BILL NUMBER: S6554
SPONSOR: JACKSON
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the general municipal law, in relation to benefits for
employees of governmental entities performing emergency medical services
in the city of New York who suffer any condition or impairment of health
caused by a stroke resulting in disability or death
 
PURPOSE:
This bill would include stroke in the performance of duty disability
presumptions for paid members of the New York City fire department who
work as emergency medical technicians or advanced emergency medical
technicians, if such person previously successfully passed a physical
exam upon entry in the position that did not reveal any evidence of such
condition.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 adds stroke to the existing heart disease disability presump-
tion found in section two hundred seven-q of the general municipal law,
as enacted by the laws of two thousand two, chapter six hundred ninety-
five, and as extended by section four hundred eighty of the retirement
and social security law.
Section 2 provides that the law shall take effect immediately.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
In chapter six hundred ninety-five of the laws of 2002, the Legislature
enacted a "Heart Bill" to establish a presumption for New York city fire
department EMTs and Paramedics who became totally or partially disabled
as a result of heart disease that such disease or injury was incurred in
the performance of the duty unless proven to the contrary. The law
conferred upon those EMTs and paramedics the same presumption that had
previously been accorded to New York city firefighters and police offi-
cer. With the enactment of the EMT Heart Bill, the Legislature recog-
nized that work performed by EMTs and Paramedics requires the same kinds
of physical exertion and stress as the work performed by these other
uniformed personnel, and that a consequence is that, just like fire-
fighters and police officers, EMTs and Paramedics face an increased
likelihood of disabling heart disease that is attributable to their work
as emergency first responders.
The EMT Heart Bill was an important and much-needed reform. However, the
Bill does not extend to disabling events commonly understood to arise
from the same occupational hazards. In particular, the Heart Bill has
not been applied to those who have suffered disabling illness or injury
from strokes.
Epidemiological studies of this nature were the predicate for the Heart
Disease presumptions that are now in place for uniformed forces. Given
the evidence that the vulnerability to strokes is a similar risk for
these individuals, it is appropriate that they should obtain the benefit
of such a presumption if they experience disabling strokes during their
careers.. Notably, the Legislature has included strokes among the disa-
bling conditions for which firefighters may assert a presumption that
the strokes emanated from the performance of their duties. See General
Municipal Law Section 207-k. EMTs and Paramedics deserve the same bene-
fit. Like other uniformed personnel, they put their lives on the line
every day to save the lives of citizens of this state. We, as citizens
should support them when they are disabled as a result of their work,
and they should be entitled to the same protections that firefighters
are provided.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New bill
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
See Fiscal Note.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.