“All of our veterans volunteered to put the needs of their fellow Americans ahead of their own when they signed up to serve our country, and they’ve all sacrificed and deserve gratitude,” said Assemblyman Santabarbara, a U.S. Army Reserve veteran and member of the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. “That’s why it was so important to fight for the passage of this bill until the very end, and I’m very pleased to see the Veterans Equality Act finally become law after years of working to build support. By strengthening retirement benefits for all veterans, this legislation also encourages them to return to New York State and continue their public service as teachers, firefighters and police officers, as well as state and local government employees.”