BILL NUMBER: S3488
SPONSOR: JACKSON
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the retirement and social security law, in relation to
disability benefits for certain individuals employed by the Nassau coun-
ty police department
 
PURPOSE:
This bill creates a rebuttable presumption that any heart diseases which
cause health issues for certain individuals employed by the Nassau Coun-
ty Police Department were incurred during the course and discharge of
their duties.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 creates a new Section 63-j of the Retirement and Social
Security Law to provide that any condition of impairment of health
caused by diseases of the heart, resulting in the disability or death to
a member who serves as an ambulance medical technician, ambulance
medical coordinator, ambulance medical technician/supervisor or a member
who performs ambulance medical technician related services, or a police
medic, police medic coordinator, police medic supervisor, bureau direc-
tor police emergency ambulance services - county, assistant bureau
director police emergency ambulance services - county, or a member who
performs police medic or police emergency ambulance related services and
is employed in the Nassau county police department, presently employed
and who shall have sustained such disability while so employed, who
successfully passed a physical examination on entry into service as a
member covered by this section, which examination failed to disclose
evidence of any disease or other impairment of the heart, shall be
presumptive evidence that it was incurred in the performance and
discharge of duty, unless the contrary can be proved by competent
evidence.
Section 2 creates a new Section 63-m of the Retirement and Social
Security Law to provide that any condition of impairment of health
caused by diseases of the heart, resulting in the disability or death to
a member who serves as an ambulance medical technician, ambulance
medical coordinator, ambulance medical technician/supervisor or a member
who performs ambulance medical technician related services, or a police
medic, police medic coordinator, police medic supervisor, bureau direc-
tor police emergency ambulance services - county, assistant bureau
director police emergency ambulance services - county, or a member who
performs police medic or police emergency ambulance related services and
is employed in the Nassau county police department, presently employed
and who shall have sustained such disability while so employed, who
successfully passed a physical examination on entry into service as a
member covered by this section, which examination failed to disclose
evidence of any disease or other impairment of the heart, shall be
presumptive evidence that it was incurred in the performance and
discharge of duty, unless the contrary can be proved by competent
evidence.
Section 3 provides that none of the provisions of this act shall be
subject to the appropriation requirement of section 25 of the retirement
and social security law.
Section 4 provides that all costs associated with implementing the
provisions of this act shall be borne by Nassau County.
Section 5 provides that the act shall take effect immediately.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
Nassau County Police Medics serve their community countywide, providing
the highest possible quality in pre-hospital advanced life support emer-
gency medical service care. Though rare, it does happen that Nassau
County Police Medics are rendered seriously and permanently disabled due
to injuries sustained in the line of duty. While such instances occur
infrequently, they are nonetheless devastating to the Medic involved,
their spouses, and their children.
Police Medics respond to and perform work in varying types of situ-
ations, from the scenes of basic medical assistance calls to truly life-
threatening emergencies. They respond to calls in all types of places
via ambulance. They perform their duties on active highways, at fire
scenes, at the scenes of collapsed buildings, railroad incidents, and
active crime scenes. They also operate as Tactical Medics with the
Nassau County Police Department Bureau of Special Operations. Further,
they sometimes operate as Hazardous Materials Decontamination Techni-
cians.
Though the Medics are well trained, they sometimes encounter the danger-
ous environments described above, as well as dangerous, violent individ-
uals. They are not armed on the job. Their duties as Hazardous Materials
Decontamination Technicians and Tactical Medics are by their nature very
dangerous and can result in serious injury. It should be noted that
Emergency Medical Technicians in the adjacent City of New York have a
75% disability benefit. This bill will provide appropriate protection
for Nassau County Police Medics and their families in the event of a
serious on-the-job disablement. It will also rectify the imbalance in
protection that currently exists between the Medics and other, similar
first responders.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2024: S8854-A/A9645-A - Senate Civil Service & Pensions/Assembly Govern-
mental Employees
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
See fiscal note.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.