Provides benefits to Metro-North employees involved in or who witness a serious injury or fatality of another person in the course of an assigned duty.
Summary
This bill would add a new section to the Public Authorities Law requiring Metro-North Commuter Railroad Company to provide specific benefits to employees who, in the course of assigned duties, witness or are otherwise involved in a serious injury or fatality of another person. The required benefits include seven consecutive working days of paid leave beginning the next scheduled workday, access to mental health services and counseling at the employee’s option, and a mandatory mental health examination by the employee’s health care provider before returning to work.
If the provider recommends additional recovery time, the bill allows up to four more weeks of paid leave. During the mandated leave period, the employee must be compensated at no less than the amount they would have earned on the assignment they would have worked. The bill would take effect immediately upon enactment.
Impact
The bill would create a new statutory benefit specifically for Metro-North employees, imposing a new employer obligation on the public authority to provide paid leave, mental health support, and return-to-work clearance procedures after traumatic incidents encountered on duty. It would amend the Public Authorities Law by adding section 1266-n and would apply only to employees of the Metro-North Commuter Railroad Company who witness or are involved in a serious injury or fatality while performing assigned duties.
Sentiment
Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee debate or votes in the provided materials, the measure appears to be framed as a worker-support and mental health protection bill rather than a controversial policy change. The overall sentiment suggested by the proposal is sympathetic to employees exposed to traumatic events in the workplace, emphasizing recovery, counseling, and paid time off. No opposing viewpoints are documented in the supplied record.
Contention
The main potential points of contention are the cost and administrative burden on Metro-North, including paid leave obligations, compensation guarantees, and the requirement to provide mental health services and clearance procedures. Another possible issue is the bill’s mandatory nature, particularly the fixed seven-day leave and the possibility of up to four additional weeks of paid leave if recommended by a provider. No specific objections, amendments, or recorded stakeholder positions are included in the provided context.
Same As
Provides benefits to Metro-North employees involved in or who witness a serious injury or fatality of another person in the course of an assigned duty.
Provides benefits to Metro-North employees involved in or who witness a serious injury or fatality of another person in the course of an assigned duty.
Provides benefits to Metro-North employees involved in or who witness a serious injury or fatality of another person in the course of an assigned duty.
Urging The Legislature To Conduct Mandatory Inquiries Into All Fatalities And Serious Injuries That Occurred To Children Involved In Child Welfare Services.
Urging The Legislature To Conduct Mandatory Inquiries Into All Fatalities And Serious Injuries That Occurred To Children Involved In Child Welfare Services.
Urging The Legislature To Conduct Mandatory Inquiries Into All Fatalities And Serious Injuries That Occurred To Children Involved In Child Welfare Services.
Urging The Legislature To Conduct Mandatory Inquiries Into All Fatalities And Serious Injuries That Occurred To Children Involved In Child Welfare Services.
Provides that a person is guilty of assault in the second degree when such person recklessly or with intent to cause physical injury to another person causes physical injury to another person in any place, conveyance, or vehicle used for public transportation or public transit; provides that a person is guilty of assault in the first degree when with intent to cause serious physical injury to another person such person causes such injury to such other person in any place, conveyance, or vehicle used for public transportation or public transit.