
- Where is the official record for A6559?
- On the New York Legislature website: https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A6559
Source: official New York record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.