New York Senate Bill S08681

New York 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/7/26
• Refer: 1/7/26

Caption

Exempts the Cody Volunteer Fire Department, Inc. within the town of Granby, Oswego county, from the requirement that the percentage of non-resident fire department members not exceed forty-five percent of the membership.

Summary

This bill amends the Not-for-Profit Corporation Law provisions governing volunteer fire corporations in towns outside villages and fire districts. Under current law, volunteer fire corporations may include nonresident members only up to 45 percent of actual membership, subject to various residency, availability, and town board approval requirements. S08681 adds the Cody Volunteer Fire Department, Inc. in the town of Granby, Oswego County, to the list of fire organizations exempted from that 45 percent cap. The practical effect is to allow the Cody Volunteer Fire Department to maintain or recruit a larger share of volunteer firefighters who do not live within the department’s defined territory, so long as the other statutory conditions for membership are met. The bill does not change the general rule for other fire corporations; it creates a department-specific exception while leaving the broader residency and approval framework intact. The act would take effect immediately upon enactment.

Impact

The bill makes a targeted amendment to section 1402 of the Not-for-Profit Corporation Law by carving out the Cody Volunteer Fire Department, Inc. from the statewide 45 percent limit on nonresident volunteer fire department members. This affects the department’s membership eligibility rules, allowing it greater flexibility in staffing and volunteer recruitment, and it may also affect town board oversight of membership approvals as applied to that department. No other statutes are changed, and the amendment is narrowly tailored to one fire corporation in Oswego County.

Sentiment

No committee transcripts or recorded votes were provided, so there is no direct evidence of debate or opposition in the available materials. Based on the bill text and its structure, the measure appears to be a localized, administrative exception intended to address staffing needs for a specific volunteer fire department. The overall tone of the legislation is pragmatic and supportive of volunteer fire service operations.

Contention

The main policy issue is the departure from the general 45 percent cap on nonresident members, which is designed to preserve local residency ties in volunteer fire corporations. Supporters would likely view the exemption as necessary to help the Cody Volunteer Fire Department recruit enough active volunteers and maintain emergency response capacity. Any potential concern would come from those who favor uniform statewide membership limits or who worry that repeated department-specific exemptions could weaken the general residency rule, but no explicit opposition is documented in the provided record.