NY State Senate Bill 2023-S5951

Senate Bill S5951

2023-2024 Legislative Session

Povides that each fire district, department or company required to provide enhanced cancer disability benefits for volunteer fire fighters shall be entitled to reimbursement by the state

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Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Local Government Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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Actions

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 03, 2024	referred to local government
Mar 23, 2023	referred to local government

co-Sponsors

2023-S5951 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A1999
Current Committee:: Senate Local Government
Law Section:: General Municipal Law
Laws Affected:: Add §205-ccc, Gen Muni L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2019-2020: S5684, A4935
2021-2022: S6344, A5885

2023-S5951 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Provides that each fire district, department or company required to provide enhanced cancer disability benefits for volunteer fire fighters pursuant to section two hundred five-cc of the general municipal law shall be entitled to reimbursement by the state for payments made in order to obtain the insurance coverage necessary to satisfy the requirements of section two hundred five-cc of the general municipal law.

2023-S5951 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S5951

SPONSOR: BORRELLO
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the general municipal law, in relation to providing that
each fire district, department or company required to provide enhanced
cancer disability benefits for volunteer fire fighters pursuant to
section two hundred five-cc of the general municipal law shall be enti-
tled to reimbursement by the state for payments made in order to obtain
the insurance coverage necessary to satisfy the requirements of section
two hundred five-cc of the general municipal law

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

To provide annual reimbursement to fire districts, departments or compa-
nies for insurance coverage of volunteer fire fighters upon application.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 is adding a new section 205-ccc to general municipal law.

1. Each fire district, department or company will receive reimbursement
in order to provide insurance coverage necessary for volunteer fire
fighters.

2. Each fire district, department or company will be eligible for annual
reimbursement upon application. The office of fire prevention and
control will be charged with approving or denying applications.

3. The office of fire prevention and control with the department of
financial services will create an application process and implement
necessary rules and regulations.

4. The amount of reimbursement will be limited to what was spent in the
prior fiscal year on insurance coverage.

Section 2 sets the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Chapter 334 of 2017 established section 205-cc of the General Municipal
Law in order to require fire districts, departments and companies within
NYS to provide interior volunteer firefighters with benefits in the
event they are diagnosed with cancer. In order to ensure such benefits
are available when needed, the law requires fire district, departments
and companies to obtain insurance coverage sufficient to satisfy poten-
tial claims.

The requirement for additional insurance coverage represents an unfunded
mandate that to our local fire districts, departments and companies.
This legislation would provide a mechanism by which those required to
obtain additional insurance coverage to satisfy the 2017 chapter can be
reimbursed for the increased expenses.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

A.4935 : 2019-2020

A5885 - 05/10/22 held for consideration in local governments

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:

Not Determined.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeeding the
date on which it shall have become law.

2023-S5951 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   5951
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              March 23, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by Sen. BORRELLO -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Local Government
 
 AN ACT to amend the general municipal law, in relation to providing that
   each fire district, department or company required to provide enhanced
   cancer disability benefits for volunteer  fire  fighters  pursuant  to
   section  two  hundred  five-cc  of  the general municipal law shall be
   entitled to reimbursement by the state for payments made in  order  to
   obtain the insurance coverage necessary to satisfy the requirements of
   section two hundred five-cc of the general municipal law
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. The general municipal  law  is  amended  by  adding  a  new
 section 205-ccc to read as follows:
   §  205-CCC.  VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTER ENHANCED CANCER DISABILITY BENEFIT;
 REIMBURSEMENT. 1. EACH FIRE DISTRICT, DEPARTMENT OR COMPANY REQUIRED  TO
 PROVIDE  ENHANCED CANCER DISABILITY BENEFITS FOR VOLUNTEER FIRE FIGHTERS
 PURSUANT TO SECTION TWO HUNDRED FIVE-CC OF THIS ARTICLE SHALL  BE  ENTI-
 TLED  TO REIMBURSEMENT BY THE STATE FOR PAYMENTS MADE IN ORDER TO OBTAIN
 THE INSURANCE COVERAGE NECESSARY TO SATISFY  THE  REQUIREMENTS  OF  SUCH
 SECTION.
   2.  EACH  FIRE  DISTRICT,  DEPARTMENT  OR  COMPANY REQUIRED TO PROVIDE
 ENHANCED CANCER DISABILITY BENEFITS  PURSUANT  TO  SECTION  TWO  HUNDRED
 FIVE-CC  OF  THIS  ARTICLE SHALL BE ELIGIBLE FOR AN ANNUAL REIMBURSEMENT
 UPON APPLICATION, WHICH MUST INCLUDE PROOF OF SUCH POLICIES HELD   BY  A
 DISTRICT,  DEPARTMENT  OR  COMPANY, TO THE OFFICE OF FIRE PREVENTION AND
 CONTROL. THE OFFICE OF FIRE PREVENTION AND CONTROL SHALL  MAKE  DETERMI-
 NATIONS RELATED TO APPROVING OR DENYING SUBMITTED APPLICATIONS AND ISSUE
 APPROPRIATE REIMBURSEMENTS.
   3.  THE OFFICE OF FIRE PREVENTION AND CONTROL, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE
 DEPARTMENT OF FINANCIAL SERVICES, SHALL ESTABLISH A UNIFORM  APPLICATION
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD04354-01-3
 S. 5951                             2

 
 PROCESS  FOR  REIMBURSEMENT,  AND SHALL PROMULGATE RULES AND REGULATIONS
 NECESSARY TO EFFECTUATE THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION.
   4. THE AMOUNT OF THE REIMBURSEMENT SHALL BE LIMITED TO THE AMOUNT EACH
 DISTRICT,  DEPARTMENT OR COMPANY SPENT IN THE PRIOR FISCAL YEAR IN ORDER
 TO OBTAIN INSURANCE COVERAGE   NECESSARY  TO  COMPLY  WITH  SECTION  TWO
 HUNDRED FIVE-CC OF THIS ARTICLE.
   §  2. This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeed-
 ing the date on which it shall have become a law. Effective  immediately
 the  addition,  amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation neces-
 sary for the implementation of  this  act  on  its  effective  date  are
 authorized to be made and completed on or before such date.

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Senate Bill S5951

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Sponsored By

George M. Borrello