Establishes the COVID heroes grant program to award a lump sum pay differential of $2,500 to essential SUNY hospital employees who worked during the COVID-19 state disaster emergency.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
8115
2021-2022 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
June 11, 2021
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Introduced by M. of A. RICHARDSON, HUNTER, MAGNARELLI -- read once and
referred to the Committee on Governmental Employees
AN ACT to amend the civil service law, in relation to establishing the
COVID heroes grant program
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Section 130 of the civil service law is amended by adding
2 a new subdivision 15 to read as follows:
3 15. COVID heroes grant program. a. Any essential employee employed at
4 a state university of New York hospital, who worked in-person at such
5 hospital at any time during the COVID-19 state disaster emergency
6 declared pursuant to executive order number two hundred two of two thou-
7 sand twenty, as amended, shall be awarded a lump sum COVID heroes grant
8 differential.
9 b. Such COVID heroes grant differential shall equal twenty-five
10 hundred dollars. Such COVID heroes grant differential shall be in addi-
11 tion to such employee's basic annual salary, and shall not affect or
12 impair any performance advancement payments, performance awards, longev-
13 ity payments or other rights or benefits to which such employee may be
14 entitled under the provisions of this chapter; provided, however, that
15 any differential payable pursuant to this subdivision shall be included
16 as compensation for retirement purposes.
17 c. For the purposes of this subdivision, "essential employee" shall
18 mean any employee providing in-person essential services or functions
19 during the COVID-19 state disaster emergency declared pursuant to execu-
20 tive order number two hundred two of two thousand twenty, as amended,
21 and designated as an essential employee or essential worker pursuant to
22 such executive order, as amended, or by any law, rule or regulation.
23 § 2. Any essential employee employed in a professional services nego-
24 tiating unit position or in a managerial/confidential position in the
25 unclassified service at a state university of New York hospital who
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD11644-02-1
A. 8115 2
1 worked in-person at any time in such hospital during the COVID-19 state
2 disaster emergency declared pursuant to executive order number 202 of
3 2020, as amended, shall be awarded a COVID heroes grant differential.
4 Such COVID heroes grant differential shall equal $2,500. Such COVID
5 heroes grant differential shall be in addition to such employee's basic
6 annual salary, and shall not affect or impair any other compensation,
7 rights, or benefits to which such employee may be entitled; provided,
8 however, that any COVID heroes grant differential payable pursuant to
9 subdivision 15 of section 130 of the civil service law shall be included
10 as compensation for retirement purposes. For the purposes of this
11 section, "essential employee" shall mean any employee providing in-per-
12 son essential services or functions during the COVID-19 state disaster
13 emergency declared pursuant to executive order number 202 of 2020, as
14 amended, and designated as an essential employee or essential worker
15 pursuant to such executive order, as amended, or by any law, rule or
16 regulation.
17 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
