STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          8649

                    IN SENATE

                                    February 26, 2024
                                       ___________

        Introduced by Sen. GOUNARDES -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
          printed to be committed to the Committee on Cities 1

        AN  ACT  to  amend  the  administrative code of the city of New York, in
          relation to health insurance coverage for surviving spouses or  domes-
          tic  partners of members of the New York city fire department employed
          as fire protection inspectors

          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section  1.  Subparagraph  (ii)  of  paragraph  2  of subdivision b of
     2  section 12-126 of the administrative code of the city of  New  York,  as
     3  amended  by  chapter  706  of  the  laws  of 2023, is amended to read as
     4  follows:
     5    (ii) Where an active or retired member of the fire department dies and
     6  is enrolled in a health insurance plan, the surviving spouse or domestic
     7  partner shall be afforded the right to such  health  insurance  coverage
     8  and  health  insurance  coverage  which  is  predicated on the insured's
     9  enrollment in the hospital and medical program for the aged and disabled
    10  under the social security act as is  provided  for  retirees  and  their
    11  dependents  as set forth in subparagraph (i) of this paragraph, provided
    12  such surviving spouse or domestic partner pays one hundred  two  percent
    13  of  the group rate for such coverage, with two percent intended to cover
    14  administrative costs incurred, provided such spouse or domestic  partner
    15  elects  such  health  insurance coverage within one year of the death of
    16  his or her spouse or domestic partner. For  purposes  of  this  subpara-
    17  graph,  "[retired]  member of the fire department" shall include persons
    18  who[, immediately prior  to  retirement,]  were  employed  by  the  fire
    19  department  of the city of New York in a title whose duties are those of
    20  an emergency medical technician or advanced emergency medical technician
    21  (as those terms are defined in section three thousand one of the  public
    22  health  law), or whose duties required the direct supervision of employ-
    23  ees whose duties  are  those  of  an  emergency  medical  technician  or
    24  advanced  emergency  medical  technician  (as those terms are defined in
    25  section three thousand one of the public health law),  or  whose  duties
    26  are  those  of  a fire protection inspector or associate fire protection

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD14648-01-4

        S. 8649                             2

     1  inspector, or whose duties required the direct supervision of  employees
     2  whose  duties are those of a fire protection inspector or associate fire
     3  protection inspector.
     4    § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.