Terms Used In New York Laws > Veterans' Services > Article 1 - Department of Veterans' Services

• active duty: as used in this article shall mean full time duty in the uniformed services, other than active duty for training; provided, however, that "active duty" shall also include any period of active duty for training during which the individual concerned was disabled or died from a disease or injury incurred or aggravated during such period. See N.Y. Veterans' Services Law 23
• Advice and consent: Under the Constitution, presidential nominations for executive and judicial posts take effect only when confirmed by the Senate, and international treaties become effective only when the Senate approves them by a two-thirds vote.
• Annuity: A periodic (usually annual) payment of a fixed sum of money for either the life of the recipient or for a fixed number of years. A series of payments under a contract from an insurance company, a trust company, or an individual. Annuity payments are made at regular intervals over a period of more than one full year.
• Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
• Appropriation: The provision of funds, through an annual appropriations act or a permanent law, for federal agencies to make payments out of the Treasury for specified purposes. The formal federal spending process consists of two sequential steps: authorization
• city director: means a local director of a city veterans' service agency. See N.Y. Veterans' Services Law 1
• Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
• Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
• Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
• county director: means a local director of a county veterans' service agency. See N.Y. Veterans' Services Law 1
• Decedent: A deceased person.
• department: means the department of veterans' services. See N.Y. Veterans' Services Law 1
• Dependent: A person dependent for support upon another.
• discharged LGBT veteran: means a veteran who was discharged less than honorably from the uniformed services due to their sexual orientation or gender identity or expression, as those terms are defined in § 292 of the executive law, or statements, consensual sexual conduct, or consensual acts relating to sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or the disclosure of such statements, conduct, or acts, that were prohibited by the branch of the uniformed services at the time of discharge. See N.Y. Veterans' Services Law 1
• Entitlement: A Federal program or provision of law that requires payments to any person or unit of government that meets the eligibility criteria established by law. Entitlements constitute a binding obligation on the part of the Federal Government, and eligible recipients have legal recourse if the obligation is not fulfilled. Social Security and veterans' compensation and pensions are examples of entitlement programs.
• Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
• Ex officio: Literally, by virtue of one's office.
• Fee simple: Absolute title to property with no limitations or restrictions regarding the person who may inherit it.
• Gift: A voluntary transfer or conveyance of property without consideration, or for less than full and adequate consideration based on fair market value.
• Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
• local director: means the director of a county or city veterans' service agency. See N.Y. Veterans' Services Law 1
• Minority leader: See Floor Leaders
• Mortgage: The written agreement pledging property to a creditor as collateral for a loan.
• Mortgage loan: A loan made by a lender to a borrower for the financing of real property. ^{Source: OCC}
• Oversight: Committee review of the activities of a Federal agency or program.
• Probation: A sentencing alternative to imprisonment in which the court releases convicted defendants under supervision as long as certain conditions are observed.
• qualifying condition: means a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injury made by, or an experience of military sexual trauma, as described in 38 USC 1720D, as amended from time to time, disclosed to, an individual licensed to provide health care services at a United States Department of Veterans Affairs facility or an individual licensed to provide health care services within the state of New York. See N.Y. Veterans' Services Law 1
• Quorum: The number of legislators that must be present to do business.
• Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
• Remainder: An interest in property that takes effect in the future at a specified time or after the occurrence of some event, such as the death of a life tenant.
• state commissioner: means the New York state commissioner of veterans' services. See N.Y. Veterans' Services Law 1
• Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
• Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
• uniformed services: means the army, navy, marine corps, air force, space force, coast guard, public health commissioned corps, and the national oceanic and atmospheric administration commissioned officer corps of the United States. See N.Y. Veterans' Services Law 1
• veteran: means a person who served on active duty in the uniformed services of the United States, or in the army national guard, air national guard, or service as a commissioned officer in the public health service, commissioned officer of the national oceanic and atmospheric administration or environmental sciences services administration, cadet at a United States armed forces service academy, and who has been released from such service under other than dishonorable conditions. See N.Y. Veterans' Services Law 1