Requires the New York city police department to release certain information regarding incidence of cancer in World Trade Center police responders

Summary of specific provisions

Section 1: Sets definitions for "Police officers who participated in World Trade Center rescue, recover or cleanup operations" and "contracted as a result of the police officer's participation in World trade Center rescue, recovery or cleanup operations".

Section 2: Requires the New York City Police Department (NYPD) to transmit information regarding who (i) participated in World Trade Center cleanup (ii)was employed by the department at the time of the rescue, recovery and cleanup operations and (iii) who within the best knowledge of the department has contracted any condition of cancer as a result, to Mount Sinai Hospital or any other institution conducting a study of the incidence of cancer in police officers who worked at Ground Zero. If the NYPD fails to comply, the institution, patrolmen's benevolent association or individual police officer may apply to the Supreme Court for an order requiring compliance.

Section 3: Requires the NYPD to prepare and publish an analysis of the incidence of cancer in police officers who participated in the World Trade Center cleanup based on its information of every police officer who (i) participated in World Trade Center cleanup (ii) was employed by the department at the time of the rescue, recovery and cleanup operations and (iii) who within the best knowledge of the department has contracted any condition of cancer as a result.

Section 4: Requires that the information released pursuant to section two or three contain the minimum amount of personally identifiable and demographic information and that no information that identifies an officer be released without his or her consent.

Section 5: This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall have become law.

Justification

Currently, cancer is not covered by the Federal Zadroga Act which ensures that First Responders continue to be monitored and receive

treatment services for 9/11-related health problems. Efforts have been ongoing to get cancer listed as a covered illness, but because there have not been enough studies on cancer rates in 9/11 responders, little progress has been made. The New York City Fire Department has been the only organization to conduct a study so far.

Mount Sinai Hospital is conducting a study that could help get cancer listed under Zadroga, but the hospital has not been able to get the necessary support from the City of New York. The study centers on tracking cancer rates in police officers who worked at Ground Zero and in order to complete it, they need the NYPD's list of officers who worked the site. To date the NYPD has refused to release the list. If Mount Sinai is not able to access this information, then thousands of police officers who have contracted cancer since 9/11 might be missing out on the healthcare they deserve.

These men and women were the heroes of 9/11, and they deserve the best health care available. If there is a higher rate of cancer, we need to find that out through the best study possible, and that means releasing this list.

Prior legislative history

None.

Fiscal implications

None.

Effective date

This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall have become a law.