STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________

7589--A

IN SENATE

January 29, 2020 ___________

Introduced by Sens. GAUGHRAN, ADDABBO, KAPLAN, SKOUFIS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Finance -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee

AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to directing the office of fire prevention and control within the division of homeland securi- ty and emergency services to form a task force and issue a report relating to volunteer firefighter recruitment and retention; and providing for the repeal of such provisions upon expiration thereof

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 2 159-d-1 to read as follows: 3 § 159-d-1. New York state volunteer firefighter recruitment and 4 retention task force. There is hereby created the volunteer firefighter 5 recruitment and retention task force whose membership shall consist of 6 the chair to be appointed by the governor, or his or her designee; the 7 state fire administrator; the commissioner of homeland security and 8 emergency services or his or her designee; the commissioner of education 9 or his or her designee; the chancellor of the state university of New 10 York or his or her designee; the commissioner of taxation and finance or 11 his or her designee; the commissioner of labor or his or her designee; 12 the president of the Fireman's Association of the State of New York or 13 his or her designee; the president of the Association of Fire Districts 14 or his or her designee; the president of the New York State Association 15 of Fire Chiefs or his or her designee; the president of the New York 16 State Fire Coordinators or his or her designee; two members appointed by 17 the temporary president of the senate or his or her designee; two 18 members appointed by the speaker of the assembly or his or her designee; 19 one member appointed by the minority leader of the senate; and one 20 member appointed by the minority leader of the assembly. The governor 21 shall appoint the chair of the task force. The task force shall report 22 to the governor, the speaker of the assembly and the temporary president 23 of the senate no later than one year after the effective date of this

EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD15049-03-0

S. 7589--A 2

1 section. Such report shall include, but not be limited to, recommenda- 2 tions concerning: 3 1. Firefighter 1 training, and all other firefighter training offered 4 by the office of fire prevention and control, and delivery methods to 5 enhance and streamline training including the use of distance learning; 6 2. The utilization of community colleges, BOCES or state accredited 7 high schools to train firefighters and the creation of pilot programs 8 within community colleges or BOCES that will offer Firefighter 1 certif- 9 ication upon completion; 10 3. The creation of a dedicated bureau within the office of fire 11 prevention and control responsible for recruitment and retention of 12 volunteer firefighters; 13 4. Tax incentives and volunteer firefighter benefits currently 14 provided and recommendations as to these or new programs; 15 5. Analysis of current recruitment and retention programs successfully 16 being utilized by other states and recommendations as to adoption of 17 similar programs in New York; and 18 6. Identification and recruitment incentives to assist in the recruit- 19 ment of volunteer firefighters from under-represented and at-risk popu- 20 lations. 21 All appointees of the task force shall be made no later than thirty 22 days after the effective date of this section. Any vacancy shall be 23 filled by the appointing authority. The task force shall meet no less 24 than six times as frequently as deemed necessary prior to issuing its 25 recommendations. The members of the task force shall serve without 26 compensation, except that members shall be allowed their necessary and 27 actual expenses incurred in the performance of their duties under this 28 section. The office of fire prevention and control within the department 29 of homeland security and emergency services shall provide the task force 30 with such facilities, assistance, and data as will enable such task 31 force to carry out its powers and duties within reason. 32 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire and be 33 deemed repealed December 31, 2021.