STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
1937
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 23, 2023
___________
Introduced by M. of A. STERN, DeSTEFANO, BUTTENSCHON, BYRNES, SIMPSON --
read once and referred to the Committee on Governmental Operations
AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to establishing a pilot
program for the prevention of, and treatment for, the effects of trau-
matic stress on volunteer first responders; providing for the repeal
of such provisions upon expiration thereof; and making an appropri-
ation therefor
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 715 to
2 read as follows:
3 § 715. Pilot program for the prevention of, and treatment for, the
4 effects of traumatic stress on volunteer first responders. 1. The
5 commissioner of the division of homeland security and emergency services
6 in consultation with the state emergency medical services council, shall
7 develop a pilot program to provide services to volunteer certified first
8 responders including but not limited to, preventative mental health
9 care, peer to peer training and assistance and support services for
10 those suffering from traumatic stress related to the performance of
11 their duties. The volunteer first responder pilot program shall be
12 administered within four counties, two of which shall be upstate coun-
13 ties located north of Westchester county and two of which shall be down-
14 state counties.
15 2. For the purpose of this section "volunteer certified first respon-
16 der" shall mean an individual who meets the minimum requirements estab-
17 lished by regulations pursuant to section three thousand two of the
18 public health law and who administers initial life saving care to sick
19 and injured persons as a member of a volunteer fire or ambulance compa-
20 ny.
21 3. The commissioner of the division of homeland security and emergency
22 services shall designate an educational facility within the state
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02381-01-3
A. 1937 2
1 university of New York system to be responsible for monitoring the qual-
2 ity, appropriateness and effectiveness of the program and shall report
3 to the legislature within one year of the effective date of this
4 section, and on January first of each year thereafter, on the program's
5 effectiveness.
6 § 2. The sum of three hundred seventy-five thousand dollars ($375,000)
7 is hereby appropriated to the division of homeland security and emergen-
8 cy services out of any moneys in the state treasury in the general fund
9 to the credit of the state purposes account, not otherwise appropriated,
10 and made immediately available, for the purpose of carrying out the
11 provisions of this act. Such moneys shall be payable on the audit and
12 warrant of the comptroller on vouchers certified or approved by the
13 division of homeland security and emergency services in the manner
14 prescribed by law and shall be proportionally distributed among the
15 counties participating in the program based on the number of volunteer
16 first responders in each participating county.
17 § 3. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
18 have become a law; and shall expire and be deemed repealed five years
19 after it shall take effect. Effective immediately, the addition, amend-
20 ment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implemen-
21 tation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and
22 completed on or before such effective date.
