What's happening
This bill sets a maximum age of 29 for new firefighter applicants, with military service exceptions, in New York State.
Why it matters
Limits career entry opportunities for older applicants. By capping the maximum age at 29, the bill restricts individuals older than this from starting a firefighting career, which could impact those seeking a mid-life career change or second career in public service.
Prioritizes younger workforce and could affect department demographics. The age cap may lead to a younger average age among new hires, potentially influencing team dynamics, physical readiness, and the long-term workforce structure of fire departments.
Provides a military service exception, supporting veterans. Time spent on military duty (up to six years) can be subtracted from an applicant’s age, allowing veterans who started service young to still qualify, which may encourage veterans to join fire departments and recognize their service.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Cap Firefighter Age at 29
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
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History
- Referred to governmental employees
- Referred to governmental employees
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
1447
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 12, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. PRETLOW -- read once and referred to the Committee on Governmental Employees
AN ACT to amend the civil service law, in relation to the maximum age of certain persons applying for provisional or permanent appointment as fire fighters
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 58-a of the civil service law, as amended by section 1 of part A of chapter 101 of the laws of 2013, is amended to read as follows:
1. Notwithstanding any other provision of this law or any general, special or local law to the contrary, no person shall be eligible for provisional or permanent appointment in the competitive class of the civil service as a fire fighter unless he or she shall:
(a) satisfy the basic requirements for education, health and physical fitness established by the state fire administrator pursuant to section one hundred fifty-eight of the executive law; and
(b) is not more than twenty-nine years of age on the date he or she takes the written competitive examination for such appointment; provided, however, that the time spent on military duty or on terminal leave, not exceeding a total of six years shall be subtracted from the age of any applicant who has passed his or her twenty-ninth birthday as provided in subdivision ten-a of section two hundred forty-three of the military law.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall have become a law and shall apply to an eligible list for appointment in the competitive class of civil service as a fire fighter established on or after such date.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04470-01-7
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.