What to Know
- The NY State Legislature passed a bill preserving the benefits of 9/11 first responders and extending the deadline to apply for benefits
- The bill extends the ability for those who were injured due to rescue, recovery or clean-up operations to claim workers compensation
- The piece of proposed legislation now awaits the governor’s signature
The New York State Legislature passed a bill preserving the benefits of 9/11 first responders and extending the deadline to apply for benefits.
The piece of legislation extends the ability for those who were injured due to World Trade Center rescue, recovery or clean-up operations to claim workers’ compensation benefits.
The legislation (S7797A) was sponsored by Sen. Martin Golden (R-C-I, Brooklyn).
"Our first responder heroes of 9/11 deserve assistance in getting every benefit to which they are entitled,” said Golden in a statement.
Originally, those who took part in the rescue, recovery and clean-up efforts had until Sept. 11, 2010 to file the required Notice of Participation in order to become eligible for workers compensation. This marks the third extension of the deadline.
The bill will now allow individuals who were disabled between Sept. 11, 2015 and Sept. 11, 2017 to file a claim before Sept. 11, 2022.
Local
The recently-passed bill also gives those who applied and were, subsequently, denied benefits between Sept. 11, 2015 and Sept. 11, 2017 the chance to have their claims reconsidered.
The piece of legislation now awaits the governor’s signature.
The state Senate passed additional bills throughout the year to enhance the benefits to those who helped in the 9/11 recovery efforts.
Last month a new license plate commemorating the victims of the terrorist attacks was approved with the surcharge collected from each plate going to the World Trade Center Memorial Scholarship fund, which provides access to a college education for family members and financial dependents of victims who died or were permanently disabled as a result of the 9/11 attacks.
