BILL NUMBER: S8649
SPONSOR: GOUNARDES
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in
relation to health insurance coverage for surviving spouses or domestic
partners of members of the New York city fire department employed as
fire protection inspectors
 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
To clarify that the surviving families of FDNY fire protection inspec-
tors should be extended the same lifetime COBRA coverage provided to
other FDNY employees, regardless of whether or not the fire protection
inspector had retired on the date of their death.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section one of this bill amends subparagraph (ii) of paragraph 2 of
subdivision b of section 12-126 of the New York City Administrative Code
to provide that that the term "active or retired member of the fire
department" includes FDNY fire protection inspectors in addition to
other titles such as firefighter and emergency medical technician (EMT)
Section two sets the effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
This bill extends the protections of Ch. 706 of 2023, which provided
lifetime COBRA coverage to the surviving spouses of active and retired
FDNY firefighters and emergency medical technicians, to fire protection
inspectors as well.
Chapter 706 of 2023 closed a gap related to Consolidated Omnibus Budget
Reconciliation Act (COBRA) coverage, which provides continuing health-
care benefits to the surviving families of employees after the employee
loses their job due to certain qualifying events. In New York City, the
spouses of corrections and sanitation employees were eligible for life-
time COBRA coverage, regardless of whether or not the employee had
retired at the time of their death. The spouses of FDNY employees,
however, were only eligible for lifetime COBRA if the employee had
retired on the date of their death. Otherwise, the spouse was eligible
for COBRA for 36 months.
This bill closes a further gap in coverage by clarifying that FDNY
employees in this section of New York City's Administrative Code
includes fire protection inspectors in addition to other uniformed
titles such as firefighter and EMT. It endeavors to treat all FDNY
uniformed members with the same level of dignity and respect by ensuring
that all surviving spouses are afforded equal levels of healthcare
coverage.
 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
None
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
TBD
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediate