§ 29-D — Staff sergeant Alex R

§ 29-d. Staff sergeant Alex R. Jimenez New York state military\nimmigrant family legacy program. 1. For the purposes of this section,\nthe following terms shall have the following meanings:\n (a) "Uniformed service member" shall mean a member of the army, navy,\nair force, space force, marine corps, coast guard, public health service\ncommissioned corps, or national oceanic and atmospheric administration\ncommissioned officer corps serving on active duty.\n (b) "The program" shall mean the staff sergeant Alex R. Jimenez\nmilitary immigrant family legacy program.\n (c) "Liaison" shall mean an employee of the office for new Americans\ndesignated by the director of the office for new Americans, an employee\nof the division of military and naval affairs designated by the adjutant\ngeneral, and an employee of the department designated by the\ncommissioner, to serve as a military immigrant family legacy program\nliaison pursuant to subdivision three of this section.\n (d) "Veteran" shall have the same meaning as such term is defined in\nsection one of this article and shall also include any veteran with a\nqualifying condition, as defined in section one of this article, and has\nreceived a discharge other than bad conduct or dishonorable from such\nservice, or is a discharged LGBT veteran, as defined in section one of\nthis article, and has received a discharge other than bad conduct or\ndishonorable from such service.\n (e) "Intended recipients" shall mean uniformed service members,\nveterans, reserve component members and their spouse, domestic partner,\nmother, father, stepmother, stepfather, mother through adoption, father\nthrough adoption, or children, stepchildren, or adopted children. The\nterm "intended recipients" shall also include the next-of-kin of an\neligible uniformed service member, veteran or reserve component member\nwho died as a result of injury or disease incurred in or aggravated by\ntheir service in the uniformed services, making a request for the grant\nof posthumous U.S. citizenship on behalf of such uniformed service\nmember, veteran or reserve component member.\n (f) "Reserve component members" shall mean those serving in the army\nreserve, navy reserve, marine corps reserve, the army national guard,\nthe air national guard, or reserve corps of the public health service\nduring the time the unit was federally recognized as a reserve\ncomponent.\n 2. There is hereby established within the office for new Americans the\nstaff sergeant Alex R. Jimenez New York state military immigrant family\nlegacy program. The commissioner and adjutant general shall designate\none or more staff as liaisons to the office for new Americans who shall\nrefer any intended recipient in need of assistance with an immigration\nmatter to the office for new Americans. The office for new Americans\nshall designate one or more staff to be liaisons with the department and\nthe division of military and naval affairs who shall coordinate such\nreferrals from the department and the division of military and naval\naffairs and ensure the intended recipient is referred to existing office\nfor new Americans programs, including, but not limited to, immigration\nlegal service programs delivered by partnering community organization\nand immigration counsel. The primary purpose of the program shall be to\nassist intended recipients to secure legal immigration status in the\nUnited States, including but not limited to, citizenship.\n 3. The office for new Americans shall have the responsibility to:\n (a) refer intended recipients in matters related to immigration\nstatus, to service providers.\n (b) serve as liaison for the department and the division of military\nand naval affairs, local veterans' service agencies, state agencies,\ncommunity groups, advocates, and other veterans and military\norganizations and interested parties for the purpose of coordinating\nefforts to provide access to immigration services to intended recipients\nas specified in paragraph (a) of this subdivision.\n (c) maintain a toll-free, multi-lingual hotline and website for\npurposes including, but not limited to, disseminating information and\nresources relating to the program as well as other federal, state, local\nand non-profit programs that may offer assistance to intended recipients\nin immigration matters.\n (d) coordinate with the department and the division of military and\nnaval affairs and otherwise marshal the resources of the state to serve\nthe needs of intended recipients.\n (e) share information about the program with congressionally chartered\nveterans' organizations, and local veterans' service agencies.\n 4. The liaisons appointed pursuant to subdivision two of this section\nshall jointly report the number of intended recipients referred to the\noffice for new Americans through the program to the commissioner on\nJanuary first each year following the first full year after the\neffective date of this section. The commissioner shall submit the report\nto the governor and the legislature by March first of each year.\n 5. For the purposes of this program, personally identifying\ninformation provided by intended recipients shall not be retained,\ndisclosed, disseminated, or otherwise published or made available by the\ndepartment, the division of military and naval affairs, or the office\nfor new Americans.\n