What's happening
This bill protects volunteer firefighters and ambulance members from being fired for being late or absent due to responding to emergencies.
Why it matters
Provides job security for emergency volunteers. By making it illegal to fire employees for being late or absent due to emergency service, the bill removes a major barrier for those considering or currently serving as volunteer firefighters or ambulance members, supporting community emergency response capacity.
Allows use of existing leave. Employers can require that the time missed be charged against the employee’s accrued leave (such as vacation or personal days), balancing workplace needs with volunteer obligations.
Requires official verification. Employers may ask for a statement from the head of the relevant volunteer department confirming the employee’s emergency response and timing, which helps prevent abuse and ensures accountability.
Covers travel time to and from emergencies. The protection explicitly includes travel to and from emergency calls, recognizing that the obligation extends beyond just the duration of the incident itself.
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Who cares
Volunteer firefighters
The bill would prohibit employers from firing them for absence or lateness caused by responding to an emergency before their scheduled work time, including travel to and from their duties.
Enrolled volunteer ambulance service members
They would receive the same protection from termination when emergency duties before work cause absence or lateness.
Employers of emergency services volunteers
They could charge the authorized absence against other available leave and request a statement confirming the emergency response and its timing.
Volunteer fire and ambulance service leaders
They would need to provide a statement confirming an employee’s emergency response and its timing when the employer requests documentation.
Headline styles
Protect Volunteer First Responders' Jobs
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
History
- Referred to labor
- Referred to labor
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
978
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY (Prefiled)
January 8, 2025
Introduced by M. of A. ANGELINO, BENDETT, DeSTEFANO, DURSO, GIGLIO, LEMONDES, McDONOUGH, MILLER, MORINELLO, TAGUE -- read once and referred to the Committee on Labor
AN ACT to amend the labor law, in relation to job protection for emergency services volunteers
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 202-m to read as follows:
§ 202-m. Authorized absence. 1. If an employee is absent from or late to their employment in order to respond to an emergency prior to the time the employee is to report to their employment due to them engaging in the actual performance of their duties as (a) a volunteer firefighter, or (b) an enrolled member of a volunteer ambulance service pursuant to article thirty of the public health law, an employer shall be prohibited from terminating such employee on the basis of such absence or lateness.
2. The entire period of the authorized absence granted pursuant to this section may be charged against any other leave such employee is otherwise entitled to, and such authorized absence shall include travel both to and from such duties performed in their capacity as a volunteer. At the employer's request, the employee must provide the employer with a statement from the head of the volunteer firefighter or volunteer ambulance service, as applicable, stating the employee responded to an emergency and the time of such response.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02659-01-5
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.