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 enabling volunteer firefighters and ambulance workers to respond to emergencies without risking their primary employment, which can help ensure more reliable staffing during crises when professional resources are stretched thin.
Clarifies legal definitions and protections. by explicitly defining what counts as "responding to an emergency," including necessary travel and incidental duties, reducing ambiguity for both employers and volunteers about when protections apply.
May impact workplace scheduling and planning. , as employers will need to accommodate sudden absences of employees who volunteer for emergency services; this could require adjustments in shift coverage, especially in smaller businesses or critical industries.
Encourages civic engagement and public service. by reducing employment-related barriers for those considering volunteering as firefighters or ambulance workers, potentially increasing volunteer participation and enhancing local public safety infrastructure.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Protect Volunteer First Responder 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
5007
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
April 3, 2019
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.
LBD10307-01-9
S. 5007 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 volun- teer 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 prop- erty. 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
2017-18: S2237 - REFERRED TO LABOR 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.