Senator Golden Delivers Senate Passage Of Wtc Accidental Death Benefit Bill

Martin J. Golden

Albany- The New York State Senate gave final passage of a bill (S.2509-A.4697) sponsored by Brooklyn Senator Marty Golden that will ensure accidental death benefits for first responders to the World Trade Center attack.

“This bill makes the necessary corrections to the 2005 law that ensure our first responders, that risked their lives to save others, have the necessary accidental death benefits,” said Senator Golden. “As a former New York City Police Officer, I know that these families are counting on our support to aid them and their families financially. For all that these brave men and women did for our City, for our State and for our Nation, this is the very least we can do for them.

Golden continued, “I am proud to have worked with Speaker Silver on the original accidental death benefit legislation and am pleased that we have this to send to the Governor. I am hopeful that the Governor will sign this legislation into law.”

The bill provides for an accidental death benefit for members of police, fire, EMT, sanitation, sheriff deputies, state troopers ad other uniformed personnel who participated between September 11, 2001 and September 12, 2002 in rescue; recovery, clean-up and related activity at or near ground zero, worked at the Fresh Kills Land Fill, worked at the New York morgue or the temporary morgue on-pier locations on the west side of Manhattan, or manned barges between the west side of Manhattan and the Fresh Kills Land Fill.

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