Authorizes Larry Mendel to receive his 30 years of service credit granting eligibility for the length of service award program.
Summary
This bill is a private relief measure for Larry Mendel, a retired volunteer firefighter from the Patterson Volunteer Fire Department. It directs that his certificates commemorating 30 years of service be accepted as proof of service, despite the absence of appropriate records, and authorizes him to receive the length of service award program benefits he would have been eligible for had the records been properly maintained.
The bill applies specifically to the length of service award program under article 11-A of the General Municipal Law, which provides retirement-type benefits for volunteer firefighters. It overrides any contrary law to allow Mendel to be credited with 30 years of service and to receive the associated benefits. The bill also assigns implementation costs to Glatfelter Specialty Benefits under its contract with the Patterson Volunteer Fire Department, rather than to the state or local government directly.
Impact
The bill creates a narrow exception to existing record-keeping and eligibility rules for the volunteer firefighter length of service award program by deeming Mendel’s commemorative certificates sufficient proof of service. In practical terms, it affects only one individual, but it may be cited as a precedent for legislative correction of lost or incomplete volunteer service records. It does not broadly amend the program’s statutory framework, but it does require the program administrator and the fire department’s contracted benefits provider to process and fund the award as if the service had been properly documented.
Sentiment
No committee transcript or vote record is available, so there is no documented public debate or recorded legislative sentiment in the provided materials. Based on the bill text, the measure appears sympathetic and remedial, aimed at correcting an administrative failure that allegedly occurred through no fault of the firefighter. The framing suggests support for recognizing long volunteer service and ensuring promised benefits are not lost because of record-keeping problems.
Contention
The main potential point of contention is the bill’s departure from ordinary proof and eligibility requirements for service awards, since it allows certificates to substitute for official records. Another possible issue is the allocation of costs to Glatfelter Specialty Benefits under its contract, which could raise questions about contractual responsibility and who should bear the financial burden of the award. However, the bill text presents these as corrective measures rather than disputed policy changes, and no opposing arguments are included in the provided record.
A bill for an act authorizing length of service award programs for volunteer fire fighters, volunteer emergency medical care providers, and reserve peace officers, and making appropriations.(Formerly SF 165.)
A bill for an act authorizing length of service award programs for volunteer fire fighters, volunteer emergency medical care providers, and reserve peace officers, and making appropriations.(See SF 627.)
A bill for an act authorizing length of service award programs for volunteer fire fighters, volunteer emergency medical care providers, and reserve peace officers, and making appropriations. (Formerly HF 755, HSB 197.) Effective date: 07/01/2025.