New York Senate Bill S07162

New York 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 4/3/25
• Refer: 4/3/25
• Engrossed: 6/10/25
• Refer: 6/10/25
• Engrossed: 6/11/25
• Enrolled: 9/5/25
• Chaptered: 9/10/25
• Passed: 9/10/25

Caption

Relates to the use of moneys received from foreign fire insurance companies by the Bohemia Volunteer Firefighter's Benevolent Association, and to modernization of certain language by making such language gender neutral.

Summary

S07162 amends the special act governing the Bohemia Volunteer Firefighter's Benevolent Association. The bill updates the association’s name and membership language to use gender-neutral terms such as “firefighter” instead of “fireman,” and makes related conforming changes throughout the act. It also revises the governance structure of the association by expanding the board of trustees from five members to eight members, with the additional trustees to be elected under the association’s bylaws. The bill further changes how the association may use money it receives from foreign fire insurance premium taxes. Under the amended language, those funds must be used in furtherance of the association’s purposes as set out in the act, rather than being limited to the prior statutory language focused on care and relief for disabled or indigent volunteer and exempt firemen and their families. The bill also updates references to the relevant Insurance Law sections governing collection and distribution of those premium taxes, and provides that the tax-related amendments apply to premiums received on and after January 1, 2026.

Impact

This bill amends chapter 45 of the laws of 1963, which specifically incorporates the Bohemia Volunteer Firefighter's Benevolent Association and defines its powers, membership, governance, and use of foreign fire insurance premium tax revenues. It does not create a new statewide program, but it does change the legal framework for this local benevolent association in Suffolk County by modernizing terminology, expanding trustee authority, and broadening the permitted use of designated funds within the association’s statutory purposes. The bill also updates cross-references to the Insurance Law provisions that govern foreign fire insurance taxes.

Sentiment

The available voting history suggests the bill was broadly supported and noncontroversial. It passed the Senate floor 57-1, cleared the Senate Rules Committee unanimously, and passed the Assembly 146-0. The lack of committee transcript material and the strong vote margins indicate general agreement with the bill’s modernization and administrative updates.

Contention

The main substantive change is the redirection of foreign fire insurance premium tax proceeds from a narrow statutory purpose tied to relief for disabled or indigent volunteer and exempt firemen and their families to the broader purposes of the association. That change could be the most notable point of interest, because it gives the association more flexibility in how it uses those funds. The other notable issue is the governance change expanding the board from five to eight trustees, though the vote history suggests these changes were not politically contentious. The bill’s gender-neutral language updates appear to have been uncontroversial and consistent with broader modernization efforts.