ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — The New York Senate has approved a new program that aims to ensure proper burials for veterans whose bodies are unclaimed.

The Democrat-led chamber passed the bill Tuesday on a unanimous vote.

It would require local governments to work with veteran organizations whenever a veteran's next of kin cannot be identified.

The bill's sponsor, Sen. Michael Gianaris, a Queens Democrat, says no one is more deserving of a respectful burial than the men and women who served in the armed forces.

The bill has not yet received a vote in the Democrat-led Assembly.

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