WTC Records Folder 0129 Disaster Miscellaneous label, 2001

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

09/20/2001 11:14 SKPDDEN PRPS 4 91212361E054P968910 NO.29E Doc

Title; AN ACT to amend die gcueral municipal law, the retirement and social security law and the administrative code of the city of New York to provide benefits on behalf of public employees who died or suffered disabling injuries in the line of duty as a result of the attack on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001 or the aftermath of such attack.

Summary O f proyis ions:

Section 1 adds a new subdivision g to General Municipal Law 208-f to provide public employees of any state or city entity with a special accidental death benefit equal to the benefit provided under GML 208-f, i. e, the annual salary of the decedent, minus (1) the pension death benefit; (2) social security benefit; and (3) workers compensation. This benefit will go to anyone who died, including rescue workers and other public employees who were victims. Registered domestic partners or the deceased will receive the same benefits as spouses. Provision is made for benefits for families of employees who were eligible to join a retirement system but had not yet done so.

Section 2 amends Retirement and Social Security Law section 605, which applies to members of Tier 4. It provides a'/. salary disability benefit for an employee who was disabled as a'result of a line of duty injury sustained while in the immediate vicinity of the attack, or the aftennan of such attack (including both rescuers and other employee-victims), offset by any workers compensation benefit (see references to RSSL 64 and Ad. Code 13-176). This benefit will be available to members of Tier 4, and to persons who were eligible to join Tier 4 but had not done so (but only if they apply to join the system by March 29, 2002). (Other rescuer workers including EMTs would already get a % disability pension under existing state law.) Domestic partners will be treated like spouses.

Section 3. The Board of Estimate chapter of the Adminisrrative Code, (Chapter 4 of Title 3, sections 3-401 through 3-404) provides death benefits in varying amounts for uniformed employees whose survivors receive one year's salary and other employees who receive an amount determined at the Mayor's discretion. This section will add a new section to Chapter of 4, to provide that the survivors of = City employees — including rescue workers and other employee-victims — who died will receive a death benefit equal to the employee's annual salary. Domestic partners will be nested like spouses (as in existing Ad. Code provisions). These benefits will be in lieu of other benefits under Chapter 4. This bill is broader on its face than current law in one respect: if there is no surviving spouse domestic partner or minor child the benefit will go to the "parent." (Existing law refers to "dependent parent" but has been interpreted to include emotional as well as financial dependency.)

Section 4. New York City Administrative Code section 12-126 provides health insurance coverage for survivors of police officers and firefighters who died in the line of duty. This part of the bill will amend that section to extend such benefits to the survivor of any City employee (including rescue workers and other employee victims) wino died in connection with the events of September 11 or their aftermath. These benefits will be provided to the surviving spouse or domestic partner, until he or she dies, and to children under the age of 19, and children enrolled on a full-time basis in a program of undergraduate study in an accredited degree-granting

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NYC-WTC 000137442