63. Leave of absence for veterans on Memorial day and Veterans' day. It shall be the duty of the head of every public department and of every court of the state of New York, of every superintendent or foreman on the public works of said state, of the county officers of the several counties of said state, of the town officers of the various towns in this state, of the fire district officers of the various fire districts in this state, and of the head of every department, bureau and office in the government of the various cities and villages in this state, and the officers of any public benefit corporation or any public authority of this state, or of any public benefit corporation or public authority of any county or subdivision of this state, to give leave of absence with pay for twenty-four hours on the day prescribed by law as a public holiday for the observance of Memorial day and on the eleventh day of November, known as Veterans' day, to every person in the service of the state, the county, the town, the fire district, the city or village, the public benefit corporation or public authority of this state, or any public benefit corporation or public authority of any county or subdivision of this state, as the case may be, (i) who served on active duty in the armed forces of the United States during world war I or world war II, or who was employed by the War Shipping Administration or Office of Defense Transportation or their agents as a merchant seaman documented by the United States Coast Guard or Department of Commerce, or as a civil servant employed by the United States Army Transport Service (later redesignated as the United States Army Transportation Corps, Water Division) or the Naval Transportation Service; and who served satisfactorily as a crew member during the period of armed conflict, December seventh, nineteen hundred forty-one, to August fifteenth, nineteen hundred forty-five, aboard merchant vessels in oceangoing, i.e., foreign, intercoastal, or coastwise service as such terms are defined under federal law (46 USCA 10301 & 10501) and further to include "near foreign" voyages between the United States and Canada, Mexico, or the West Indies via ocean routes, or public vessels in oceangoing service or foreign waters and who has received a Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty and a discharge certificate, or an Honorable Service Certificate/Report of Casualty, from the Department of Defense, or who served as a United States civilian employed by the American Field Service and served overseas under United States Armies and United States Army Groups in world war II during the period of armed conflict, December seventh, nineteen hundred forty-one through May eighth, nineteen hundred forty-five, and who was discharged or released therefrom under honorable conditions, or who served as a United States civilian Flight Crew and Aviation Ground Support Employee of Pan American World Airways or one of its subsidiaries or its affiliates and served overseas as a result of Pan American's contract with Air Transport Command or Naval Air Transport Service during the period of armed conflict, December fourteenth, nineteen hundred forty-one through August fourteenth, nineteen hundred forty-five, and who was discharged or released therefrom under honorable conditions, or during the period of the Korean conflict at any time between the dates of June twenty-seventh, nineteen hundred fifty and January thirty-first, nineteen hundred fifty-five, or during the period of the Vietnam conflict from the twenty-eighth day of February, nineteen hundred sixty-one to the seventh day of May, nineteen hundred seventy-five, or (ii) who served on active duty in the armed forces of the United States and who was a recipient of the armed forces expeditionary medal, navy expeditionary medal or marine corps expeditionary medal for participation in operations in Lebanon from June first, nineteen hundred eighty-three to December first, nineteen hundred eighty-seven, in Grenada from October twenty-third, nineteen hundred eighty-three to November twenty-first, nineteen hundred eighty-three, or in Panama from December twentieth, nineteen hundred eighty-nine to January thirty-first, nineteen hundred ninety, or (iii) who served in the armed forces of a foreign country allied with the United States during world war I or world war II, or during the period of the Korean conflict at any time between June twenty-seventh, nineteen hundred fifty and January thirty-first, nineteen hundred fifty-five, or during the period of the Vietnam conflict from the twenty-eighth day of February, nineteen hundred sixty-one to the seventh day of May, nineteen hundred seventy-five, or during the period of the Persian Gulf conflict from the second day of August, nineteen hundred ninety to the end of such conflict, or who served on active duty in the army or navy or marine corps or air force or coast guard of the United States, and who was honorably discharged or separated from such service under honorable conditions, except where such action would endanger the public safety or the safety or health of persons cared for by the state, in which event such persons shall be entitled to leave of absence with pay on another day in lieu thereof. All such persons who are compensated on a per diem, hourly, semi-monthly or monthly basis, with or without maintenance, shall also be entitled to leave of absence with pay under the provisions of this section and no deduction in vacation allowance or budgetary allowable number of working days shall be made in lieu thereof. A refusal to give such leave of absence to one entitled thereto shall be neglect of duty.
Last modified: February 3, 2019