New York (WRGB) \u2014 Gov. Hochul has signed three bills designed to support 9\/11 victims, responders and surviving family members, with a focus on preserving eligibility for retirement and workers\u2019 compensation benefits and extending filing windows for National Guard members and others impacted by the rescue, recovery and cleanup.<\/p>\n
Gov. Hochul said,<\/p>\n
None of us will ever forget the horrific attacks on our state and nation on that day in 2001 – nor will we ever forget the unflinching bravery and sacrifice of civilians and first responders whose lives were devastated. As we mark the 25th anniversary of the events at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and in Pennsylvania, we sign these three laws to support and honor those whose lives were transformed on that terrible day.<\/p>\n
One of the measures, A.11531 \/ S.10605, amends the Retirement and Social Security Law to extend to September11, 2030, the deadline to submit documentation to the state retirement system showing an individual\u2019s participation in World Trade Center rescue, recovery and clean-up operations following September11, 2001. The bill also extends the deadline to submit Form WTC-12 to the New York State Workers\u2019 Compensation Board until September11, 2030.<\/p>\n
Submitting the documentation preserves a person\u2019s right to file a future workers\u2019 compensation claim for any injury or illness caused by participation in rescue, recovery and clean-up operations between September11, 2001, and September11, 2002. People who participated at Ground Zero, Fresh Kills Landfill, the barges, the piers and\/or the morgues during that time are urged to file Form WTC-12 whether they were injured or not.<\/p>\n
The legislation also requires the Workers\u2019 Compensation Board to reconsider claims in which a worker became disabled between September11, 2021, and September11, 2025, that were previously disallowed due to the deadline. It also extends the time limit for filing new claims for injuries or illnesses occurring within that timeframe until on or before September11, 2030.<\/p>\n
State Sen. Robert Jackson said,<\/p>\n
Twenty-five years after September 11, remembrance must mean more than looking back – it must mean standing by those who carried New York through its darkest hour. I am proud that S.10605 and S.10085A, two bills I sponsor, are now law because our responsibility to the 9\/11 community cannot be measured by the passage of time. The years may move forward, but sacrifice does not expire, illness does not obey a calendar, and neither should justice. I commend Governor Hochul for signing these measures into law and affirming a promise that must endure across generations: New York remembers, New York honors and New York stands by those who stood for us.<\/p>\n
Assemblymember Charles D. Fall said,<\/p>\n
Twenty-five years after September 11th, the heroes who answered the call are still living with the consequences of the courage they showed that day and in the months that followed. We can never put a deadline on our responsibility to them. I\u2019m proud that my legislation is now law, ensuring that responders who ran toward danger, worked on the pile, and helped our city recover have more time to protect their right to the benefits they earned and deserve, especially as 9\/11-related illnesses continue to surface decades later. \u2018Never Forget\u2019 must be more than words. It means remembering their sacrifice, standing with their families, and continuing to show up for the heroes who showed up for us.<\/p>\n
A second bill, A.11538 \/ S.10650, extends by four years, through September11, 2030, the deadline for submitting a claim for World Trade Center death and disability benefits for members of New York\u2019s National Guard and their beneficiaries. The measure applies to Guard members activated on state active duty on or after September11, 2001, to participate in World Trade Center site rescue, recovery or cleanup operations as part of their duty and determined to have incurred a qualifying World Trade Center condition.<\/p>\n
Assemblymember Grace Lee said,<\/p>\n
Twenty-five years ago, thousands of our National Guard members answered the call to duty, descending on Ground Zero to assist in rescue and recovery efforts. Five members of the National Guard died on that tragic day, and many more have battled health complications as a result of their service. Thank you to Governor Hochul for signing this bill, as part of a package supporting 9\/11 victims, responders and their families. We will never forget the sacrifices made by all who answered the call on 9\/11, and we will keep fighting to honor and support them.<\/p>\n
The third measure, A.11213A \/ S.10085A, extends the 25-year presumptive eligibility period for certain retirement benefits for injuries or illnesses related to World Trade Center rescue, recovery and clean-up. It also extends provisions allowing for the reclassification of retiree deaths as World Trade Center qualifying accidental deaths for retirees who die after having been retired for more than 25 years, up to a maximum of 35 years.<\/p>\n
Assemblymember Stacey Pheffer Amato said,<\/p>\n
The terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 had, and still has, a profound lasting impact on our State\u2019s history and is felt by many residents in our community, and across our great State. \u2018Never Forget\u2019 is not a motto, it is a real statement that New York is fully committed to honoring. Ensuring all 9\/11 victims, first responders and their families can continue to receive the benefits and support they are entitled to is an essential part of that commitment. I commend Governor Hochul for her continued dedication to helping those impacted by the 9\/11 terrorist attacks and applaud her for signing these vital pieces of legislation into law.<\/p>\n
Workers\u2019 Compensation Board Chair Freida D. Foster said,<\/p>\n
The Board applauds Governor Hochul\u2019s tireless work fighting for the best outcomes for all New Yorkers and especially the brave responders who put their own lives on the line to help others. As World Trade Center health consequences continue to manifest 25 years later, the New York State Workers\u2019 Compensation Board remains dedicated to ensuring World Trade Center victims, responders, and surviving family members get every benefit they are entitled to receive. We continue to urge all those who participated in the rescue, recovery, and clean-up efforts to file a WTC-12 form to preserve their rights to file a claim for workers\u2019 compensation benefits should they ever need them.<\/p>\n
Labor and public safety groups also praised the package, emphasizing that illnesses linked to exposure can emerge decades later and that families continue to face long-term impacts.<\/p>\n
New York State AFL-CIO Mario Cilento said,<\/p>\n
These bills are critical to ensuring that the workers who answered the call to rescue, recover, and clean up at the World Trade Center in the aftermath of the 9\/11 terrorist attacks are no longer denied the benefits they and their families have earned and deserve.<\/p>\n
Police Conference of New York President Michael O\u2019Meara said,<\/p>\n
The Police Conference of New York, representing almost 50,000 police officers across New York State sincerely thanks Governor Hochul and the members of the New York State Legislature for remembering and honoring the commitments to all of our brave 1st responders by passing and signing these bills into law.<\/p>\n
NYC PBA President Patrick Hendry said,<\/p>\n
These bills are far more than a tribute to our 9\/11 heroes. They are a promise to the responders and their families that the benefits they count on will remain available for years to come.<\/p>\n
NYPD DEA President Scott Munro said,<\/p>\n
Our Detectives are still dying from 9\/11-related cancers, and their families are still living with the devastating consequences of the work they did at Ground Zero. For 25 years, they have paid the price for breathing toxic air while answering the call. The DEA has never stopped fighting to protect our members and their families, and we never will. Governor Hochul\u2019s signing of this legislation ensures that those who sacrificed their health in service to this city will continue to receive the benefits they earned and deserve. We are grateful to her for standing up for what is right.<\/p>\n
New York State Professional Firefighters Association President Sam Fresina said,<\/p>\n
On behalf of every professional firefighter who answered the call on September 11th and in the months of rescue, recovery, and clean-up that followed, we thank Governor Hochul for signing this critical legislation. We have long known that WTC-related illnesses, cancers, respiratory disease, and other conditions do not follow a calendar. They can emerge decades after exposure. A twenty-five-year window left too many of our brothers and sisters and their families without the protections they earned through their service and sacrifice. This extension is a direct response to what our doctors, our union locals and our families have been telling Albany for years: the WTC health crisis is ongoing, and our laws must reflect that. We are grateful to Governor Hochul, Senator Jackson, Assemblywoman Pheffer Amato and every legislator who fought to get this bill across the finish line.<\/p>\n
UFA President Bobby Eustace said,<\/p>\n
On the eve of the 25th anniversary of September 11th, the Uniformed Firefighters Association thanks Governor Kathy Hochul for signing legislation that recognizes the extraordinary sacrifices of New York City firefighters. As we remember the 343 FDNY members murdered on September 11th and the hundreds more we have lost to World Trade Center-related illness, this action carries special meaning. Governor Hochul has shown that she stands with the FDNY and the families who have carried this burden for 25 years. We are grateful for her leadership and commitment to those who continue to protect this city.<\/p>\n
New York State Public Employee Conference Chairman Peter D. Meringolo said, <\/p>\n
NYSPEC led the negotiations which, in 2005, after an almost four-year battle chiefly with the City of New York, culminated in the original 9\/11 Presumptive Disability Legislation. That first bill, which has been improved and expanded upon numerous times over the years, has helped several thousand public employees and their families. Unfortunately, the law, and all its benefits, was set to expire this Friday, the 25th Anniversary of the heinous attacks. On behalf of the more than one million active and retired public employees we represent, we thank Senator Robert Jackson and Members of the Assembly Charles Fall and Stacey Pheffer Amato for sponsoring and advancing bills to extend the original legislation and the filing dates, and we applaud Governor Kathy Hochul for signing these two crucial measures into law!<\/p>\n