Int. No. 1436

By Council Members Holden, Louis, Gennaro and Morano

A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to a grant program to support mentors in veterans treatment courts

Be it enacted by the Council as follows:

Section 1. Title 31 of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended by adding a new section 31-117 to read as follows:

§ 31-117 Grant program to support mentors in veterans treatment courts. a. Definitions. For purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings:

Justice-involved veteran. The term “justice-involved veteran” means a veteran who has had contact with the criminal justice system, such as being arrested, charged, convicted, or incarcerated.

Mentor. The term “mentor” means a veteran who volunteers as either a mentor or a mentor coordinator through a veterans treatment court mentor program run by the New York state unified court system.

Veteran. The term “veteran” has the same meaning as set forth in section 3101 of the charter.

Veterans treatment court. The term “veterans treatment court” means a problem-solving court operated by the New York state unified court system in the city that aims to serve justice-involved veterans.

Veterans service organization. The term “veterans service organization” has the same meaning as set forth in section 31-116.

b. The commissioner shall establish and administer a fund from which grants may be awarded to veterans service organizations and other relevant community-based organizations to support mentors in connection with their volunteer service at veterans treatment courts. The commissioner shall establish an application process for the fund established pursuant to this subdivision that veterans service organizations and other community-based organizations can use to apply for grant funding. The commissioner shall post on the department’s website, and update as appropriate, information on the program established pursuant to this subdivision, including eligibility requirements, instructions for the application process, and any deadlines for submitting grant applications.

c. Grant funds awarded under this program may be used for:

1. Outreach and recruitment to build a pool of mentors reflective of the veteran population of the city;

2. Training and professional development for mentors;

3. Development and dissemination of best practices for veterans treatment court

mentorship, in collaboration with the New York state unified court system; and

4. Reimbursement of reasonable, documented out-of-pocket expenses incurred by mentors in connection with their volunteer service at veterans treatment courts.

d. No later than 1 year after the effective date of the local law that added this section, and annually thereafter, the commissioner shall submit to the speaker of the council, and post on the department’s website, a report on the grant program established under this section. Such report shall include, but need not be limited to, the following information:

1. The number of applications for grant funding that the department received in the prior calendar year;

2. The name and address of each organization receiving a grant in the prior calendar year;

3. The amount of each grant; and

4. A detailed description of the activities that each grant enabled or supported.

§ 2. This local law takes effect 180 days after it becomes law.AC

LSR #20158

10/03/25 2:45 pm