New York Assembly Bill A08609

New York 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 5/22/25
• Refer: 5/22/25
• Report Pass: 6/12/25
• Refer: 6/12/25
• Report Pass: 6/16/25

Caption

Authorizes Heath A. Wadhams, a part-time police officer, with the village of Warsaw police department to take the civil service examination and be eligible for appointment as a full time police officer for the village of Palmyra, in the county of Wayne.

Summary

This bill is a narrowly tailored, person-specific civil service measure. It authorizes Heath A. Wadhams, a part-time police officer employed by the Village of Palmyra in Wayne County, to take the competitive civil service examination for the position of police officer even though he may not otherwise meet the age requirements in Civil Service Law section 58. If he scores sufficiently, he may be placed on the eligible list for appointment as a full-time police officer with the Village of Palmyra police department. The bill also provides that, aside from this special authorization, Mr. Wadhams remains subject to the usual merit and fitness requirements that apply to full-time police officers. The act takes effect immediately and operates as an exception to existing civil service law only for this individual.

Impact

The bill creates a one-time statutory exception to Civil Service Law section 58 and any conflicting law, allowing a named individual to sit for a police officer exam and potentially qualify for full-time appointment despite age-based eligibility limits. It does not broadly amend civil service standards for all applicants; instead, it carves out a special eligibility rule for one part-time officer in the Village of Palmyra, affecting local police hiring and the applicable eligible list process.

Sentiment

The available voting history suggests strong support and little opposition: the Assembly Ways and Means Committee advanced the bill unanimously, 34-0, and the Assembly Rules Committee also reported it favorably, 29-0. With no committee transcript available and no recorded dissent in the provided history, the overall sentiment appears positive and uncontroversial among legislators who considered it.

Contention

The main substantive issue is the bill’s departure from ordinary civil service age and eligibility rules, which are generally designed to apply uniformly to police officer candidates. Supporters appear to favor making an exception for a specific part-time officer to allow continued service and advancement, while any potential concern would be that the measure creates a special exemption for one named individual rather than changing the law generally. No explicit opposition is shown in the provided materials.