BILL NUMBER: S5419

SPONSOR: HARCKHAM
 
TITLE OF BILL:  An act to amend chapter 606 of the laws of 2006,
amending the volunteer firefighters' benefit law, relating to creating a
presumption relating to certain lung disabilities incurred by volunteer
firefighters, in relation to making such provisions permanent

 
PURPOSE:

The purpose of this legislation is to make permanent the long-standing
law governing disability determinations for volunteer firefighters due
to disease or malfunction of the lungs.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 amends chapter 606 of the laws of 2006 relating to the Volun-
teer Firefighter Benefit Law that governs disability resulting from lung
disease by making this provision permanent instead of maintaining the
process heretofore used to continually renewing its sunset date.

              

Section 2 sets the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

In the line of duty, firefighters are exposed to gases, toxins and other
substances that have damaging short-term and long term effects on the
respiratory system. Firefighters experience risks for lung disease at
significantly higher rates compared to the average adult population
because of contact to numerous harmful chemicals from combustions. This
legislation would permanently extend a long-standing and successful
safety net for all volunteer firefighters.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill makes permanent chapter 667 of the Laws of 1977, most recently
extended by Chapter 282 of the Laws of 2010 and Chapter 25 of the Laws
of 2015.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None to the State

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.