Bendett, Brabenec, Brown E, Maher, Lemondes, Angelino, Tague, McGowan, McDonough, DeStefano, Walsh,
Palmesano
MLTSPNSR
Amd §217, Gen Muni L
Requires the forfeiture of benefits to be paid pursuant to a service awards program to volunteer firefighters who have been convicted of felonies committed against a volunteer fire department, volunteer fire company, fire district, or fire protection district.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A8976
SPONSOR: Slater TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the general municipal law, in relation to requiring the
forfeiture of benefits to be paid pursuant to a service awards program
to volunteer firefighters who have been convicted of certain crimes
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
Requires the forfeiture of benefits to be paid pursuant to a service
awards program to volunteer firefighters who have been convicted of
certain crimes
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Includes felonies committed against a volunteer fire department, volun-
teer fire company, fire district, or fire protection district shall not
be eligible to receive benefits from a service award program.
JUSTIFICATION:
In 2016, the treasurer of the volunteer fire department in Mahopac,
Michael Klein, was convicted of embezzling nearly 6 million dollars from
the fire department. When he is released from prison, Klein will still
be eligible to collect his LOSAP (length of service awards program) from
the same fire department that he stole from. Currently, the only crime
that makes one ineligible to collect their service award is arson. This
bill will expand the list of disqualifiers to include any crime commit-
ted against a volunteer fire department.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New Bill
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
TBD
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
8976
IN ASSEMBLY
January 31, 2024
___________
Introduced by M. of A. SLATER -- read once and referred to the Committee
on Local Governments
AN ACT to amend the general municipal law, in relation to requiring the
forfeiture of benefits to be paid pursuant to a service awards program
to volunteer firefighters who have been convicted of certain crimes
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Subdivision (m) of section 217 of the general municipal
2 law, as added by chapter 617 of the laws of 1995, is amended to read as
3 follows:
4 (m) A participant who is convicted of the crime of arson in any degree
5 as defined in the penal law or any other felony defined in the penal law
6 where such crime was committed against a volunteer fire department,
7 volunteer fire company, fire district, or fire protection district shall
8 not be eligible to receive benefits from a service award program and
9 shall forfeit any and all rights he or she may have had to past or
10 future benefits pursuant to a service award program.
11 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD14114-02-4
