Safety & Health

New Law Expands NY State Firefighter Disability Benefits

Nov. 5, 2021

Firefighters with the New York Division of Military and Naval Affairs will now receive the same disability benefits as their municipal counterparts.

Source Firehouse.com News

A Stewart Air National Guard Base firefighter speaks at a press conference announcing passage of a law granting disability benefits to state-employed firefighters.

Firefighters working for the State Division of Military and Naval Affairs that are injured while performing their duties will now have parody with other career firefighters in the state of New York.

New York State Sen. James Skoufis announced passage of the bill at Stewart Air National Guard Base. The bill allowing firefighters to receive benefits no matter which department they work for was signed into law by Gov. Kathy Hochul and will take effect immediately.

The attempt to gain benefits for DMNA firefighters has been approved in previous legislative sessions only to be vetoed three times by the previous administration, according to Sen. Skoufis.

The legislation helps to overcome the roadblock that the disability claim occurred while performing duties. In addition, it provides a 50 percent of 75 percent final average salary benefit.