New York S 4556: Provides representation to veterans for certain civil matters

Bill Text

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S04556 Summary:

BILL NOS04556 

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SAME ASSAME AS A10783

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SPONSORFERNANDEZ

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COSPNSRADDABBO, BASKIN, CHAN, GALLIVAN, JACKSON, PERSAUD, RAMOS, WEBER

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MLTSPNSR

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Add Art 18-C §§723 & 723-a, amd §722, County L; amd §1303, RPAP L

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Provides representation to veterans that are at or below four hundred percent of the federal poverty guidelines for matters involving children, sustenance and real property proceedings.

Go to top S04556 Actions:

BILL NOS04556 

&nbsp

02/07/2025REFERRED TO JUDICIARY

01/07/2026REFERRED TO JUDICIARY

Go to topS04556 Committee&nbspVotes:

Go to topS04556 Floor&nbspVotes:

There are no Assembly votes for this bill in this legislative session.

Go to topS04556 Text:

 STATE OF NEW YORK
 ________________________________________________________________________

 4556

 2025-2026 Regular Sessions

 IN SENATE

 February 7, 2025
 ___________

 Introduced by Sen. FERNANDEZ -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
 printed to be committed to the Committee on Judiciary

 AN ACT to amend the county law and the real property actions and
 proceedings law, in relation to providing representation to veterans
 for certain civil matters

 The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
 bly, do enact as follows:

 1 Section 1. The county law is amended by adding a new article 18-C to
 2 read as follows:
 3 ARTICLE 18-C
 4 REPRESENTATION OF VETERANS IN CIVIL MATTERS
 5 Section 723. Lead agency for civil right to counsel.
 6 723-a. Compensation and reimbursement.
 7 § 723. Lead agency for civil right to counsel. 1. Representation in
 8 civil matters shall be provided to veterans, regardless of discharge
 9 status, who are at or below four hundred percent of the federal poverty
 10 guidelines. For the purposes of this article, such representation shall
 11 include, but not be limited to:
 12 a. real property proceedings including sections seven hundred eleven,
 13 seven hundred thirteen, seven hundred thirteen-a, five hundred one, one
 14 thousand ninety-three, thirteen hundred three and article thirteen of
 15 the real property actions and proceedings law;
 16 b. cases involving sustenance including sections one hundred ninety-
 17 six-a, five hundred thirty-eight, six hundred twenty, six hundred twen-
 18 ty-one, six hundred twenty-four, six hundred sixty-three and six hundred
 19 eighty-one of the labor law, section twenty-two of the social services
 20 law and rule three hundred five and article seventy-eight of the civil
 21 practice law and rules; and
 22 c. cases involving children including article four of the family court
 23 act.

 EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD04326-01-5

 S. 4556 2

 1 2. Such representation shall be a partnership between the courts and
 2 all qualified legal services providers, bar associations and private
 3 organizations. The legal services providers shall serve as the lead
 4 agency for case assessment and direction under this article and further-
 5 more shall:
 6 a. be the central point of contact for receipt of referrals for legal
 7 representation;
 8 b. make determinations of eligibility based on uniform criteria;
 9 c. be responsible for providing representation to the clients or
 10 referring the matter to one of the organizations or individual providers
 11 with whom the lead legal services agency contracts to provide the
 12 service; and
 13 d. to the extent practical, identify and make use of pro bono services
 14 in order to maximize available services efficiently and economically.
 15 3. The court partner shall, as a corollary to the services provided by
 16 the lead legal services agency, be responsible for providing procedures,
 17 personnel, training, and case management and administration practices
 18 that reflect best practices to ensure meaningful access to justice and
 19 to guard against the involuntary waiver of rights, consistent with prin-
 20 ciples of judicial neutrality.
 21 4. The participating legal services agency shall be selected by the
 22 judicial council.
 23 a. The judicial council shall be made up of one administrative judge
 24 from each judicial district. There shall be at least one legal services
 25 agency chosen for each judicial distri