Bill Text: NY S08658 | 2021-2022 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Relates to the submission date for a report relating to volunteer firefighter recruitment and retention and to the effectiveness of certain provisions relating thereto.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)

Status: (Passed) 2022-06-30 - SIGNED CHAP.335 [S08658 Detail]

Download: New_York-2021-S08658-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          8658

                    IN SENATE

                                     March 28, 2022
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  Sen. GAUGHRAN -- (at request of the Division of Homeland
          Security and Emergency Services) -- read twice  and  ordered  printed,
          and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules

        AN  ACT  to  amend chapter 258 of the laws of 2020 relating to directing
          the office of fire prevention and control within the division of home-
          land security and emergency services to form a task force and issue  a
          report relating to volunteer firefighter recruitment and retention, in
          relation  to  the submission date of such report and to the effective-
          ness thereof

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

     1    Section 1. Sections 1 and 2 of chapter 258 of the laws of 2020, relat-
     2  ing  to  directing  the office of fire prevention and control within the
     3  division of homeland security and emergency  services  to  form  a  task
     4  force  and  issue a report relating to volunteer firefighter recruitment
     5  and retention, as amended by chapter 7 of the laws of 2021, are  amended
     6  to read as follows:
     7    Section  1.  New  York  state  volunteer  firefighter  recruitment and
     8  retention task force. There is hereby created the volunteer  firefighter
     9  recruitment  and  retention task force whose membership shall consist of
    10  the chair to be appointed by the governor; the  state fire administrator
    11  or his or her designee; the commissioner of  education  or  his  or  her
    12  designee;  the  chancellor of the state university of New York or his or
    13  her designee; the commissioner of taxation and finance  or  his  or  her
    14  designee; the commissioner of labor or his or her designee; nine members
    15  appointed by the governor; the president of the Fireman's Association of
    16  the State of New York or his or her designee; the president of the Asso-
    17  ciation  of  Fire Districts or his or her designee; the president of the
    18  New York State Association of Fire Chiefs or his or  her  designee;  the
    19  president  of  the New York State Fire Coordinators or his or her desig-
    20  nee; two members appointed by the temporary president of the senate; two
    21  members appointed by the speaker of the assembly; one  member  appointed
    22  by  the  minority  leader of the senate; and one member appointed by the
    23  minority leader of the assembly.   The task force shall  report  to  the

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD14573-01-2
        S. 8658                             2

     1  governor, the speaker of the assembly and the temporary president of the
     2  senate  no  later  than  [one year after the effective date of this act]
     3  December 31, 2022. Such report shall include, but  not  be  limited  to,
     4  recommendations concerning:
     5    1.  Firefighter 1 training, and all other firefighter training offered
     6  by the office of fire prevention and control, and  delivery  methods  to
     7  enhance and streamline training including the use of distance learning;
     8    2.  The  utilization  of community colleges, BOCES or state accredited
     9  high schools to train firefighters and the creation  of  pilot  programs
    10  within community colleges or BOCES that will offer Firefighter 1 certif-
    11  ication upon completion;
    12    3.  The  feasibility  and necessity of creation of a bureau within the
    13  office of fire prevention and control responsible  for  recruitment  and
    14  retention of volunteer firefighters;
    15    4.   Tax  incentives  and  volunteer  firefighter  benefits  currently
    16  provided and recommendations as to these or new programs;
    17    5. Analysis of current recruitment and retention programs successfully
    18  being utilized by other states and recommendations  as  to  adoption  of
    19  similar programs in New York; and
    20    6. Identification and recruitment incentives to assist in the recruit-
    21  ment  of volunteer firefighters from under-represented and at-risk popu-
    22  lations.
    23    All appointees of the task force shall be made  no  later  than  sixty
    24  days  after  the effective date of this act. Any vacancy shall be filled
    25  by the appointing authority. The task force shall meet as frequently  as
    26  deemed  necessary  prior  to issuing its recommendations. The members of
    27  the task force shall serve without  compensation,  except  that  members
    28  shall  be  allowed  their  necessary and actual expenses incurred in the
    29  performance of their duties under  this  section.  The  office  of  fire
    30  prevention  and  control  within the department of homeland security and
    31  emergency services shall provide the task force  with  such  facilities,
    32  assistance,  and  data  as  will enable such task force to carry out its
    33  powers and duties within reason.
    34    § 2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall  expire  and  be
    35  deemed repealed [April 1] December 31, 2022.
    36    §  2.  This  act shall take effect immediately, and shall be deemed to
    37  have been in full force and effect  on  and  after  November  11,  2020;
    38  provided,  however,  that  the amendments to section 1 of chapter 258 of
    39  the laws of 2020 made by section one of this act shall  not  affect  the
    40  repeal of such section and shall be deemed repealed therewith.