Extends the September 11th worker protection task force act

• Democratic3

◆ The sponsor's argument

Why Robert Jackson says this is needed

The September 11th Workers Protection Task Force was a key component of New York's landmark 2005 legislation creating pension benefits for first responders who participated in the rescue, recovery and cleanup oper- ations at the World Trade'-' Center. The Task Force, convened to produce recommendations on issues affecting 9/11 first responders, consisted of 19 members: six appointed by the Governor, three by the Senate, three by the Assembly, one by the State comptroller, one by the New York City comptroller, one by the New York City mayor, one by the Department of Health, one by the Department of Labor, one by the Division of the Budg- et, and one by the Department of Civil Service. The task force was mandated to study issues such as the health impacts of exposure to toxins at the pile, the limitations of existing laws and regulations for accidental disability retirement benefits, and potential federal funding to assist the state with costs. First set to expire on June 10th, 2010, the task force met several times in the years following its 2005 creation, and was so successful in influencing the policy discussions surrounding 9/11 benefits that it was extended multiple times throughout the years). The committee has become dormant of late, however, missing critical opportunities to insert itself into the debate on how best to expand and improve the World Trade Center Presumption Law. This bill seeks to revitalize the Task Force by refreshing appointments, expanding the areas of study to include issues more recently raised by advocates for the first responder community, and extending the Task Force until 2025. Lastly, the bill sets a biannual meeting requirement to accompany the provision that the task force deliver reports on its findings to the Governor, Senate and Assembly by June 1st each year. These amendments seek to revive and strengthen the 9/11 Workers Protection Task Force while holding it statutorily accountable to the governmental leaders it seeks to advise. While the legislature has made significant progress of late in extending unlimited sick leave and acci- dental disability pensions to first responders not initially covered in the 2005 law, we have much more to do before we achieve true benefits equity for all who answered the call to action in the days following the 9/11 terrorist attacks. This bill takes a significant step towards that equity by biannually convening experts to study any remaining gaps in coverage for these 9/11 heroes.

This is the sponsor's own case for the bill, quoted from their memorandum. It is not Agora's description of what the bill does.