Establishes the New York state volunteer fire protection emergency reimbursement account; provides reimbursement for expenses incurred related to procurement of personal protective equipment and other expenses.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A3783
SPONSOR: Norris TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the tax law and the state finance law, in relation to
the New York state volunteer fire protection emergency reimbursement
account for reimbursement for expenses incurred relating to procurement
of personal protective equipment and other expenses; and providing for
the repeal of such provisions upon expiration thereof
PURPOSE::
This act shall establish the New York State Volunteer Fire Protection
Reimbursement Account. First, this legislation would divert monies
collected from the public safety communications surcharge that are
currently deposited in the General Fund into a newly created fund known
as the New York State Volunteer Fire Protection Reimbursement Account.
Second, the account will be used to reimburse volunteer departments and
emergency medical services for expenses incurred related to procuring
personal protective equipment (PPE) which may include, but is not limit-
ed to: face shields, eye protection, isolation gowns, face masks, respi-
rators, and turnout gear. Lastly, monies collected and deposited into
the account may be used to reimburse volunteer fire departments and
emergency medical services for lost revenue due to either municipal
budget cuts or the cancellation of public events such as fundraisers or
charity events.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS::
Section 1. Diverts excess funds collected from the public safety commu-
nications surcharge from the general fund and into the New York State
Volunteer Fire Protection Reimbursement Account.
Section 2.
Subdivision 1; Establishes the New York State Volunteer Fire Protection
Reimbursement Account and gives the Comptroller and the Commissioner of
the Department of Tax and Finance joint custody of the account.
Subdivision 2; allocates revenues collected from the public safety
communications surcharge to be deposited in the account.
Subdivision 3, Subparagraph (a); Allows monies deposited into the fund
to be used to reimburse volunteer fire departments and emergency medical
services for the purchase or PPE and for lost revenues. Subparagraph
(b); Limits eligibility to fire companies, departments, districts, and
not-for-profit EMS services and requires applications be submitted to
the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services.
Section 3. Effective Date.
JUSTIFICATION::
The COVID-19 pandemic has limited financial resources for everyone.
Although there has been a concerted effort by all levels of government
to assist the general public in recovering from this disaster, some
organizations such as volunteer fire departments and emergency medical
services have been forgotten. Not only are volunteer firefighters and
EMT's essential to public health, they are front line essential workers.
Unfortunately, many volunteers throughout our State have not been given
adequate PPE like masks, face shields and isolation gowns. To complicate
matters, these volunteer groups are not able to conduct their tradi-
tional fundraising events that keep their vital services going. This
legislation leverages money that is already collected by the State
through the public safety communications surcharge and diverts a portion
of it to assist volunteer fire departments and other emergency personnel
obtain PPE and deal with this loss of revenue.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY::
2019-20: A.10397
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS::
None to the State. The current 410 of funds collected from Public Safety
Communication Surcharge that are deposited into the State general fund
will now be deposited into the New York State Volunteer Fire Protection
Reimbursement Account.
EFFECTIVE DATE::
Immediately, provided, however, the provisions of this act shall expire
one year after the expiration of the governor's declared emergency
pursuant to Executive Order 202.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
3783
2021-2022 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 28, 2021
___________
Introduced by M. of A. NORRIS, ASHBY, BARCLAY, BLANKENBUSH, BRABENEC,
BYRNE, BYRNES, DeSTEFANO, DiPIETRO, FITZPATRICK, FRIEND, GOODELL,
J. M. GIGLIO, HAWLEY, LALOR, MANKTELOW, McDONOUGH, MIKULIN, B. MILLER,
M. MILLER, MONTESANO, MORINELLO, PALMESANO, RA, REILLY, SALKA,
SCHMITT, SMITH, SMULLEN, TAGUE, WALCZYK, WALSH -- read once and
referred to the Committee on Ways and Means
AN ACT to amend the tax law and the state finance law, in relation to
the New York state volunteer fire protection emergency reimbursement
account for reimbursement for expenses incurred relating to procure-
ment of personal protective equipment and other expenses; and provid-
ing 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. Paragraph (a) of subdivision 5 of section 186-f of the tax
2 law, as added by section 3 of part B of chapter 56 of the laws of 2009,
3 is amended to read as follows:
4 (a) forty-one and seven-tenths of the revenues collected and received
5 under this section into the [state general fund] New York state volun-
6 teer fire protection emergency reimbursement account established pursu-
7 ant to section ninety-nine-ii of the state finance law; and
8 § 2. The state finance law is amended by adding a new section 99-ii to
9 read as follows:
10 § 99-ii. New York state volunteer fire protection emergency reimburse-
11 ment account. 1. There is hereby established in the joint custody of the
12 state comptroller and the commissioner of the department of taxation and
13 finance a special fund to be known as the New York state volunteer fire
14 protection emergency reimbursement account. Moneys in this account shall
15 be kept separate and not commingled with any other moneys in the custody
16 of the comptroller.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01803-01-1
A. 3783 2
1 2. The sum equal to the amount identified in paragraph (a) of subdivi-
2 sion five of section one hundred eighty-six-f of the tax law shall be
3 credited to the fund.
4 3. (a) Monies collected and deposited into the New York state volun-
5 teer fire protection emergency reimbursement account shall be used to:
6 reimburse volunteer fire companies, volunteer fire departments, volun-
7 teer fire districts, volunteer fire protection districts and not-for-
8 profit emergency medical services for expenses incurred related to
9 procurement of personal protective equipment including but not be limit-
10 ed to, face shields, eye protection, isolation gowns, face masks, respi-
11 rators, and turnout gear; and to reimburse volunteer fire companies,
12 volunteer fire departments, volunteer fire districts, volunteer fire
13 protection districts and not-for-profit emergency medical services for
14 lost revenues due to municipal budget cuts or restrictions on public
15 revenue raising events during the state of emergency declared by the
16 governor pursuant to section twenty-nine of the executive law beginning
17 March seventh, two thousand twenty.
18 (b) Such reimbursements shall only be made upon application by a fire
19 company, department, district, or non-profit EMS service to the New York
20 state division of homeland security. The division of homeland security
21 may require submission of documentation with an application for
22 reimbursement as it deems necessary.
23 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately; provided, however, the
24 provisions of this act shall expire and be deemed repealed one year
25 after the expiration of the governor's declared emergency pursuant to
26 Executive Order 202.
