Assemblywoman Kimberly Jean-Pierre (D-Babylon) announced that Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie appointed her as the chair of the Assembly Veterans Affairs’ Committee for the 2023 Legislative Session.

“Our veterans have sacrificed so much for our country and – while we can never fully repay our thanks – we owe them our utmost gratitude and respect,” said Jean-Pierre. “New York is home to approximately 838,000 veterans and it’s critical for us to ensure none of our heroes are allowed to fall through the cracks. As the new chair of the Assembly Veterans Affairs’ Committee, I’ll fight to ensure that these brave men and women have access to all the resources they need to thrive once they transition back into civilian life.

“I would also be remiss not to mention how thankful I am to have served as Chair of the Libraries and Education Technology Committee for the past two years, said Jean-Pierre. “Together, we made tremendous strides on behalf of New York’s public libraries and library systems, providing record state funding, restoring cuts to the library construction fund, enhancing the quality of library trustee training and streamlining state aid for libraries. These victories are a testament to the bipartisan coalition of support we were able to build in the Legislature along with our tremendous advocacy arm in the New York Library Association. While I will no longer be chairing this committee, I will always remain a vocal advocate on behalf of all of New York’s libraries from Buffalo to Montauk and everywhere in between.”

Throughout her tenure, Assemblywoman Jean-Pierre has made veterans’ issues a prominent focus of her legislation. After she was elected to the Assembly in 2014, the first bill she authored and passed into law helped protect veterans from unfair driver’s license fees by allowing veterans who paid the standard $12.50 license replacement fee to have their veteran status designated on their driver's license to receive a refund, making it easier for them to access many programs, discounts and benefits available to them (Ch. 149 of 2015). Additionally, she also partners with local schools each year to organize an annual Valentines for Veterans program, providing cards for local elementary students to color and deliver to local veterans to show their love and gratitude.