New York Assembly Bill A06840

New York 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 3/14/25
• Refer: 3/14/25
• Refer: 1/7/26
• Report Pass: 3/10/26
• Refer: 3/10/26

Caption

Provides a lung disease presumption for correction officers, correction supervisors, deputy sheriff patrol or deputy sheriff patrol supervisors.

Impact

The implementation of A06840 is expected to have significant implications for the retirement and social security frameworks in New York. By allowing for a presumption of duty-related lung disease, the bill would likely increase the number of disability claims filed by correction officers and deputy sheriff patrol officers. The cost implications of this change would affect the counties employing these officers, as they will bear a portion of the fiscal burden arising from increased disability benefits payouts. Nevertheless, it is projected that the annual contributions from counties will not increase significantly, although an immediate past service cost of approximately $8.14 million has been estimated.

Summary

Bill A06840 proposes to amend the retirement and social security law by establishing a presumption of disability for specific law enforcement personnel, namely correction officers and deputy sheriff patrol officers, who sustain lung diseases while employed. This bill aims to ensure that if these individuals suffer from lung-related health issues leading to disability or death, it is considered a result of their duties unless proven otherwise. Such a presumption would ease the process for affected officers to claim disability benefits through the state retirement system.

Contention

Notably, there may be contention regarding the criteria and processes surrounding the presumption established by A06840. Concerns could arise regarding the adequacy of evidence required to refute the presumption of duty-related disease and the potential for claims inflation among the retirement system’s membership. As the bill prepares to navigate the legislative process, discussions on how to mitigate fraudulent claims while protecting the rights and benefits for those genuinely affected by lung diseases are anticipated.