Governor Cuomo Signs Sen. Andrew Gounardes' 9/11 Heroes Bill into Law

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo signed legislation on September 11 to help ensure first responders and public sector officers and employees who developed a qualifying health condition as a result of their heroic response to 9/11 rescue, recovery and clean-up efforts at World Trade Center sites receive the pension and health benefits they deserve. The Governor also announced that New York will donate an additional $1.8 million to fully fund the capital costs for the 9/11 Memorial Glade. Finally, the Governor posthumously awarded the Public Service Medal to Det. Luis Alvarez, an NYPD Detective and 9/11 First Responder who fought to make the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund permanent.

“9/11 was not 18 years ago – 9/11 is every day. We honor, we remember and we reflect, but it’s also our duty to act,” Governor Cuomo said. “The 100,000 brave men and women who showed up to help on 9/11 deserve to be taken care of the way they took care of us, and we’re not going to leave them alone because they are American heroes. Today, we took action to help ensure they get the health benefits and pension benefits they deserve. We honor them, we honor their families and we honor their courage – and we will repay the debt we owe them the best we can.”

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