NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
 
BILL NUMBER: A521
SPONSOR: Weprin
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the executive law, in relation to the establishment of
the disaster preparedness first responder recognition program and the
honoring of certain retired firefighters who were killed at the World
Trade Center on September 11, 2001
 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
This bill would permit the families of three retired firefighters, who
volunteered and assisted the New York City Fire Department in the rescue
and recovery efforts of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001,
and in so doing lost their lives, to receive the certain recognition and
benefits that they have so earned.
 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Specifically, this bill would amend the unconsolidated law to award the
families of three retired firefighters who volunteered and assisted the
New York City Fire Department in the rescue and recovery efforts of the
World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, with legacy credits for the
loss of these retired firefighters, and which due to an oversight in the
present law, they are not receiving. This bill would further insure that
these three brave firefighters receive the recognition from the City of
New York and its Fire Department that they deserve.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
James J. Corrigan, William Wren, and Phillip T. Hayes, were retired New
York City firefighters at the time of the September 11, 2001 attack on
the World Trade Center Complex. They were at the scene of such September
11,2001 attack, and with great heroism, courage and dedication to their
community and fellow man, and without concern for themselves or their
own personal safety or well being such retired firefighters James J.
Corrigan, William Wren, and Phillip T. Hayes bravely assisted the rescue
and firefighting efforts at the World Trade Center, and in so doing,
gave their lives in the furtherance of such noble and benevolent
efforts. The courageous public service of James J. Corrigan, William
Wren, and Phillip T. Hayes, evidenced by their commitment to, and
concern for, their state, their city and their fellow citizens, over and
above any risk or personal peril they faced, as well as making the ulti-
mate sacrifice as a result of such service, demonstrates that these men
and their surviving families are deserving of the highest recognition,
appreciation, honor and gratitude that their state, their city, the fire
department of the city of New York and their community can provide.
This bill would provide their families with the legacy credit benefits
which they would have received had these men not been retired at the
time of their deaths, thereby not aggravating a penalty their families
have suffered for their public service. As such, the children of these
brave men would receive added points to their civil service applications
to become firefighters, and carry on their fathers; tradition. It would
also insure that they also be granted the same recognition as firefight-
ers on active duty received for their similar and equally heroic sacri-
fice.
 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
02/06/17 referred to governmental operations,
01/03/18 referred to governmental operations
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
See Fiscal Note
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act would take effect immediately.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
521
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 9, 2023
___________
Introduced by M. of A. WEPRIN -- read once and referred to the Committee
on Governmental Operations
AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to the establishment of
the disaster preparedness first responder recognition program and the
honoring of certain retired firefighters who were killed at the World
Trade Center on September 11, 2001
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Legislative declarations. The legislature hereby finds and
2 determines that there should be established a disaster preparedness
3 first responder recognition program to honor those brave men and women
4 who have given their lives as part of a disaster preparedness or first
5 response situation, in an effort to help, save and care for their fellow
6 man.
7 The legislature hereby further finds and declares that James J.
8 Corrigan, William Wren, and Phillip T. Hayes, were retired New York city
9 firefighters at the time of the September 11, 2001 attack on the World
10 Trade Center Complex in the state and city of New York. That such
11 retired firefighters, James J. Corrigan, William Wren, and Phillip T.
12 Hayes, were at the scene of such September 11, 2001 attack, and with
13 great heroism, courage and dedication to their community and fellow man,
14 and without concern for themselves or their own personal safety or well
15 being, such retired firefighters James J. Corrigan, William Wren, and
16 Phillip T. Hayes bravely assisted the rescue and firefighting efforts at
17 the World Trade Center, and in so doing, gave their lives in the furth-
18 erance of such noble and benevolent efforts.
19 The legislature further hereby finds and declares, that the courageous
20 public service of James J. Corrigan, William Wren, and Phillip T. Hayes,
21 evidenced by their commitment to, and concern for, their state, their
22 city and their fellow citizens, over and above any risk or personal
23 peril they faced, as well as making the ultimate sacrifice as a result
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01420-01-3
A. 521 2
1 of such service, demonstrates that these men and their surviving fami-
2 lies are deserving of the highest recognition, appreciation, honor and
3 gratitude that their state, their city, and their community can provide.
4 § 2. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 29-l to read
5 as follows:
6 § 29-l. Disaster preparedness first responder recognition program. 1.
7 There is hereby created a disaster preparedness first responder recogni-
8 tion program. The purpose of such program is to provide recognition and
9 honor to those brave men and women who have given their lives as part of
10 a disaster preparedness or first response situation, in an effort to
11 help, save and care for their fellow man. The program shall be managed
12 and maintained jointly by the office of homeland security and the state
13 emergency management office. Each year, in coordination with the staff
14 at the office of homeland security and the state emergency management
15 office, the program shall honor three individuals from New York state
16 who deserve recognition and honor for their efforts.
17 2. There shall be three initial honorees of the disaster preparedness
18 first responder recognition program. Such initial honorees shall be
19 James J. Corrigan, William Wren, and Phillip T. Hayes. Such honoring
20 shall be in recognition of such retired firefighters who lost their
21 lives at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. As part of their
22 status as initial honorees by the disaster preparedness first responder
23 recognition program, notwithstanding any provision of any general,
24 special, or local law to the contrary, the state of New York, the city
25 of New York and the fire department of the city of New York, shall
26 bestow, award and provide James J. Corrigan, William Wren, and Phillip
27 T. Hayes, and their families, with all the benefits, honors, merits,
28 ceremonies, recognitions, awards and status provided to any other fire-
29 fighter who perished at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001,
30 including but not limited to:
31 a. Posthumously awarding James J. Corrigan, William Wren, and Phillip
32 T. Hayes the Medal of Valor and the Special World Trade Center Medal of
33 Valor and presenting the same to the families of such men at a ceremony
34 held in their honor;
35 b. Adding the names of James J. Corrigan, William Wren, and Phillip T.
36 Hayes to all monuments, memorials and tributes honoring the brave fire-
37 fighters from the city of New York who gave their lives in the World
38 Trade Center on September 11, 2001, including but not exclusive of
39 adding their names to the Wall of Honor at the Fire Department of the
40 city of New York's headquarters;
41 c. Posthumously retiring the badges of James J. Corrigan, William
42 Wren, and Phillip T. Hayes;
43 d. Establishing a picture memorial to James J. Corrigan, William Wren,
44 and Phillip T. Hayes in the firehouse in which each such firefighter
45 last served, commemorating such firefighters' service and acknowledging
46 their sacrifice at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001;
47 e. Establishing a picture memorial to James J. Corrigan, William Wren,
48 and Phillip T. Hayes in the office of homeland security and the state
49 emergency management office, commemorating such firefighters' service
50 and acknowledging their sacrifice at the World Trade Center on September
51 11, 2001.
52 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately; provided that the recog-
53 nition activities required by section two of this act shall be completed
54 on or before the ninetieth day from the date upon which this act shall
55 have become a law.