Albany, NY – New York State Assemblymember Gabriella A. Romero (D, WFP) recently introduced a bill, A.9357, alongside Senator Jessica Scarcella-Spanton (D), which would expand the definition of “Severely and Permanently Disabled” within the Military Enhanced Recognition, Incentive, and Tribute (MERIT) scholarship.

The MERIT scholarship provides financial aid to relatives of disabled or deceased veterans attending SUNY schools. This bill will revise the program’s definition of “Severely and Permanently Disabled." Current law requires veterans to be unable to engage in “any occupation for remuneration or profit” to qualify as disabled and therefore eligible for their relatives to apply for the scholarship. This definition sets stricter guidelines than federal statute, which defines it as unable to participate in “substantial gainful activity.” Bill A.9357 closes this loophole by adopting the federal language, increasing the number of veteran families eligible for this program.

Assemblymember Gabriella A. Romero:

“This bill will go a long way toward ensuring that no veteran is inhibited when trying to get their family through higher education because of their disability. Under the current definition, veterans who are unable to work but still able to perform some minimally compensated duties are excluded from MERIT. This goes against the spirit of the program, which aims to create opportunity for families of disabled veterans. I am proud to sponsor this common-sense legislation that provides proper inclusivity and helps create more opportunity for our veteran families.”