NY State Senate Bill 2009-S4731

Senate Bill S4731

2009-2010 Legislative Session

Includes medical assistance rendered while such workers are off duty within the duties and activities in relation to which benefits shall be paid and provided

download bill text pdf

Archive: Last 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

Please enter your contact information

First Name

Last Name

Email Address

A valid email address is required.

Home address is used to determine the senate district in which you reside. Your support or opposition to this bill is then shared immediately with the senator who represents you.

Optional services from the NY State Senate:

Create an account. An account allows you to officially support or oppose key legislation, sign petitions with a single click, and follow issues, committees, and bills that matter to you. When you create an account, you agree to this platform's terms of participation.

Include a custom message for your Senator? (Optional)

Enter a message to your senator. Many New Yorkers use this to share the reasoning behind their support or opposition to the bill. Others might share a personal anecdote about how the bill would affect them or people they care about.

Actions

View Actions

	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 06, 2010	referred to local government
Apr 27, 2009	referred to local government

co-Sponsors

2009-S4731 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Local Government
Law Section:: Volunteer Firefighters' Benefit Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §5, Vol Ffs Ben L; amd §5, Vol Amb Wkr Ben L

2009-S4731 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Includes medical assistance rendered by volunteer firefighters and ambulance workers while such workers are off duty or outside their jurisdiction or area of responsibility within the duties and activities in relation to which benefits shall be paid and provided.

2009-S4731 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 BILL NUMBER:  S4731

 TITLE OF BILL :

An act to amend the volunteer firefighters' benefit law and the
volunteer ambulance workers' benefit law, in relation to medical
assistance rendered by firefighters and EMS personnel while such
workers are off duty or outside their jurisdiction or area of
responsibility


 PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL :

This bill would add certain activities to the duties and activities
for which benefits shall be paid under the volunteer firefighters'
benefit law and the volunteer ambulance workers' law. The additional
activities to be included are the rendering of medical assistance
while a volunteer fireman or volunteer ambulance worker is off duty or
outside his or her jurisdiction or area of responsibility.

 SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS :

Specifically, this bill would amend the volunteer firefighters'
benefit law and the volunteer ambulance workers' law to provide that
while assisting in extinguishing a fire or rendering medical
assistance while off duty or while at the scene of a fire or an

accident that is located outside the jurisdiction or area of
responsibility of the volunteer firefighter or ambulance worker, such
volunteer firefighter or ambulance worker would be entitled to the
same benefits provided to such a volunteer if they had been on duty in
their jurisdiction.

 JUSTIFICATION :

This legislation is designed to provide "good Samaritan" coverage to
volunteer firefighters and ambulance workers who provide assistance
while off duty and/or out of their specified jurisdiction. It would
help to protect the citizens of the state of New York by encouraging
the provision of emergency medical services by trained medical
personnel.

Emergency medical services workers such as volunteer firemen and
ambulance workers possess expertise in assisting victims of accidents.
These individuals are dedicated to assisting the citizens of this
state and provide an important and invaluable public service.  It is
in their very nature to stop and help whenever and wherever they
encounter accident victims.

By offering firefighters and EMS personnel coverage under the
volunteer firefighters' benefit law and the volunteer ambulance
workers' law, this legislation encourages such workers to continue to
assist at emergencies regardless of accident location or whether they
are off duty.

Currently, there is a strong disincentive to assist in an emergency
situation if the location of the accident is outside the worker's
jurisdiction of if the worker is off duty. This legislation would
eliminate this disincentive and do away with the dilemma faced by
emergency medical services workers when they are the first to arrive
at an accident scene while off duty or at an accident scene that is
out of their jurisdiction.

It should be noted that the state of Florida has enacted a similar law
with great success.

 PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :
2008 - S.3619: Passed Senate.

 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS :

None noted.

 EFFECTIVE DATE :
This act would take effect immediately.

2009-S4731 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
                    S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                  4731

                       2009-2010 Regular Sessions

                            I N  S E N A T E

                             April 27, 2009
                               ___________

Introduced  by  Sen. LEIBELL -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
  printed to be committed to the Committee on Local Government

AN ACT to amend the volunteer firefighters' benefit law and  the  volun-
  teer ambulance workers' benefit law, in relation to medical assistance
  rendered  by firefighters and EMS personnel while such workers are off
  duty or outside their jurisdiction or area of responsibility

  THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section 1. Legislative intent. This legislation is designed to protect
the  citizens  of  the state of New York by encouraging the provision of
emergency medical services by trained  medical  personnel.  By  offering
firefighters  and  EMS personnel coverage under the volunteer firefight-
ers' benefit law and the volunteer ambulance workers' benefit law,  this
legislation encourages such workers to continue to assist at emergencies
regardless of accident location or whether they are off duty. Currently,
there  is  a  strong disincentive to assist in an emergency situation if
the location of the accident is outside the worker's jurisdiction or  if
the  worker  is off duty. This legislation will eliminate this disincen-
tive and will do away  with  the  dilemma  faced  by  emergency  medical
services  workers when they are the first to arrive at an accident scene
while off duty or at an accident scene that is out  of  their  jurisdic-
tion. This bill will also improve the general welfare of the citizens of
the state by improving the availability of trained medical personnel.
  S 2. Subdivision 1 of section 5 of the volunteer firefighters' benefit
law is amended by adding a new paragraph q to read as follows:
  Q.  WHILE,  WITHIN  THIS  STATE,  ASSISTING IN EXTINGUISHING A FIRE OR
RENDERING MEDICAL ASSISTANCE WHILE OFF DUTY OR WHILE AT THE SCENE  OF  A
FIRE  OR AN ACCIDENT THAT IS LOCATED OUTSIDE THE JURISDICTION OR AREA OF
RESPONSIBILITY OF THE VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTER  WHEN  SUCH  ASSISTANCE  WAS
PROVIDED  PRIOR  TO  THE  ARRIVAL  OF  AN OFFICER IN COMMAND WITHIN SUCH
JURISDICTION AND THE BOARD OF FIRE COMMISSIONERS OR OTHER GOVERNING BODY

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD01709-01-9

S. 4731                             2

OF THE FIRE DISTRICT GRANTS BY RESOLUTION  EXPRESS  PERMISSION  ALLOWING
FOR  THE OFFERING OF SUCH ASSISTANCE, UNLESS THE LEGISLATIVE BODY OF THE
CITY OR THE VILLAGE, OR THE TOWN BOARD OF THE TOWN IN  RELATION  TO  (1)
THE FIRE COMPANIES SERVING TERRITORY OUTSIDE VILLAGES AND FIRE DISTRICTS
OR (2) A TOWN FIRE DEPARTMENT, AS THE CASE MAY BE, BY RESOLUTION HERETO-
FORE  OR  HEREAFTER ADOPTED, HAS FORBIDDEN THE ACCEPTANCE OF ANY ASSIST-
ANCE.
  S 3. Subdivision 1 of section 5 of the  volunteer  ambulance  workers'
benefit law is amended by adding a new paragraph l to read as follows:
  L.  WHILE,  WITHIN  THIS STATE, RENDERING MEDICAL ASSISTANCE WHILE OFF
DUTY OR WHILE AT THE SCENE OF A FIRE OR  AN  ACCIDENT  THAT  IS  LOCATED
OUTSIDE  THE  JURISDICTION  OR  AREA  OF RESPONSIBILITY OF THE VOLUNTEER
AMBULANCE WORKER WHEN SUCH ASSISTANCE WAS PROVIDED PRIOR TO THE  ARRIVAL
OF  THE  OFFICER  IN  COMMAND WITHIN SUCH JURISDICTION AND THE GOVERNING
BODY OF THE AMBULANCE COMPANY OR AMBULANCE DISTRICT GRANTS BY RESOLUTION
EXPRESS PERMISSION ALLOWING FOR THE OFFERING OF SUCH ASSISTANCE,  UNLESS
THE  LEGISLATIVE  BODY  OF THE CITY OR THE VILLAGE, OR THE TOWN BOARD OF
THE TOWN IN RELATION TO  (1)  AN  AMBULANCE  COMPANY  SERVING  TERRITORY
OUTSIDE VILLAGES AND AMBULANCE DISTRICTS OR (2) AN AMBULANCE DISTRICT IN
A  TOWN,  AS  THE  CASE  MAY  BE,  BY RESOLUTION HERETOFORE OR HEREAFTER
ADOPTED, HAS FORBIDDEN THE ACCEPTANCE OF ANY SUCH ASSISTANCE.
  S 4. This act shall take effect immediately.

Comments

Open Legislation is a forum for New York State legislation. All comments are subject to review and community moderation is encouraged.

Comments deemed off-topic, commercial, campaign-related, self-promotional; or that contain profanity, hate or toxic speech; or that link to sites outside of the nysenate.gov domain are not permitted, and will not be published. Attempts to intimidate and silence contributors or deliberately deceive the public, including excessive or extraneous posting/posts, or coordinated activity, are prohibited and may result in the temporary or permanent banning of the user. Comment moderation is generally performed Monday through Friday. By contributing or voting you agree to the Terms of Participation and verify you are over 13.

Create an account. An account allows you to sign petitions with a single click, officially support or oppose key legislation, and follow issues, committees, and bills that matter to you. When you create an account, you agree to this platform's terms of participation.

Senate Bill S4731

Share this bill

Sponsored By

Vincent L. Leibell