NY State Senate Bill 2023-S8649

Senate Bill S8649

2023-2024 Legislative Session

Relates to health insurance coverage for surviving spouses or domestic partners of fire protection inspectors of the New York city fire department

download bill text pdf

Current Bill Status - On Floor Calendar

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

View Actions

	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
May 08, 2024	2nd report cal.
May 07, 2024	1st report cal.973
Feb 26, 2024	referred to cities 1

Votes

- May 7, 2024 - Cities 1 Committee Vote
  S8649
  
  6
  
  Aye
  
  0
  
  Nay
  
  1
  
  Aye with Reservations
  
  0
  
  Absent
  
  0
  
  Excused
  
  0
  
  Abstained
  - - Cities 1 Committee Vote: May 7, 2024
      
      aye (6)
      
      Cleare
      
      Comrie
      
      Jackson
      
      Persaud
      
      Rhoads
      
      Sepúlveda
      
      aye wr (1)
      
      Lanza

2023-S8649 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A9399
Law Section:: New York City Administrative Code
Laws Affected:: Amd §12-126, NYC Ad Cd

2023-S8649 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Provides health insurance coverage for surviving spouses or domestic partners of fire protection inspectors of the New York city fire department.

2023-S8649 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S8649

SPONSOR: GOUNARDES
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in
relation to health insurance coverage for surviving spouses or domestic
partners of members of the New York city fire department employed as
fire protection inspectors

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

To clarify that the surviving families of FDNY fire protection inspec-
tors should be extended the same lifetime COBRA coverage provided to
other FDNY employees, regardless of whether or not the fire protection
inspector had retired on the date of their death.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section one of this bill amends subparagraph (ii) of paragraph 2 of
subdivision b of section 12-126 of the New York City Administrative Code
to provide that that the term "active or retired member of the fire

department" includes FDNY fire protection inspectors in addition to
other titles such as firefighter and emergency medical technician (EMT)

Section two sets the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

This bill extends the protections of Ch. 706 of 2023, which provided
lifetime COBRA coverage to the surviving spouses of active and retired
FDNY firefighters and emergency medical technicians, to fire protection
inspectors as well.

Chapter 706 of 2023 closed a gap related to Consolidated Omnibus Budget
Reconciliation Act (COBRA) coverage, which provides continuing health-
care benefits to the surviving families of employees after the employee
loses their job due to certain qualifying events. In New York City, the
spouses of corrections and sanitation employees were eligible for life-
time COBRA coverage, regardless of whether or not the employee had
retired at the time of their death. The spouses of FDNY employees,
however, were only eligible for lifetime COBRA if the employee had
retired on the date of their death. Otherwise, the spouse was eligible
for COBRA for 36 months.

This bill closes a further gap in coverage by clarifying that FDNY
employees in this section of New York City's Administrative Code
includes fire protection inspectors in addition to other uniformed
titles such as firefighter and EMT. It endeavors to treat all FDNY
uniformed members with the same level of dignity and respect by ensuring
that all surviving spouses are afforded equal levels of healthcare
coverage.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

None

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

TBD

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediate

2023-S8649 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   8649
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             February 26, 2024
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by Sen. GOUNARDES -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Cities 1
 
 AN  ACT  to  amend  the  administrative code of the city of New York, in
   relation to health insurance coverage for surviving spouses or  domes-
   tic  partners of members of the New York city fire department employed
   as fire protection inspectors

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Subparagraph  (ii)  of  paragraph  2  of subdivision b of
 section 12-126 of the administrative code of the city of  New  York,  as
 amended  by  chapter  706  of  the  laws  of 2023, is amended to read as
 follows:
   (ii) Where an active or retired member of the fire department dies and
 is enrolled in a health insurance plan, the surviving spouse or domestic
 partner shall be afforded the right to such  health  insurance  coverage
 and  health  insurance  coverage  which  is  predicated on the insured's
 enrollment in the hospital and medical program for the aged and disabled
 under the social security act as is  provided  for  retirees  and  their
 dependents  as set forth in subparagraph (i) of this paragraph, provided
 such surviving spouse or domestic partner pays one hundred  two  percent
 of  the group rate for such coverage, with two percent intended to cover
 administrative costs incurred, provided such spouse or domestic  partner
 elects  such  health  insurance coverage within one year of the death of
 his or her spouse or domestic partner. For  purposes  of  this  subpara-
 graph,  "[retired]  member of the fire department" shall include persons
 who[, immediately prior  to  retirement,]  were  employed  by  the  fire
 department  of the city of New York in a title whose duties are those of
 an emergency medical technician or advanced emergency medical technician
 (as those terms are defined in section three thousand one of the  public
 health  law), or whose duties required the direct supervision of employ-
 ees whose duties  are  those  of  an  emergency  medical  technician  or
 advanced  emergency  medical  technician  (as those terms are defined in
 section three thousand one of the public health law),  OR  WHOSE  DUTIES
 ARE  THOSE  OF  A FIRE PROTECTION INSPECTOR OR ASSOCIATE FIRE PROTECTION
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.

                                                            LBD14648-01-4
 S. 8649                             2
 
 INSPECTOR, OR WHOSE DUTIES REQUIRED THE DIRECT SUPERVISION OF  EMPLOYEES
 WHOSE  DUTIES ARE THOSE OF A FIRE PROTECTION INSPECTOR OR ASSOCIATE FIRE
 PROTECTION INSPECTOR.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

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