Allows political subdivisions which contract to receive fire protection services from a special fire company or department to jointly establish a service award program with political subdivisions which contract to receive ambulance services from the same special fire company or department.
Summary
This bill amends section 216-a of the General Municipal Law to expand who may jointly establish a service award program for volunteer firefighters serving a special fire company or department. Under current law, the participating political subdivisions must contract for fire protection services from the same special fire company or department; this bill would also allow subdivisions that contract for ambulance services, or both fire protection and ambulance services, from that same entity to participate together in creating the program.
The bill also applies the same joint-approval requirements to these expanded arrangements. Each participating political subdivision would still need approval by at least 60 percent of its governing board, and the eligible voters in each subdivision would still need to separately approve a proposition authorizing the joint sponsorship. The bill further clarifies that if a subdivision later stops contracting for fire protection, ambulance, or both services from the special fire company or department, it automatically withdraws from the service award agreement.
Impact
The bill would broaden the scope of General Municipal Law section 216-a by expressly including ambulance service contracts alongside fire protection contracts in the rules governing service award programs for volunteer firefighters. This could allow more municipalities and special fire companies or departments that provide both fire and ambulance services to create shared incentive programs for volunteers, while preserving the existing local approval and voter referendum requirements. It would also affect how participating political subdivisions are treated if their service contracts end, making withdrawal from the program automatic under the statute.
Sentiment
Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee discussion or votes, the available record suggests a straightforward, technical local-government measure rather than a controversial policy change. The proposal appears aimed at aligning the statute with real-world service arrangements where the same special fire company or department provides both fire protection and ambulance services. No formal opposition, amendments, or recorded vote sentiment is available in the provided materials.
Contention
The main potential point of contention is procedural rather than substantive: the bill preserves the requirement for a 60 percent governing-board vote and separate voter approval in each participating political subdivision, so any concern would likely focus on local control, referendum burden, or the administrative complexity of joint sponsorship. Another possible issue is whether expanding eligibility to ambulance-service contracts could broaden service award obligations beyond what some municipalities intended when the original law was enacted. No specific opposing viewpoints are documented in the provided materials.
Same As
Allows political subdivisions which contract to receive fire protection services from a special fire company or department to jointly establish a service award program with political subdivisions which contract to receive ambulance services from the same special fire company or department.
Allows political subdivisions which contract to receive fire protection services from a special fire company or department to jointly establish a service award program with political subdivisions which contract to receive ambulance services from the same special fire company or department.
Relates to the establishment of special districts for general ambulance services; requires a report on issues of volunteer firefighter and ambulance services staffing.
Provides an exemption from real property taxes for real property owned by an incorporated association of present or former volunteer firefighters, an incorporated volunteer fire company or fire department which is leased to an ambulance company exclusively used and occupied by such ambulance company for ambulance purposes.
Allows an authority having jurisdiction over a volunteer fire department or fire company in a county, city, town, village, fire district, or fire protection district to provide volunteer firefighters with a stipend for responses to calls and for certain standby services.
Relates to the establishment of special districts for general ambulance services in any county, city, town or village located within the Adirondack park; requires a report on issues of volunteer firefighter and ambulance services staffing.
Requires the forfeiture of benefits to be paid pursuant to a service awards program to volunteer firefighters who have been convicted of felonies committed against a volunteer fire department, volunteer fire company, fire district, or fire protection district.
Payment rates established for certain substance use disorder treatment services, and vendor eligibility recodified for payments from the behavioral health fund.
Cover Outstanding Vulnerable Expansion-eligible Residents Now Act or the COVER Now Act This bill establishes a demonstration program to allow local governments to provide health benefits to the Medicaid expansion population in states that have not expanded Medicaid. Under the program, local governments may provide coverage for individuals who are newly eligible for Medicaid under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (i.e., the Medicaid expansion population) for a maximum of 10 years, or until their respective states expand Medicaid. The bill provides a 100% federal matching rate for the first three years of program participation. The bill prohibits states from taking certain actions against participating localities, such as withholding funding, increasing taxes, or restricting provider participation. States that violate these requirements are subject to certain funding penalties.