Expands the purposes of the volunteer and exempt firefighters' benevolent association of Thornwood, New York; provides for the payment to it of certain taxes imposed upon premiums on policies of fire insurance in foreign insurance companies.
A02684 amends the 1945 local law incorporating the Volunteer and Exempt Firemen’s Benevolent Association of Thornwood, New York, and updates the organization’s name and membership language to use the modern term “firefighters” instead of “firemen.” It also broadens and clarifies who may belong to the association, including active members and exempt volunteer firefighters as defined under the General Municipal Law or any other applicable law, and updates references to members’ status and procedures for joining, expulsion, and forfeiture of interest in association property.
The bill also expands the stated purposes of the association. In addition to providing relief, aid, and assistance to disabled or indigent members and their families, the association would be authorized to support the welfare, health, safety, morale, social and recreational wellbeing of its members and to promote the volunteer fire service in the Thornwood fire district. The bill preserves the association’s status as a membership corporation and keeps its internal governance structure, including the requirement to adopt bylaws and elect officers at an organizational meeting.
A second major change concerns the fire insurance premium taxes collected for fire department use and benefit. The bill updates the Insurance Law references to current section numbers and provides that the association may collect and receive those taxes, along with its share of related tax revenue, for the territory it serves. It also changes the use restriction so that the funds must be used in furtherance of the association’s expanded purposes rather than only for the care and relief of disabled or indigent volunteer and exempt firemen and their families. The act takes effect immediately, with the tax-related changes applying to premiums received on and after January 1, 2026.
The overall sentiment reflected in the voting history is strongly supportive and noncontroversial. The bill passed the Assembly committees and floor unanimously, and it also passed the Senate floor unanimously, indicating broad bipartisan agreement. No committee transcripts were provided, and the recorded votes show no opposition.
The main point of policy change is the modernization and expansion of a local firefighters’ benevolent association’s authority and funding use. Any potential contention would likely center on the broader use of premium tax revenues and the expansion from narrow relief purposes to wider member welfare, health, safety, and morale activities, but the available legislative record shows no recorded opposition to those changes.
The bill amends a special local law governing the Thornwood firefighters’ benevolent association and updates related Insurance Law references to current section numbers. It changes the association’s name and membership terminology from “firemen” to “firefighters,” broadens eligible membership language, and expands the association’s authorized purposes. It also authorizes the association to receive and use fire insurance premium tax revenues under updated statutory provisions, with those funds available for the association’s expanded purposes beginning with premiums received on or after January 1, 2026.
The bill appears to have been received very favorably. It advanced unanimously through Assembly committee review, passed the Assembly floor 147-0, and later passed the Senate floor 58-0. The voting record suggests broad support and no visible partisan or substantive opposition in the available materials.
No formal contention is evident in the available record because there were no recorded negative votes and no committee transcript excerpts. The only issues that might have prompted discussion are the shift from a narrow relief-and-assistance mission to a broader set of member welfare and promotional purposes, and the redirection of premium tax revenues to support those expanded purposes. However, the legislative history provided does not show any organized opposition to those changes.