New York Senate Bill J01758

New York 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 3/17/26
• Refer: 3/17/26
• Passed: 3/19/26
• Passed: 3/23/26

Caption

Honoring Staff Sergeant Michael H. Ollis posthumously upon receiving the Congressional Medal of Honor and his induction into the Hall of Heroes

Summary

This resolution honors Staff Sergeant Michael H. Ollis of Staten Island, New York, after his posthumous receipt of the Congressional Medal of Honor and his induction into the Pentagon’s Hall of Heroes. The resolution recounts his military service, including his enlistment at age 17, his deployment with the 10th Mountain Division, and his death during a Taliban attack on Forward Operating Base Ghazni in 2013. It emphasizes that Ollis sacrificed his life by placing himself between a suicide bomber and a Polish allied officer, an act that reportedly saved the officer and protected more than 40 others on the base. The measure is a ceremonial legislative resolution rather than a bill that changes substantive law. It directs the Senate to formally recognize Ollis’s bravery and service and to transmit an engrossed copy of the resolution to his family. Its practical effect is symbolic: it places the State of New York’s official commendation on the record and publicly honors a New Yorker whose actions were recognized at the national level by the Medal of Honor and Hall of Heroes induction.

Impact

Because this is a resolution of honor, it does not amend the New York Consolidated Laws, create new programs, or impose obligations on agencies or private parties. Its impact is limited to official legislative recognition and commemoration, with the main effect being the public acknowledgment of Staff Sergeant Ollis’s service, sacrifice, and posthumous national honors. The resolution also reinforces the state’s tradition of honoring military service members and may be of particular significance to his family, community, and veterans’ organizations.

Sentiment

The overall sentiment surrounding the resolution is strongly positive and reverential. The text is entirely laudatory, framing Ollis as a patriot and hero whose actions exemplify courage, self-sacrifice, and devotion to country. No votes or committee transcripts are provided, but the resolution’s language indicates broad ceremonial support and a noncontroversial intent to celebrate military valor.

Contention

No substantive contention is evident in the bill text or the available context. Because the measure is a commemorative resolution, there are no apparent policy disputes, fiscal concerns, or competing stakeholder positions. The only potentially notable point is that the resolution memorializes a specific military action and posthumous federal honor, but the context provided shows no disagreement over the recognition itself.