Provides for benefits for certain emergency medical technicians or advanced emergency medical technicians in the city of New York who suffer any condition or impairment of health caused by a stroke resulting in disability or death.
Summary
S06554 would create a new presumption under the General Municipal Law that a stroke suffered by certain paid emergency medical technicians or advanced emergency medical technicians employed by a fire department in a city of one million or more is a duty-related disability or death, so long as the employee passed a pre-employment physical that did not reveal the condition. In practical terms, the bill is aimed at New York City EMTs and similar personnel drawn from competitive civil service lists. It would apply notwithstanding contrary provisions of other general, special, local, or administrative laws, except for the Workers’ Compensation Law and Labor Law.
The bill changes the retirement and death benefit treatment for covered employees by making stroke-related disability or death presumptively line-of-duty. The fiscal note indicates that, compared with current ordinary disability or death benefits, affected members could receive enhanced performance-of-duty benefits, including a 75% of final average salary disability benefit and a more generous death benefit structure. The measure takes effect immediately and would increase employer contributions for New York City, with actuarial estimates showing ongoing costs that could grow over time depending on the number of claims.
Impact
The bill would amend the General Municipal Law by adding section 207-qq, creating a new statutory presumption for certain New York City fire-department EMTs and advanced EMTs who suffer stroke-related disability or death. This would expand eligibility for performance-of-duty retirement and death benefits under the applicable pension system, shifting some cases that might otherwise qualify only for ordinary disability or ordinary death benefits into a more favorable benefit category. The fiscal note estimates increased employer contributions and unfunded liability impacts for NYCERS and New York City.
Sentiment
The available legislative history suggests generally favorable support for the bill. It passed the Senate Civil Service and Pensions Committee unanimously, 7-0, and there is no recorded opposition or adverse committee discussion in the materials provided. The bill’s framing as a benefit enhancement for emergency medical personnel indicates a sympathetic policy rationale focused on occupational risk and public service.
Contention
The main policy issue is fiscal rather than conceptual: the bill would increase pension and employer contribution costs for New York City, and the fiscal note emphasizes that the amount depends on how many future members are affected and on their service, age, and salary history. Another point of potential contention is the scope of the presumption, which is limited to paid fire-department EMTs and advanced EMTs in cities of one million or more, meaning the benefit is narrowly targeted to New York City rather than all municipal emergency medical workers. The bill also overrides contrary laws, which could raise questions about how broadly the new presumption should apply relative to existing disability and death benefit rules.
Same As
Provides for benefits for certain emergency medical technicians or advanced emergency medical technicians in the city of New York who suffer any condition or impairment of health caused by a stroke resulting in disability or death.
Provides for benefits for certain emergency medical technicians or advanced emergency medical technicians in the city of New York who suffer any condition or impairment of health caused by a stroke resulting in disability or death.
Requires all certified first responders, emergency medical technicians, and advanced emergency medical technicians to undergo criminal background checks to maintain their certification.
Provides for a line of duty disability presumption for any condition of impairment of health caused by diseases of the lung, resulting in total or partial disability or death of certain deputy sheriff members of a retirement system in certain cities.
Provides for a line of duty disability presumption for any condition of impairment of health caused by diseases of the lung, resulting in total or partial disability or death of certain deputy sheriff members of a retirement system in certain cities.
Provides for a line of duty disability presumption for any condition of impairment of health caused by diseases of the lung, resulting in total or partial disability or death of certain deputy sheriff members of a retirement system in certain cities.
Provides for a line of duty disability presumption for any condition of impairment of health caused by diseases of the lung, resulting in total or partial disability or death of certain deputy sheriff members of a retirement system in certain cities.
Provides as an alternative retirement option from the current option, that any member employed as an emergency medical technician, critical care technician, advanced emergency medical technician, paramedic or supervisor of such titles upon an election by a participating fire district, not including those in a city with a population of one million or more, shall be eligible to retire.