2026 Issues of United Concern
After a meeting of the fire service organizations including County Coordinators, Fire Districts, Fire Chiefs, Fire Police and FASNY, the following are the legislative initiatives for 2026.
- Increase VFBL Payments, reach parity with workman’s comp payments. [A1849 Steck & No Same As at this time.]
An act to amend the volunteer firefighters’ benefit law and the volunteer ambulance workers’ benefit law, in relation to increasing the amount of certain benefits. These benefits have not been updated in decades, with most compensation thresholds last revised in the 1990s. As a result, they no longer adequately reflect current economic realities. This legislation seeks to modernize and enhance these benefits to ensure they provide appropriate and meaningful support to those who risk their lives in service to others.
- Designate EMS as an essential service [A1989 Oberacker & No Same As at this time.]
An act to amend the general municipal law and the public health law, in relation to emergency medical services. The goal of the legislation is to provide a county-by-county assessment that will provide a roadmap for statewide improvements in providing EMS service going forward. The process can be matched with efforts to develop a statewide plan that matches the variety of ways services are provided throughout New York.
- The First Responder PEER Support Act [S5407A Harckham & A7285A Burdick]
An act to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to the “First
Responder Peer Support Program Act”. Modeled after the highly successful Joseph P. Dwyer Veterans Peer to Peer Support Program, which was launched in 2012, this bill would establish a First Responder Peer Support Program. This program would focus on prioritizing the mental well-being of the state’s first responders. By enacting this bill we can ensure that first responders have access to the necessary systems to address some of the challenges they face.
- Increase the income tax credits for first responders. [S6233 Martinez/A6790 McMahon] also [S1123 Oberacker/A1064 Angelino] also [A28 Burdick/No Same As]
An act to amend the tax law and the real property tax law, in relation to tax credits for volunteer firefighters and volunteer ambulance workers. A taxpayer who serves as an active volunteer firefighter or ambulance worker shall be allowed a credit against their state taxes equal to $800. For married couple who file a joint return and both individually qualify, they shall be allowed a credit of $1600.
Legislation would also remove the prohibition to take the property tax exemption in addition to the income tax exemption.
- Enable more progressive fire service delivery options, including agency structure, supplemental support and provide nominal compensation to first responders. [need specifics, no sponsor at this time.]
Volunteer and on-call emergency responders should be able to receive compensation as determined by the AHJ for the time that they dedicate to being available or responding to incidents. At this time volunteers are in danger of losing their volunteer status by language currently in the VFBL statutes, which needs to be removed to provide the AHJ the option of providing monetary incentives for volunteers. In addition alternative fire service provider models should be optional to varying levels of government.
- Amend the EMS billing law [no sponsor at this time, need specific language]
Amend the law to allow EMS agencies to bill for mutual aid transports. Currently agencies are not permitted to bill for calls which have been mutual aided to them.
- State Retirement Service Credit as a recruitment/retention incentive [S7021 Ryan/A7432 Eachus]
An act to amend the retirement and social security law, in relation to establishing a retirement service credit for volunteer fire or emergency service. Section 1 of this bill would allow a member, upon application to a public retirement system, to achieve one year of service credit for every five years of volunteer fire or emergency service in the State, not to exceed three years of total service credit; available to such member any time before retirement.
OTHER AREAS OF CONCERN THAT MAY BE ADDRESSED GIVEN THE TIME AND ATTENTION OF THE LEGISLATORS DURING THE SESSION.
- Support the joint NVFC, IAFF task force working with DOL/OSHA to propose a viable solution to the 191.156 update, including the removal of the NFPA standards incorporated by reference.
- Publishing Official Notice Modernization; this initiative would update how public and legal notices are transmitted to the public with the demise of local newspapers. For instance, modernization would allow governmental entities to publish notices via online platforms.
- Convene a work group to come up with viable solutions to the issue of compensation for volunteers as well as fire service delivery options, including agency structure and consolidation of services. Specifically remove the prohibition by the counties to provide fire service as an optional solution.