S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   9597
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                              March 23, 2022
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. THIELE -- (at request of the Division of Homeland
   Security  and  Emergency  Services)  --  read once and referred to the
   Committee on Governmental Operations
 
 AN ACT to amend chapter 258 of the laws of 2020  relating  to  directing
   the office of fire prevention and control within the division of home-
   land  security and emergency services to form a task force and issue a
   report relating to volunteer firefighter recruitment and retention, in
   relation to the submission date of such report and to  the  effective-
   ness thereof
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Sections 1 and 2 of chapter 258 of the laws of 2020, relat-
 ing to directing the office of fire prevention and  control  within  the
 division  of  homeland  security  and  emergency services to form a task
 force and issue a report relating to volunteer  firefighter  recruitment
 and  retention, as amended by chapter 7 of the laws of 2021, are amended
 to read as follows:
   Section 1.  New  York  state  volunteer  firefighter  recruitment  and
 retention  task force. There is hereby created the volunteer firefighter
 recruitment and retention task force whose membership shall  consist  of
 the chair to be appointed by the governor; the  state fire administrator
 or  his  or  her  designee;  the commissioner of education or his or her
 designee; the chancellor of the state university of New York or  his  or
 her  designee;  the  commissioner  of taxation and finance or his or her
 designee; the commissioner of labor or his or her designee; nine members
 appointed by the governor; the president of the Fireman's Association of
 the State of New York or his or her designee; the president of the Asso-
 ciation of Fire Districts or his or her designee; the president  of  the
 New  York  State  Association of Fire Chiefs or his or her designee; the
 president of the New York State Fire Coordinators or his or  her  desig-
 nee; two members appointed by the temporary president of the senate; two
 members  appointed  by the speaker of the assembly; one member appointed
 by the minority leader of the senate; and one member  appointed  by  the
 minority  leader  of  the assembly.   The task force shall report to the
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD14573-01-2
 A. 9597                             2
 
 governor, the speaker of the assembly and the temporary president of the
 senate no later than [one year after the effective  date  of  this  act]
 DECEMBER  31,  2022.  Such  report shall include, but not be limited to,
 recommendations concerning:
   1.  Firefighter 1 training, and all other firefighter training offered
 by the office of fire prevention and control, and  delivery  methods  to
 enhance and streamline training including the use of distance learning;
   2.  The  utilization  of community colleges, BOCES or state accredited
 high schools to train firefighters and the creation  of  pilot  programs
 within community colleges or BOCES that will offer Firefighter 1 certif-
 ication upon completion;
   3.  The  feasibility  and necessity of creation of a bureau within the
 office of fire prevention and control responsible  for  recruitment  and
 retention of volunteer firefighters;
   4.   Tax  incentives  and  volunteer  firefighter  benefits  currently
 provided and recommendations as to these or new programs;
   5. Analysis of current recruitment and retention programs successfully
 being utilized by other states and recommendations  as  to  adoption  of
 similar programs in New York; and
   6. Identification and recruitment incentives to assist in the recruit-
 ment  of volunteer firefighters from under-represented and at-risk popu-
 lations.
   All appointees of the task force shall be made  no  later  than  sixty
 days  after  the effective date of this act. Any vacancy shall be filled
 by the appointing authority. The task force shall meet as frequently  as
 deemed  necessary  prior  to issuing its recommendations. The members of
 the task force shall serve without  compensation,  except  that  members
 shall  be  allowed  their  necessary and actual expenses incurred in the
 performance of their duties under  this  section.  The  office  of  fire
 prevention  and  control  within the department of homeland security and
 emergency services shall provide the task force  with  such  facilities,
 assistance,  and  data  as  will enable such task force to carry out its
 powers and duties within reason.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall  expire  and  be
 deemed repealed [April 1] DECEMBER 31, 2022.
   §  2.  This  act shall take effect immediately, and shall be deemed to
 have been in full force and effect  on  and  after  November  11,  2020;
 provided,  however,  that  the amendments to section 1 of chapter 258 of
 the laws of 2020 made by section one of this act shall  not  affect  the
 repeal of such section and shall be deemed repealed therewith.