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STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________

9210--A

IN ASSEMBLY

February 3, 2012
___________

Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  THIELE,  GOODELL,  GUNTHER  -- read once and
  referred to the Committee  on  Labor  --  committee  discharged,  bill
  amended,  ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said commit-
  tee

AN ACT to amend the labor law, in relation  to  authorized  absences  by
  members  of  volunteer fire departments and volunteer ambulance squads
  who respond to states of emergency

  THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section  1.  The labor law is amended by adding a new section 202-l to
read as follows:
  S 202-L. LEAVE OF  ABSENCE  FOR  VOLUNTEER  EMERGENCY  RESPONDERS.  1.
DURING THE TIME THAT AN EMERGENCY EXISTS FOLLOWING A DECLARATION OF SUCH
EMERGENCY  PURSUANT TO SECTION TWENTY-FOUR OR TWENTY-EIGHT OF THE EXECU-
TIVE LAW, AN EMPLOYEE MAY REQUEST  AND  SHALL  BE  GRANTED  A  LEAVE  OF
ABSENCE FROM HIS OR HER EMPLOYER WHILE ENGAGED IN THE ACTUAL PERFORMANCE
OF HIS OR HER DUTIES AS, (A) A VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTER, OR (B) AN ENROLLED
MEMBER  OF  A  VOLUNTEER AMBULANCE SERVICE PURSUANT TO ARTICLE THIRTY OF
THE PUBLIC HEALTH LAW.
  2. THE ENTIRE PERIOD OF THE AUTHORIZED LEAVE OF ABSENCE GRANTED PURSU-
ANT TO THIS SECTION SHALL BE EXCUSED LEAVE  AND  SHALL  NOT  BE  CHARGED
AGAINST ANY OTHER LEAVE TO WHICH SUCH EMPLOYEE IS ENTITLED.
  3.  UPON  THE  EMPLOYER'S  REQUEST, AN EMPLOYEE WHO HAS BEEN GRANTED A
LEAVE OF ABSENCE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THIS SECTION SHALL  PROVIDE  HIS  OR
HER  EMPLOYER  WITH A NOTARIZED STATEMENT FROM THE HEAD OF THE VOLUNTEER
FIRE DEPARTMENT OR VOLUNTEER AMBULANCE SERVICE, AS APPLICABLE,  CERTIFY-
ING  THE  PERIOD  OF  TIME, OR TIMES, THAT SAID EMPLOYEE RESPONDED TO AN
EMERGENCY PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION.
  4. NOTHING SET FORTH IN THIS SECTION SHALL  BE  CONSTRUED  TO  IMPEDE,
INFRINGE  OR  DIMINISH THE RIGHTS AND BENEFITS WHICH ACCRUE TO EMPLOYEES
THROUGH BONA FIDE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENTS, OR OTHERWISE  DIMIN-
ISH THE INTEGRITY OF THE EXISTING COLLECTIVE BARGAINING RELATIONSHIP.
  5.  AN  EMPLOYER  SHALL  NOT  RETALIATE  AGAINST AN EMPLOYEE FOR THEIR
SERVICE AS AN ENROLLED MEMBER OF A VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT  OR  VOLUN-
TEER  AMBULANCE  SQUAD  OR  FOR  OBTAINING A LEAVE OF ABSENCE UNDER THIS
SECTION.
  S 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD14337-02-2