NY State Senate Bill 2017-S4531

Senate Bill S4531

2017-2018 Legislative Session

Authorizes volunteer firefighters from other states to offer and provide their services to fire departments, districts and companies in this state

download bill text pdf

Archive: Last Bill Status - Stricken

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
May 22, 2017	recommit, enacting clause stricken
Feb 16, 2017	referred to local government

co-Sponsors

2017-S4531 (ACTIVE) - Details

Law Section:: General Municipal Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §209-i, Gen Muni L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2011-2012: S4785
2013-2014: S2679
2015-2016: S1367, S6609

2017-S4531 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Authorizes volunteer firefighters from other states to offer and provide their services to fire departments, districts and companies in this state.

2017-S4531 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 BILL NUMBER:  S4531

 TITLE OF BILL :  An act to amend the general municipal law, in
relation to authorizing volunteer firefighters from other states to
provide assistance to fire departments, companies and districts in
this state

 PURPOSE :

Authorizes volunteer firefighters from other states to offer and
provide their services to fire departments, districts and companies in
this State.

 SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS :

Section 1 amends subdivision 1, 1-a and 3 of section 209-i of the
general municipal law to permit a volunteer firefighter, who resides
outside of New York State, to offer their services to a fire
department, company or district within New York State for a fire or
other emergency, ambulance services or training. The definition of a
volunteer firefighter is amended to include the definition of a
volunteer firefighter from the firefighter's state of residence.

Section 2 provides that this act shall take effect immediately.

 JUSTIFICATION :

Summer time in New York brings many tourists in to visit state
attractions and with it a sharp increase in population. This warm
weather brings with it millions of visitors interested in the arts,
sports, natural history and cultural center attractions of New York
State.

There are many individuals who have been trained as volunteer
firefighters and even served in New York state before taking up
primary residence in another state. Many often come back to reside in
New York for several months a year during tourist seasons when an
influx of people to various regions of the state puts a greater demand
on emergency services.

This bill would clarify an ambiguity that prevents out of state
volunteer firemen from volunteering in local fire departments during
the time period when they are temporarily residing in New York. It
will also help in rural counties where volunteer fire departments will
be able to recruit firefighters from bordering states.

By allowing out of state individuals to volunteer while in New York,
fire departments would have additional staff to cope with the
burgeoning populations and emergency services that are needed during
tourist seasons.

 LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :

2016: S.6609A Vetoed by Governor
2015: S.1367 Passed Senate
2013,2014: S.2679-A/A.9388 Passed Senate
2011,2012:S.4785/A.10172Referred to Local Government

 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS :

None.

 EFFECTIVE DATE :
This act shall take effect immediately.

2017-S4531 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   4531
 
                        2017-2018 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             February 16, 2017
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sens. HELMING, RITCHIE -- (at request of the Legislative
   Commission on Rural Resources) -- 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 authorizing
   volunteer firefighters from other states to provide assistance to fire
   departments, companies and districts in this state
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Section  209-i of the general municipal law is amended by
 adding a new subdivision 1-c to read as follows:
   1-C. AN OUT-OF-STATE FIREFIGHTER WHO, BECAUSE OF A SECOND RESIDENCE OR
 MILITARY SERVICE, IS REGULARLY IN AN AREA SERVED  BY  A  VOLUNTEER  FIRE
 COMPANY  OR  FIRE DEPARTMENT MAY VOLUNTEER THEIR SERVICES ON AN ON-GOING
 BASIS TO SUCH FIRE COMPANY OR FIRE DEPARTMENT FOR THE PURPOSE OF ASSIST-
 ING  SUCH  COMPANY  OR  DEPARTMENT'S  GENERAL  OR  EMERGENCY   AMBULANCE
 SERVICES,  OR  FOR  THE  PURPOSE  OF ASSISTING SUCH FIRE COMPANY OR FIRE
 DEPARTMENT AT A FIRE OR OTHER EMERGENCY SCENE  OR  FOR  THE  PURPOSE  OF
 TRAINING  WITH  SUCH FIRE COMPANY OR FIRE DEPARTMENT, PROVIDED THAT SUCH
 COMPANY OR DEPARTMENT IS AUTHORIZED  TO  ACCEPT  SUCH  SERVICES  BY  THE
 LEGISLATIVE  BODY  OF THE CITY OR THE VILLAGE, THE BOARD OF FIRE COMMIS-
 SIONERS OR OTHER GOVERNING BOARD OF THE FIRE DISTRICT, OR THE TOWN BOARD
 OF THE TOWN IN RELATION TO (A)  THE  FIRE  COMPANIES  SERVING  TERRITORY
 OUTSIDE  VILLAGES  AND  FIRE DISTRICTS OR (B) A TOWN FIRE DEPARTMENT, AS
 THE CASE MAY BE. UPON APPLICATION BY AN OUT-OF-STATE FIREFIGHTER, A FIRE
 COMPANY OR FIRE DEPARTMENT  SHALL  DETERMINE  WHETHER  THE  OUT-OF-STATE
 FIREFIGHTER MEETS THE MINIMUM CERTIFICATIONS FOR ACTIVE MEMBERS OF THEIR
 COMPANY  OR  DEPARTMENT  AND WHETHER THE OUT-OF-STATE FIRE-FIGHTER IS IN
 GOOD STANDING WITH THE FIRE COMPANY OR DEPARTMENT IN WHICH THEY NORMALLY
 SERVE. IF A VOLUNTEER  FIRE  COMPANY  OR  FIRE  DEPARTMENT  ACCEPTS  THE
 SERVICES OF AN OUT-OF-STATE FIREFIGHTER, SUCH FIREFIGHTER SHALL BE ENTI-
 TLED  TO ALL POWERS, RIGHTS, PRIVILEGES AND IMMUNITIES GRANTED BY LAW TO
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.

