Senator Catherine Young (R-Olean)
ALBANY – Senator Cathy Young is wants to provide more business for disabled veterans who own their own business. Under a bill sponsored by the Olean Republican, businesses owned by disabled veterans would achieve preference for procuring state contracts.
According to Young, the NY Jobs for Heroes program mirrors a successful federal initiative and would establish in New York State a three percent contract set-aside for service-disabled veteran businesses in obtaining state contracting and subcontracting opportunities.
Senator Young says that currently one in seven veterans are self-employed or owning a small business, meaning her legislation could have widespread benefits for thousands of New York State veterans. Forty-four other states have already enacted similar legislation. If enacted in New York, the program would be administered by the New York State Division of Veterans Affairs.
Senator Young says that while the legislation has already passed the State Senate in previous years, its progress in the State Assembly has been stalled. She says anyone wishing to show support for the program can do so by signing a petition at www.nysenate.gov/webform/petition-ny-jobs-heroes-program.
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