New York Senate Bill S00274

New York 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/8/25
• Refer: 1/8/25
• Engrossed: 5/20/25
• Refer: 5/20/25

Caption

Requires the department of veterans' services to provide information on the department's website on volunteer opportunities available to veterans and to post relevant application forms that a qualified veteran can use to apply for volunteer opportunities.

Summary

S00274 would create a statewide “Vets to Vollies” program within the Department of Veterans’ Services for counties that choose to participate. The program is intended to encourage veterans and discharged military personnel to volunteer with local fire departments or emergency medical service agencies. It directs the department to work with county agencies to conduct outreach in local communities, including at active military installations and through veteran service organizations. The outreach component is meant to inform prospective volunteer first responders about the benefits and resources available to them at both the local and state levels, and to explain how they can get involved. The bill is framed as a recruitment and engagement measure, using the state veterans’ services infrastructure to connect veterans with volunteer public-safety roles.

Impact

The bill would amend the Veterans’ Services Law by adding a new section establishing a county-participation-based statewide program administered by the Department of Veterans’ Services. It would not mandate county participation, but would authorize and structure outreach efforts aimed at increasing volunteer staffing for fire and EMS agencies. The bill also appears, based on the caption, to require the department’s website to provide information and application forms for veteran volunteer opportunities, expanding the department’s informational duties and public-facing resources for veterans seeking volunteer service.

Sentiment

The available voting history suggests broad support for the bill. It passed the Senate Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs Committee unanimously and later received overwhelming floor approval, with only one no vote on the initial floor passage and unanimous approval on a subsequent vote. No committee transcript is available, but the vote pattern indicates the measure was generally viewed favorably as a low-cost, pro-veteran, public-safety recruitment initiative.

Contention

There is little evidence of major controversy in the available record. The main policy choice is that participation is voluntary for counties, which may reflect sensitivity to local control and implementation burdens. Any potential concerns would likely center on whether the program creates administrative work for counties or the department, and whether outreach alone is sufficient to meaningfully increase volunteer firefighter and EMS recruitment. However, the strong vote totals indicate these issues did not generate significant opposition.