What's happening
Writing a plain-English summary… Track this bill to get it by email.
Why it matters
Albany, before your first meeting.
Every bill that moved yesterday, summarized in a sentence and ranked by impact. The Albany Scorecard follows on Sundays.
Free. Unsubscribe in one click. Want alerts on specific bills? Create an account.
Who cares
Headline styles
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to finance
- Reported and committed to codes
- Referred to finance
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Provides for searches of records for sex offense convictions of volunteer firefighters and emergency medical technicians
In Assembly Committee · Governmental Operations · Sponsor Robert Reilly
Full text
The text isn't available here yet. Check nysenate.gov.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the executive law, the village law and the general municipal law, in relation to criminal background checks for firefighters and emergency medical services personnel
Purpose
This bill provides an avenue by which fire departments can conduct a criminal record search through the New York State Division of Criminal Justice, at no cost to the departments, on any individual seeking to become a member of a volunteer emergency medical services department to determine whether there has been a conviction for a sex offense or an attempted sex offense. Should such a conviction be found, membership membership would be barred. Should such a conviction be found for a current volunteer, that membership would immediately be terminated. This bill also allows for such background checks for current volunteers and requires the termination of such personnel upon the finding of such conviction.
Summary of provisions
Amends subdivision 1 of section 837-o of the executive law, as amended by chapter 423 of the laws of 1999, amends paragraphs a, b, and c of subdivision 3 of section 837-o of the executive law; amends subdivisions 18 and 19 of section 10-1006 of the village law, amends section 122-b of the general municipal law by adding a new paragraph 6.
Justification
Volunteer fire departments and volunteer EMS departments should have the ability to keep convicted sex offenders from becoming volunteers. Because of the nature of the job, volunteer firefighters and volunteer EMS personnel are often in situations where children and families are present and at their most vulnerable due to a fire or medical emergency. Furthermore, volunteer fire fighters and EMS personnel frequently participate in community and school activities, giving members with a history of sex offenses unique access to children. This bill also helps protect municipalities with volunteer fire departments and volunteer EMS departments from potential lawsuits that could occur in the event that a volunteer with a history of sex offenses attacks another victim while engaged in firefighting duties.
Legislative history
2008: A.5721
Fiscal implications
None.
Effective date
Immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.