Assembly Bill A7416

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   7416
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                              March 25, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of  A. SANTABARBARA -- read once and referred to the
   Committee on Health
 
 AN ACT to amend the state finance law, in relation to enacting the "9/11
   first responders and survivors' emergency healthcare access  act";  to
   establish  the  9/11 first responders and survivors' emergency health-
   care access act task force; and making an appropriation therefor
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Short  title. This act shall be known and may be cited as
 the "9/11 first responders and survivors'  emergency  healthcare  access
 act".
   § 2. The state finance law is amended by adding a new section 99-ss to
 read as follows:
   § 99-SS. THE 9/11 FIRST RESPONDERS AND SURVIVORS' EMERGENCY HEALTHCARE
 ACCESS  FUND. 1. THERE IS HEREBY ESTABLISHED IN THE JOINT CUSTODY OF THE
 STATE COMPTROLLER AND THE COMMISSIONER OF HEALTH A SPECIAL  FUND  TO  BE
 KNOWN  AS  THE 9/11 FIRST RESPONDERS AND SURVIVORS' EMERGENCY HEALTHCARE
 ACCESS FUND.
   2. SUCH FUND SHALL CONSIST OF ALL MONEYS APPROPRIATED THERETO FROM ANY
 OTHER FUND OR SOURCE PURSUANT TO LAW. NOTHING CONTAINED IN THIS  SECTION
 SHALL PREVENT THE STATE FROM RECEIVING GRANTS, GIFTS OR BEQUESTS FOR THE
 PURPOSES OF THE FUND AS DEFINED IN THIS SECTION AND DEPOSITING THEM INTO
 THE FUND ACCORDING TO LAW.
   3.  THE MONIES OF THE FUND, AFTER ANNUAL APPROPRIATION BY THE LEGISLA-
 TURE, SHALL BE AVAILABLE TO THE COMMISSIONER OF HEALTH FOR DISTRIBUTION,
 THROUGH AN APPLICATION PROCESS TO BE DETERMINED BY THE  COMMISSIONER  OF
 HEALTH,  TO  9/11 FIRST RESPONDERS AND SURVIVORS FOR MEDICAL TREATMENTS,
 PRESCRIPTIONS, AND ESSENTIAL CARE SERVICES WHEN:
   (A) A FEDERAL CLAIM IS DELAYED;
   (B) A FEDERAL BENEFIT IS UNDER APPEAL; AND
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD10312-02-5
 A. 7416                             2
              

 
   (C) AN  URGENT  HEALTH-RELATED  NEED  ARISES  WHILE  AWAITING  FEDERAL
 RESPONSE.
   4.  ON  OR BEFORE JANUARY FIRST OF EACH YEAR, THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
 SHALL PROVIDE A WRITTEN REPORT DETAILING HOW THE MONIES OF THE FUND WERE
 UTILIZED DURING THE PRECEDING FISCAL YEAR. SUCH REPORT SHALL BE PROVIDED
 TO THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE, THE SPEAKER OF  THE  ASSEMBLY,
 THE  CHAIR  OF  THE  SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE, THE CHAIR OF THE ASSEMBLY
 WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE, THE CHAIR OF THE SENATE COMMITTEE  ON  HEALTH,
 THE  CHAIR  OF THE ASSEMBLY HEALTH COMMITTEE, AND THE STATE COMPTROLLER.
 SUCH REPORT SHALL BE POSTED ON THE DEPARTMENT OF  HEALTH'S  WEBSITE  AND
 SHALL INCLUDE:
   (A) THE AMOUNT OF MONEY AVAILABLE AND DISBURSED FROM THE FUND OVER THE
 PREVIOUS TWELVE MONTHS; AND
   (B) A DESCRIPTION ON HOW SUCH MONIES WERE USED.
   5. FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, "9/11 FIRST RESPONDERS AND SURVI-
 VORS" SHALL MEAN:
   (A)  THOSE  INDIVIDUALS WHO PARTICIPATED IN WORLD TRADE CENTER RESCUE,
 RECOVERY OR CLEANUP OPERATIONS AS SUCH TERM IS DEFINED IN SECTION TWO OF
 THE RETIREMENT AND SOCIAL SECURITY LAW; AND
   (B) THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO LIVED AND  WORKED  WITHIN  THE  WORLD  TRADE
 CENTER SITE AS SUCH TERM IS DEFINED IN SECTION TWO OF THE RETIREMENT AND
 SOCIAL SECURITY LAW.
   §  3.  1.  A 9/11 first responders and survivors' emergency healthcare
 access act task force is hereby  created  which  shall  consist  of  the
 following nine members:
   (a)  two  members from the assembly appointed by the speaker of assem-
 bly;
   (b) two members from the senate appointed by the  temporary  president
 of the senate;
   (c)  one representative from the department of health appointed by the
 governor;
   (d) one representative  from  the  World  Trade  Center  (WTC)  Health
 Program appointed by the governor;
   (e)  one  representative  from  the September 11th Victim Compensation
 Fund (VCF) appointed by the governor;
   (f) one medical professional with  expertise  in  9/11-related  health
 conditions appointed by the governor; and
   (g)  one  advocate  representing  9/11  first responders and survivors
 appointed by the governor.
   2. The task force shall:
   (a) monitor the administration of health care benefits and ensure that
 funding from the 9/11 first responders and survivors' emergency  health-
 care  access  fund  established  pursuant  to section 99-ss of the state
 finance law is allocated appropriately and promptly;
   (b) investigate delays and disruptions in healthcare access for eligi-
 ble 9/11 responders and survivors;
   (c) make policy recommendations to the  legislature  and  governor  on
 improving healthcare access and funding mechanisms;
   (d)  oversee  data collection on healthcare outcomes and access issues
 to inform future policy decisions; and
   (e) submit annual reports to the legislature  and  governor  detailing
 the  task  force's  findings,  recommendations, and an evaluation of the
 program's effectiveness.
   § 4. The sum of five million dollars ($5,000,000), or so much  thereof
 as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated to the 9/11 first responders
 and  survivors' emergency healthcare access fund as established pursuant
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 to section 99-ss of the state finance law from any moneys in  the  state
 treasury  not  otherwise  appropriated and made immediately available to
 the department of health for the purposes of carrying out the provisions
 of  this  act.  Such moneys shall be payable on the audit and warrant of
 the comptroller on vouchers certified or approved by the commissioner of
 health in the manner prescribed by law.
   § 5. This act shall take effect April 1, 2026.