Hochul Signs Veterans Legislation Including Two Ryan-Magnarelli Bills

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – In honor of Veterans Day, Governor Kathy Hochul signed on November 11, 2026, six pieces of legislation to strengthen support for New York’s veterans, service members and military families, according to a release from Senator Christopher J. Ryan’s office. Included in this legislative package were two bills carried by both State Senator Christopher J. Ryan (SD-50) and Assemblymember William Magnarelli (AD-129).

The first bill, S.8571A/A.9351A, will make it easier for veterans with 100% disability rating from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to obtain license plates with the Universal Symbol of Access by allowing eligible veterans to use their existing federal disability rating to qualify. The second bill, S.9806A/A.11233A, authorizes early renewal of a vehicle registration for members of the armed forces who will be in the performance of their official military duties upon its expiration.

“Our veterans and active duty service members have made tremendous sacrifices in service to our country, and it is our responsibility to ensure they have the support and flexibility they deserve,” said Senator Ryan. “I’m proud to have sponsored two pieces of legislation in this package that make certain administrative processes easier for our veterans and active duty military. I thank Assemblyman Magnarelli for his work on these bills and Governor Hochul for signing this legislative package into law– showing that New York continues to recognize and honor those who put their country before themselves.”

“I thank Governor Hochul for signing these important bills into law,” said Assemblymember Magnarelli. “Our active military and veterans have sacrificed much for our country. I was proud to sponsor these laws to help our service-disabled veterans obtain universal symbol of access plates, and to allow service members on deployment to renew their registrations early.”

The rest of the legislative package signed by Governor Hochul includes:

S10398A/A10921A– will help lower the cost of making homes safer and more accessible for veterans with disabilities by allowing local governments to waive or reduce fees for home improvements needed to accommodate a veteran’s service-connected disability.

S3194A/A3450A– will help ensure veterans who served during the Persian Gulf conflict can access the property tax benefits they have earned by clarifying the time period of the conflict used to determine eligibility.

S1788A/A5578A– makes it easier for veterans who served in combat zones to qualify for additional property tax exemptions by expanding the types of military records they can use to prove their eligibility, including discharge records, military awards and records of hazardous duty pay.

S7784A/A6001A– will make it easier for veterans with disabilities to access fitness and recreational opportunities by requiring the State University of New York and City University of New York campuses that offer public memberships to their gyms and swimming pools to provide free or discounted memberships to disabled veterans.