New York Governor Cuomo recently signed a number of bills into law. One new law that I sponsored will enable military to receive sales-tax exemptions on vehicles purchased out of state. Another will increase purchasing of locally grown produce in hospitals, prisons, and other state-run facilities.

Military tax exemption

A.6223 exempts members of the military upon returning to New York from having to pay New York sales tax on vehicles that they purchased while stationed in another state — provided that they paid sales tax in the other state. The law became effective immediately. I was pleased to co-sponsor this measure in the Assembly.

New York residents who purchase a vehicle outside of New York state are required to pay sales tax upon registering the vehicle. For those who served in the military, this proved problematic. Military service members often keep their residency and driver’s license in their home state while serving because they intend to return to their home state someday. Unfortunately, in doing so, if a service member kept his New York residency and purchased a vehicle while stationed in another state, he would be obligated to pay New York’s sales tax on that vehicle upon returning to New York — even if he paid sales tax in another state. This meant a veteran returning to New York state may have had to pay sales tax on his vehicle twice. The new law prevents this.

NY farm produce to increase at state-run facilities

I was pleased to support A.5102 in the Assembly, which supports local agriculture. This law requires hospitals, prisons, and other state agencies to buy more local produce. It requires the state to put in place better purchasing and tracking systems to make this possible. The law already favored that state agencies purchase locally produced food, but this new law gets more specific on purchasing systems and reporting those purchases.

It authorizes the Commissioners of General Services and Ag and Markets to develop regulations to “establish guidelines to increase purchases of New York food products; publish the guidelines on the Office of General Services website; and provide for monitoring and implementation …” It also requires annual reports be made to the state legislature and the governor so the public can better track these purchases.

William (Will) A. Barclay is the Republican representative of the 120th New York Assembly District, which encompasses most of Oswego County, including the cities of Oswego and Fulton, as well as the town of Lysander in Onondaga County and town of Ellisburg in Jefferson County. Contact him at barclaw@assembly.state.ny.us, or (315) 598-5185.