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
Ensures job security for volunteers. By making it illegal for employers to fire or discriminate against employees who leave work to respond to emergencies, the bill removes the fear of job loss for volunteer firefighters and ambulance workers, encouraging more people to serve in these critical roles.
Clarifies scope and definitions. The bill specifically defines who qualifies as a volunteer firefighter or ambulance worker, and what constitutes "responding to an emergency," ensuring that protections are clear and not open to broad interpretation or abuse.
Addresses community emergency response needs. With increased protection for volunteers, local fire departments and ambulance services may benefit from higher volunteer participation, which is especially important in rural or under-resourced areas that rely heavily on volunteers for emergency response.
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Who cares
Volunteer firefighters
The bill would prohibit employers from firing or otherwise discriminating against them for emergency responses, including necessary travel to and from those responses.
Volunteer ambulance workers
The bill would protect their employment when they respond to accidents, alarms or other authorized duties, including necessary travel.
Employers
The bill would make it unlawful to discharge or otherwise discriminate against employees because they responded to emergencies as volunteer firefighters or volunteer ambulance workers.
Volunteer fire departments and ambulance companies
The bill would extend job protections to employees responding to emergencies their departments, companies or units have responded to or are required or authorized to handle.
Headline styles
Protect Volunteer First Responders' Jobs
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to labor
- Referred to labor
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
2237
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 12, 2017
Introduced by Sen. PARKER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed 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
S. 2237 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.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the labor law, in relation to volunteer firefighters and emergency medical services personnel job protection
Purpose
This legislation would provide job protections to volunteer firefighters and ambulance workers.
Summary of provisions
The bill would forbid employers from terminating an employee who is a volunteer firefighter or ambulance worker responding to an emergency service call.
Justification
Emergency service personnel provide life saving care to people and property. In desperate situations when these volunteer workers are needed, these brave men and women should not lose their jobs because of their altruism.
Legislative history
2015-2016: S1775 - Referred to Labor 2013-2014: S4767 - Referred to Labor
Fiscal implications
None.
Effective date
Shall take effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.