Bill Text: NY A01390 | 2015-2016 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Increases disability benefit levels for volunteer ambulance workers from $400 to $800.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-01-06 - referred to local governments [A01390 Detail]
Download: New_York-2015-A01390-Introduced.html
S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K ________________________________________________________________________ 1390 2015-2016 Regular Sessions I N A S S E M B L Y January 12, 2015 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. PAULIN, ABINANTI, JAFFEE -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. ROBERTS -- read once and referred to the Committee on Local Governments AN ACT to amend the volunteer ambulance workers' benefit law, in relation to increasing disability benefit levels THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM- BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: 1 Section 1. Section 8 of the volunteer ambulance workers' benefit law, 2 as amended by chapter 574 of the laws of 1998, is amended to read as 3 follows: 4 S 8. Permanent total disability benefits. In the case of total disa- 5 bility adjudged to be permanent the volunteer ambulance worker shall be 6 paid [four] EIGHT hundred dollars for each week during the continuance 7 thereof. Permanent total disability, within the meaning of this section, 8 shall exist only if the earning capacity of the volunteer ambulance 9 worker has been lost permanently and totally as the result of the inju- 10 ry. The loss of both hands, or both arms, or both feet, or both legs, or 11 both eyes, or any two thereof, shall, in the absence of conclusive proof 12 to the contrary, constitute permanent total disability, but in all other 13 cases permanent total disability shall be determined in accordance with 14 the facts. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this chapter, an 15 injured volunteer ambulance worker disabled due to the loss or total 16 loss of use of both eyes, or both hands, or both arms, or both feet, or 17 both legs, or any two thereof shall not suffer any diminution of such 18 weekly benefit by engaging in business or employment provided his or her 19 weekly earnings or wages, when combined with his weekly benefit shall 20 not be in excess of six hundred dollars; and further provided that the 21 application of this section shall not result in reduction of benefits 22 which an injured volunteer ambulance worker who is disabled due to the 23 loss or total loss of use of both eyes, or both hands, or both arms, or EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD04989-02-5 A. 1390 2 1 both feet, or both legs, or any two thereof would otherwise be entitled 2 to under any other provisions of this article. 3 S 2. Section 9 of the volunteer ambulance workers' benefit law, as 4 amended by chapter 924 of the laws of 1990, is amended to read as 5 follows: 6 S 9. Temporary total disability benefits. In the case of temporary 7 total disability the volunteer ambulance worker shall be paid [three] 8 EIGHT hundred dollars for each week during the continuance thereof[; 9 provided, however, that when the volunteer ambulance worker is injured 10 in the line of duty on or after the effective date of this chapter to 11 June thirtieth, nineteen hundred ninety; further provided, that when the 12 volunteer ambulance worker is injured in the line of duty on or after 13 July first, nineteen hundred ninety to June thirtieth, nineteen hundred 14 ninety-one, said ambulance worker shall receive three hundred forty 15 dollars per week during the continuance thereof, and further provided, 16 that when a volunteer ambulance worker is injured in the line of duty on 17 or after July first, nineteen hundred ninety-one to June thirtieth, 18 nineteen hundred ninety-two, said ambulance worker shall receive three 19 hundred fifty dollars per week during the continuance thereof; provided 20 further that when a volunteer ambulance worker is injured in the line of 21 duty on or after July first, nineteen hundred ninety-two such ambulance 22 worker shall be paid four hundred dollars for each week during the 23 continuance thereof]. Temporary total disability, within the meaning of 24 this section, shall exist only if the earning capacity of the volunteer 25 ambulance worker has been lost temporarily and totally as the result of 26 the injury. In case of temporary total disability and permanent partial 27 disability both resulting from the same injury, if the temporary total 28 disability continues for a longer period than the number of weeks set 29 forth in the following schedule, the period of temporary total disabili- 30 ty in excess of such number of weeks shall be added to the period 31 provided in section ten of this chapter: arm, thirty-two weeks; leg, 32 forty weeks; hand, thirty-two weeks; foot, thirty-two weeks; ear, twen- 33 ty-five weeks; eye, twenty weeks; thumb, twenty-four weeks; first 34 finger, eighteen weeks; great toe, twelve weeks; second finger, twelve 35 weeks; third finger, eight weeks, fourth finger, eight weeks; toe other 36 than great toe, eight weeks. In any case resulting in loss or partial 37 loss of use of arm, leg, hand, foot, ear, eye, thumb, finger or toe, 38 where the temporary total disability does not extend beyond the periods 39 above mentioned for such injury, benefits shall be limited to the sched- 40 ule contained in section ten of this chapter. 