A00711 Summary:
| BILL NO | A00711B |
| SAME AS | SAME AS S01411-B |
| SPONSOR | Gunther (MS) |
| COSPNSR | Kolb, Brindisi, Skoufis, Englebright, Pichardo, Blake, Hooper, Steck, Mayer, Stirpe, Thiele, Jaffee, Skartados, Lupardo, Woerner, Jenne, Zebrowski, Hunter, Cahill, Otis, Ryan, Jean-Pierre, Cusick, Gottfried, Rosenthal L, Lifton, Titus, Ramos, Barrett, Bronson, Palmesano, Raia, Montesano, Curran, Blankenbush, Walter, Finch, Malliotakis, Goodell, Murray, Lawrence, Garbarino, Butler, Oaks, Palumbo, DiPietro, Byrne, Norris, Lavine, D'Urso, Miller B, Brabenec, Jones, McDonald, Errigo, Wallace, Johns, Morinello, Miller ML, Pheffer Amato, Castorina, Fahy, Walker, Solages, Barron, Arroyo, Pellegrino, Nolan, Abinanti, Crespo, Rodriguez, Benedetto, Williams, DenDekker, Santabarbara, Miller MG, Carroll, Barnwell, Paulin, O'Donnell, Barclay, Morelle, Weinstein, Sepulveda, Giglio |
| MLTSPNSR | Buchwald, Galef, Magee, McDonough, Ra, Rozic, Schimminger, Simon, Walsh |
| Add §205-cc, Gen Muni L; amd §612, Tax L | |
| Relates to the New York state volunteer firefighter gap coverage cancer disability benefits act. | |
A00711 Actions:
| BILL NO | A00711B | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 01/09/2017 | referred to local governments | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 06/09/2017 | amend (t) and recommit to local governments | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 06/09/2017 | print number 711a | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 06/14/2017 | amend and recommit to local governments | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 06/14/2017 | print number 711b | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 06/14/2017 | reported referred to ways and means | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 06/19/2017 | reported referred to rules | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 06/19/2017 | reported | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 06/19/2017 | rules report cal.465 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 06/19/2017 | ordered to third reading rules cal.465 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 06/20/2017 | substituted by s1411b | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| S01411 AMEND=B GRIFFO | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 01/09/2017 | REFERRED TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 01/17/2017 | COMMITTEE DISCHARGED AND COMMITTED TO RULES | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 01/17/2017 | ORDERED TO THIRD READING CAL.40 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 01/24/2017 | PASSED SENATE | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 01/24/2017 | DELIVERED TO ASSEMBLY | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 01/24/2017 | referred to local governments | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 06/12/2017 | RECALLED FROM ASSEMBLY | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 06/12/2017 | returned to senate | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 06/12/2017 | VOTE RECONSIDERED - RESTORED TO THIRD READING | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 06/12/2017 | AMENDED ON THIRD READING (T) 1411A | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 06/14/2017 | AMENDED ON THIRD READING 1411B | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 06/19/2017 | REPASSED SENATE | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 06/19/2017 | RETURNED TO ASSEMBLY | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 06/19/2017 | referred to ways and means | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 06/20/2017 | substituted for a711b | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 06/20/2017 | ordered to third reading rules cal.465 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 06/20/2017 | passed assembly | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 06/20/2017 | returned to senate | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 10/11/2017 | DELIVERED TO GOVERNOR | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 10/22/2017 | SIGNED CHAP.334 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
A00711 Memo:
Go to topNEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY
MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION
submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
TITLE OF BILL: An act to amend the general municipal law and the tax law, in relation to the "New York state volunteer firefighter gap cover- age cancer disability benefits act" PURPOSE: To create the New York State Volunteer Firefighter Enhanced Cancer Disa- bility Benefits Act to provide volunteer firefighters who develop certain forms of cancer with enhanced disability benefits. SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS: Section 1. State that this act shall be knows and cited as the New York State Volunteer Firefighter Enhanced Cancer Disability Benefits Act Section 2. Amends the general municipal law by adding a new section 205-CC to require that any fire district, department or company to provide and maintain an enhanced cancer disability benefit insurance program for each eligible volunteer firefighter. A volunteer firefighter will be eligible for enhanced cancer disability benefits if the following criteria is met: *The volunteer has served for at least five years as an interior fire- fighter as evidenced by passage of the mask fit test which is required of all volunteer firefighters with an interior firefighting rating; *Upon entrance into the volunteer service the volunteer firefighter successfully passed a physical examination; and *The volunteer firefighter has a disease caused by an uncontrolled divi- sion of abnormal cells in any part of the body or a malignant growth or tumor affecting the lymphatic or hematological systems or digestive, urinary, prostate, neurological, breast or reproductive systems or mela- noma. A volunteer who meets the eligibility requirements of the bill shall be eligible for the following disability benefits: *A lump sum payment of $6,250 or $25,000, depending on severity. This amount may be drawn from a pool of $50,000 which is available if there is more than one negative diagnosis over the volunteer firefighters' lifetime; *If the volunteer firefighter is totally disabled, a monthly benefit of $1,500 payable up to 36 consecutive monthly payments; and *In case of death, the volunteer firefighters' family will be eligible for an accidental death benefit in the amount of $50,000. Requires that any fire district, department or company whose member has received a disability payment under the provisions of this act to report such payments to the Office of Fire Prevention and Control. Beginning January 1, 2020, the Office of Fire Prevention and Control shall report yearly to the legislature the number of firefighters who have received benefits under this act. Authorizes the Office of Fire Prevention and Control to adopt rules and regulations as are reasonably necessary to implement the provisions of this act. Section 3. Provides that funds received by the volunteer firefighter as insurance payments for cancer benefits shall not be subject to New York State income taxes. Section 4. This act shall take effective on January 1, 2019. EXISTING LAW: Currently, there are no health or disability protections afforded to volunteer firefighters outside of what is currently allowed for under the disability provisions in the volunteer firefighters' benefit law. Under the firefighters' benefit law, a totally disabled firefighter is limited to $600 per month in disability benefits. JUSTIFICATION: : A series of studies over the last several years have been published which link an increased rate of cancer to firefighters. When a fire- fighter must respond to an interior fire, there are often carcinogens burning in that fire. These carcinogens come from the burning of every- day products that are engulfed in a fire. While the effectiveness of firefighter training has improved, and cancer awareness as well as prevention techniques have been highlighted, there is still a higher rate of cancer among interior firefighters. Although volunteer fire- fighters save the State of New York billions of dollars through their volunteer service, there are no adequate provisions that compensate volunteer firefighters for a risk that studies have shown exist solely because of their job. Currently, if a volunteer firefighter develops a serious form of cancer, he/she would be eligible for total disability benefits under the volunteer firefighters.' law which is limited to $600 per month. These protections are not enough to provide the peace of mind for the volunteer firefighter as well as his/her family. In many instances, volunteer firefighters have been forced to incur large out- of-pocket expenses when seeking treatment for cancer. This bill would create a gap coverage disability benefit to help volunteer firefighters offset some of these expenses. LEGISLATIVE HISTORY: None. FISCAL IMPLICATIONS: Unknown. EFFECTIVE DATE: This act shall take effect January 1, 2019.