Assembly Bill A4081

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   4081
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 31, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  CUNNINGHAM  -- read once and referred to the
   Committee on Governmental Employees
 
 AN ACT to amend the civil service law, in relation to  establishing  the
   COVID heroes grant program
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section 1.  Section 130 of the civil service law is amended by  adding
 a new subdivision 15 to read as follows:
   15.  COVID HEROES GRANT PROGRAM. A. ANY ESSENTIAL EMPLOYEE EMPLOYED AT
 A STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK HOSPITAL, WHO WORKED  IN-PERSON  AT  SUCH
 HOSPITAL  AT  ANY  TIME  DURING  THE  COVID-19  STATE DISASTER EMERGENCY
 DECLARED PURSUANT TO EXECUTIVE ORDER NUMBER TWO HUNDRED TWO OF TWO THOU-
 SAND TWENTY, AS AMENDED, SHALL BE AWARDED A LUMP SUM COVID HEROES  GRANT
 DIFFERENTIAL.
    B.  SUCH  COVID  HEROES  GRANT  DIFFERENTIAL  SHALL EQUAL TWENTY-FIVE
 HUNDRED DOLLARS. SUCH COVID HEROES GRANT DIFFERENTIAL SHALL BE IN  ADDI-
 TION  TO  SUCH  EMPLOYEE'S  BASIC ANNUAL SALARY, AND SHALL NOT AFFECT OR
 IMPAIR ANY PERFORMANCE ADVANCEMENT PAYMENTS, PERFORMANCE AWARDS, LONGEV-
 ITY PAYMENTS OR OTHER RIGHTS OR BENEFITS TO WHICH SUCH EMPLOYEE  MAY  BE
 ENTITLED  UNDER  THE PROVISIONS OF THIS CHAPTER; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, THAT
 ANY DIFFERENTIAL PAYABLE PURSUANT TO THIS SUBDIVISION SHALL BE  INCLUDED
 AS COMPENSATION FOR RETIREMENT PURPOSES.
   C.  FOR  THE  PURPOSES OF THIS SUBDIVISION, "ESSENTIAL EMPLOYEE" SHALL
 MEAN ANY EMPLOYEE PROVIDING IN-PERSON ESSENTIAL  SERVICES  OR  FUNCTIONS
 DURING THE COVID-19 STATE DISASTER EMERGENCY DECLARED PURSUANT TO EXECU-
 TIVE  ORDER  NUMBER  TWO HUNDRED TWO OF TWO THOUSAND TWENTY, AS AMENDED,
 AND DESIGNATED AS AN ESSENTIAL EMPLOYEE OR ESSENTIAL WORKER PURSUANT  TO
 SUCH EXECUTIVE ORDER, AS AMENDED, OR BY ANY LAW, RULE OR REGULATION.
   § 2.  Any essential employee employed in a professional services nego-
 tiating  unit  position  or in a managerial/confidential position in the
 unclassified service at a state university  of  New  York  hospital  who
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD01965-01-5
              

 A. 4081                             2
 
 worked  in-person at any time in such hospital during the COVID-19 state
 disaster emergency declared pursuant to executive order  number  202  of
 2020,  as  amended,  shall be awarded a COVID heroes grant differential.
 Such  COVID  heroes  grant  differential  shall equal $2,500. Such COVID
 heroes grant differential shall be in addition to such employee's  basic
 annual  salary,  and  shall not affect or impair any other compensation,
 rights, or benefits to which such employee may  be  entitled;  provided,
 however,  that  any  COVID heroes grant differential payable pursuant to
 subdivision 15 of section 130 of the civil service law shall be included
 as compensation for retirement purposes.    For  the  purposes  of  this
 section,  "essential employee" shall mean any employee providing in-per-
 son essential services or functions during the COVID-19  state  disaster
 emergency  declared  pursuant  to executive order number 202 of 2020, as
 amended, and designated as an essential  employee  or  essential  worker
 pursuant  to  such  executive  order, as amended, or by any law, rule or
 regulation.
   § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.