What's happening
This bill prohibits employers from firing or discriminating against employees who miss work to respond to emergencies as volunteer firefighters or ambulance workers.
Why it matters
Strengthens community emergency response. by ensuring volunteer firefighters and ambulance workers can respond to emergencies without fear of losing their jobs, which may help small towns and rural areas that rely heavily on volunteers.
Clarifies legal protections. by specifically defining what counts as “responding to an emergency,” covering travel to and from the scene as well as time spent at the emergency, thus reducing ambiguity for both employers and employees.
May impact workplace planning. since employers must accommodate employees' sudden absences due to emergency calls, potentially requiring adjustments in scheduling or staffing, especially in areas with high volunteer participation.
Could encourage volunteerism. by removing a significant employment-related barrier, possibly increasing the number of people willing to serve as volunteer firefighters or ambulance workers, benefiting public safety.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Protect Volunteer Firefighter Jobs
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
1 Co-sponsor
History
- Enacting clause stricken
- Referred to labor
- Referred to labor
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.
Protect Volunteer First Responders' Jobs
In Senate Committee · Labor · Sponsor Kevin S. Parker
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
2484
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 20, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. SKARTADOS, PALUMBO -- read once and referred to the Committee on Labor
AN ACT to amend the labor law, in relation to volunteer firefighters and emergency medical services personnel job protection
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The labor law is amended by adding a new section 207-b to read as follows:
§ 207-b. Volunteer firefighter and ambulance worker job protection. 1. It shall be unlawful for any employer or his or her duly authorized agent to discharge or in any other manner discriminate against an employee as to his or her employment because he or she has responded to an emergency when acting as a volunteer firefighter or volunteer ambulance worker.
2. For purposes of this section:
(a) Volunteer firefighter shall have the same meaning as defined in subdivision one of section three of the volunteer firefighters' benefit law; and
(b) Volunteer ambulance worker shall have the same meaning as defined in subdivision one of section three of the volunteer ambulance workers' benefit law.
3. For the purposes of this section, "responding to an emergency" shall mean:
(a) when a volunteer firefighter participates in necessary travel to, working at, and necessary travel returning from a fire, alarm of fire, hazardous material incident or other emergency to which his or her fire department, fire company, any unit thereof, either has responded or would be required or authorized to respond, including necessary travel during such work or incidental thereto; or
(b) when a volunteer ambulance worker participates in necessary travel to, working at, and necessary travel returning from an accident, alarm
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01547-01-7
A. 2484 2
of accident, or other duty to which his or her ambulance department, ambulance company, or any unit thereof, either has responded or would be required or authorized to respond, including necessary travel during such work or incidental thereto.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
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.