                                                            LBD09910-01-7

 S. 4531                             2
 
 VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS DURING  THE  TIME  SUCH  SERVICES  ARE  RENDERED,
 PROVIDED, HOWEVER, SUCH FIREFIGHTER SHALL NOT BE ELIGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE
 IN  A  SERVICE  AWARD  PROGRAM  AS  AUTHORIZED  BY ARTICLES ELEVEN-A AND
 ELEVEN-AAAA  OF  THE GENERAL MUNICIPAL LAW NOR SHALL SUCH FIREFIGHTER BE
 ELIGIBLE FOR COVERAGE UNDER SECTION ELEVEN-C OF THE VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHT-
 ERS' BENEFIT LAW RELATING TO DISEASES OF THE LUNG AND SECTION  SIXTY-ONE
 OF  THE  VOLUNTEER  FIREFIGHTERS'  BENEFIT  LAW  RELATING  TO DISEASE OR
 MALFUNCTION OF HEART OR CORONARY  ARTERIES  AND  ANY  OTHER  PRESUMPTIVE
 COVERAGE  FOR  IMPAIRMENT OF HEALTH OR DEATH. UPON ACCEPTANCE OF AN OUT-
 OF-STATE FIREFIGHTER TO A FIRE COMPANY OR FIRE DEPARTMENT, SUCH  COMPANY
 OR  DEPARTMENT  SHALL  PROVIDE TO THE APPLICANT, AND THE APPLICANT SHALL
 ACKNOWLEDGE RECEIPT OF, THE FOLLOWING WRITTEN STATEMENT: "IF A VOLUNTEER
 FIRE COMPANY OR FIRE DEPARTMENT ACCEPTS THE SERVICES OF AN  OUT-OF-STATE
 FIREFIGHTER,  SUCH  FIREFIGHTER SHALL BE ENTITLED TO ALL POWERS, RIGHTS,
 PRIVILEGES AND IMMUNITIES  GRANTED  BY  LAW  TO  VOLUNTEER  FIREFIGHTERS
 DURING  THE  TIME  SUCH  SERVICES  ARE RENDERED, PROVIDED, HOWEVER, SUCH
 FIREFIGHTER SHALL NOT BE ELIGIBLE TO  PARTICIPATE  IN  A  SERVICE  AWARD
 PROGRAM AS AUTHORIZED BY ARTICLES 11-A AND 11-AAAA OF THE GENERAL MUNIC-
 IPAL  LAW,  NOR  SHALL  SUCH FIREFIGHTERS BE ELIGIBLE FOR COVERAGE UNDER
 SECTION ELEVEN-C OF THE VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS' BENEFIT LAW, RELATING TO
 DISEASES OF THE LUNG, AND SECTION  61  OF  THE  VOLUNTEER  FIREFIGHTERS'
 BENEFIT  LAW,  RELATING  TO  DISEASE OR MALFUNCTION OF HEART OR CORONARY
 ARTERIES, AND ANY OTHER PRESUMPTIVE COVERAGE FOR IMPAIRMENT OF HEALTH OR
 DEATH."
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

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Senate Bill S4531

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Sponsored By

Pamela Helming