41 S 3. The opening paragraph and subparagraph 1 of paragraph g of subdi- 42 vision 1 of section 10 of the volunteer ambulance workers' benefit law, 43 the opening paragraph as amended by chapter 21 of the laws of 1991 and 44 subparagraph 1 as amended by chapter 924 of the laws of 1990, are 45 amended to read as follows: 46 In the case of disability partial in character, but permanent in qual- 47 ity, the volunteer ambulance worker, injured in the line of duty shall 48 be paid [one hundred fifty dollars for each week for the period speci- 49 fied in this subdivision, provided, however, that when the volunteer 50 ambulance worker is injured in the line of duty on or after the effec- 51 tive date of this chapter to and including June thirtieth, nineteen 52 hundred ninety, and provided further that when the volunteer ambulance 53 worker is injured in the line of duty on or after July first, nineteen 54 hundred ninety to and including June thirtieth, nineteen hundred nine- 55 ty-one such payments shall be two hundred eighty dollars for each week, 56 and provided further that when the volunteer ambulance worker is injured A. 1390 3 1 in the line of duty on or after July first, nineteen hundred ninety-one 2 to and including June thirtieth, nineteen hundred ninety-two such 3 payments shall be three hundred fifty dollars for each week; and 4 provided further that when the volunteer ambulance worker is injured in 5 the line of duty on or after July first, nineteen hundred ninety-two 6 such payments shall be four] EIGHT hundred dollars for each week as 7 follows: 8 (1) If the percentage of loss of earning capacity is seventy-five per 9 centum, or greater, he or she shall be paid [one hundred fifty dollars 10 for each week, provided, however, that the volunteer ambulance worker is 11 injured in the line of duty on or after the effective date of this chap- 12 ter to and including June thirtieth, nineteen hundred ninety, provided, 13 however, that when the volunteer ambulance worker is injured in the line 14 of duty on or after July first, nineteen hundred ninety to and including 15 June thirtieth, nineteen hundred ninety-one such payment shall be two 16 hundred eighty dollars for each week, and provided further that when the 17 volunteer ambulance worker is injured in the line of duty on or after 18 July first, nineteen hundred ninety-one to and including June thirtieth, 19 nineteen hundred ninety-two such payment shall be three hundred fifty 20 dollars for each week; and provided further that when the volunteer 21 ambulance worker is injured in the line of duty on or after July first, 22 nineteen hundred ninety-two such payments shall be four] EIGHT hundred 23 dollars for each week. 24 S 4. Subdivision 1 of section 11 of the volunteer ambulance workers' 25 benefit law, as amended by chapter 924 of the laws of 1990, is amended 26 to read as follows: 27 1. If the percentage of loss of earning capacity is seventy-five per 28 centum, or greater, he or she shall be paid [one hundred fifty dollars 29 for each week, provided, however, that the volunteer ambulance worker is 30 injured in the line of duty on or after the effective date of this chap- 31 ter to and including June thirtieth, nineteen hundred ninety, provided, 32 however, that when the volunteer ambulance worker is injured in the line 33 of duty on or after July first, nineteen hundred ninety to and including 34 June thirtieth, nineteen hundred ninety-one, such payment shall be two 35 hundred eighty dollars for each week, provided, however, that when the 36 volunteer ambulance worker is injured in the line of duty on or after 37 July first, nineteen hundred ninety-one to and including June thirtieth, 38 nineteen hundred ninety-two, such payment shall be three hundred fifty 39 dollars for each week; and provided further that when the volunteer 40 ambulance worker is injured in the line of duty on or after July first, 41 nineteen hundred ninety-two such payments shall be four] EIGHT hundred 42 dollars for each week. 43 S 5. This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding 44 the date on which it shall have become a law and shall apply by its 45 terms to benefits paid for all weekly benefit periods which occur after 46 its effective date.