New York Senate Bill S08194

New York 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 5/20/25
• Refer: 5/20/25
• Engrossed: 6/11/25
• Refer: 6/11/25
• Engrossed: 6/16/25
• Enrolled: 9/5/25
• Chaptered: 9/5/25
• Passed: 9/5/25

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

S08194 is a special act of the New York Legislature that creates a narrow exception to civil service rules for Heath A. Wadhams. The bill allows him, despite the age restrictions and other provisions of Civil Service Law section 58, to sit for the competitive civil service examination for police officer and, depending on his score, to be placed on the eligible list for appointment as a full-time police officer with the Village of Palmyra police department. It also specifies that he must otherwise meet the merit and fitness requirements applicable to full-time police officers. The bill does not broadly change police hiring law statewide; instead, it applies only to one named individual and only for the purpose of eligibility to test and be considered for a full-time police officer position in Palmyra. Its practical effect is to waive statutory age limits and related barriers that would otherwise prevent him from competing for the position, while leaving the rest of the civil service selection process intact. The act takes effect immediately.

Impact

This bill amends the application of Civil Service Law section 58 for a single person by overriding age-based eligibility limits and any conflicting law, allowing Heath A. Wadhams to take the police officer exam and potentially be appointed from the eligible list. It affects the Village of Palmyra police department and the civil service hiring process for that one position, but it does not alter the general statewide standards for police officer appointments beyond this individualized exemption.

Sentiment

The available voting history suggests the bill was broadly supported and noncontroversial. It passed the Senate floor 58-1, cleared the Senate Rules Committee unanimously, and passed the Assembly 144-0. No committee transcript is available, but the overwhelming vote margins indicate strong legislative approval for the individualized waiver.

Contention

The main policy issue is the exception to civil service age requirements and merit-based hiring rules, which are ordinarily designed to ensure uniform standards for police appointments. Any concern would likely center on whether granting a special exemption for a named individual creates unequal treatment or undermines the general rule, while supporters appear to have viewed it as a limited, case-specific accommodation for a local part-time officer seeking full-time appointment.