Requires the forfeiture of benefits to be paid pursuant to a service awards program to volunteer firefighters who have been convicted of felonies committed against a volunteer fire department, volunteer fire company, fire district, or fire protection district.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A8008
SPONSOR: Lunsford TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the general municipal law, in relation to requiring the
forfeiture of benefits to be paid pursuant to a service awards program
to volunteer firefighters who have been convicted of certain crimes
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
Requires the forfeiture of benefits to be paid pursuant to a service
awards program to volunteer firefighters who have been convicted of
certain crimes
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Current law says that individuals convicted of felony arson shall no
longer be eligible for certain fire department benefits. This bill adds
that individuals convicted of felonies committed against a volunteer,
fire department, volunteer fire company, fire district, or fire
protection district shall similarly forfeit such benefits.
JUSTIFICATION:
In 2016, the treasurer of a volunteer fire department was convicted of
embezzling nearly 6 million dollars from the fire department. When
released from prison, he will still be eligible to collect his LOSAP
(length of service awards program) from the same fire department that he
stole from. Currently, the only crime that makes one ineligible to
collect their service award is arson. This bill will expand the list of
disqualifiers to include any crime committed against a volunteer fire
department.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2023-24: A.8976
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
TBD
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
8008
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
April 21, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. LUNSFORD, SLATER -- read once and referred to the
Committee on Local Governments
AN ACT to amend the general municipal law, in relation to requiring the
forfeiture of benefits to be paid pursuant to a service awards program
to volunteer firefighters who have been convicted of certain crimes
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Subdivision (m) of section 217 of the general municipal
2 law, as added by chapter 617 of the laws of 1995, is amended to read as
3 follows:
4 (m) A participant who is convicted of the crime of arson in any degree
5 as defined in the penal law or any other felony defined in the penal law
6 where such crime was committed against a volunteer fire department,
7 volunteer fire company, fire district, or fire protection district shall
8 not be eligible to receive benefits from a service award program and
9 shall forfeit any and all rights [he or she] such participant may have
10 had to past or future benefits pursuant to a service award program.
11 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD05037-01-5
