KINGSTON, NY – New York State Senator Michelle Hinchey and members of the Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA) are calling on Governor Kathy Hochul to sign legislation (S8837-Hinchey/A2535-Paulin) that would provide counties the option to offer disability benefits to probation officers injured in the line of duty. In the 2026 session, Hinchey’s bill passed both houses of the State Legislature with unanimous support in the Senate.

Probation officers face similar risks as police and peace officers – they carry out arrests, conduct home visits, and manage high-risk offenders, facing the possibility of bodily injury. However, unlike their law enforcement counterparts, these officers are not eligible under current law to receive comparable disability coverage when injured on the job. Probation is the only majority-female branch of law enforcement in New York and the only one without disability benefits. Hinchey’s bill will help close that gap by allowing county employers and labor representatives statewide the flexibility to negotiate these benefits through the collective bargaining process.

 

Senator Michelle Hinchey said, “Probation officers are members of law enforcement whose work puts them in harm’s way on a regular basis to keep our communities safe, and they deserve access to the same injury protections as any other branch of law enforcement. I’m proud that our bill passed the Senate unanimously this year and crossed the finish line in the Assembly with strong, bipartisan support. Our probation officers show up every day to do a difficult and dangerous job that demands courage and sacrifice, and we hope the Governor will recognize their tremendous contributions to the safety of our communities by signing this bill into law.”

“Every day, probation officers step into dangerous situations to keep our communities safe, yet state law leaves them without the basic safety net afforded to nearly every other law enforcement branch," said Assemblywoman Amy Paulin. "Closing this gap is a matter of fairness for a workforce that is overwhelmingly made up of women. I was proud to champion this legislation in the Assembly, and I urge Governor Hochul to sign it into law so our counties can give these dedicated public servants the protections they have earned.”

CSEA Local 1000 President Mary E. Sullivan said, “Probation officers perform high-risk law enforcement duties every day, yet they are denied the line-of-duty injury protections granted to other peace officers. Extending 207-c disability coverage to probation officers is a matter of fairness, safety, and basic workplace dignity. When these public servants are injured protecting our communities, they should never suffer financial hardship just to receive proper medical care and support.”

 

 

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