Provides a lung disease presumption for correction officers, correction supervisors, deputy sheriff patrol or deputy sheriff patrol supervisors

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Robert Jackson

Grants a lung disease presumption for certain public safety personnel (correction officers/supervisors and deputy sheriffs) that their diagnosed lung conditions are work-related fo

COMMITTED TO RULES

Overview

Bill: S 6404 (New York State Senate)

Title / Purpose: Provides a lung disease presumption for certain public safety personnel, specifically: correction officers, correction supervisors, deputy sheriff patrol, or deputy sheriff patrol supervisors. The presumption would likely make certain lung diseases presumed to be work-related for benefits purposes (e.g., workers’ compensation), subject to statutory requirements.

Sponsor: Robert Jackson (primary)

Status: COMMITTED TO RULES (as of June 13, 2025)

Introduced: March 13, 2025

Key Provisions (as indicated by the title and bill status)

Establishes a lung disease presumption for the following employees:

Correction officers
Correction supervisors
Deputy sheriff patrol
Deputy sheriff patrol supervisors

The presumption generally means that a diagnosed lung disease for these positions would be treated as work-related for certain compensation or benefit programs, shifting the burden to contest the work-related nature of the condition, within defined legal standards (specific program details would be in the bill text, not provided here).

The bill is structured to create a statutory rule that applies to these job classifications, potentially simplifying eligibility determinations for related benefits.

Affected Parties

Primary beneficiaries/covered workers:

Correction officers
Correction supervisors
Deputy sheriff patrol personnel
Deputy sheriff patrol supervisors

Employing agencies likely affected:

Correction departments/agencies
Sheriff departments and patrol units

Potentially affected programs (based on typical “presumption” language in such bills): workers’ compensation and related occupational disease benefits; eligibility determinations for lung disease claims.

Procedural History and Timeline

3/13/2025: Referred to Civil Service and Pensions

4/08/2025: Reported and committed to Finance

4/29/2025: 1st Report CAL.764

4/30/2025: 2nd Report CAL.

5/01/2025: Advanced to Third Reading

5/01/2025: Advanced to Third Reading (repeat listing)

6/13/2025: Committed to Rules

(Note: Duplicates in the action log reflect multiple committee or chamber actions on overlapping dates.)

Potential Impact and Considerations

The presumption could streamline eligibility for benefits for the specified positions, reducing the burden on workers to prove the work-related origin of a lung disease.

Implementation details (e.g., what counts as a lung disease, criteria for rebutting the presumption, time limits, required medical evidence) will be defined in the bill’s text and any accompanying regulations.

Fiscal and administrative implications would be assessed in committee analyses, including cost to the workers’ compensation system and any impact on employer premium rates.

Notes for Readers

The bill is currently in the Rules Committee stage in the New York Senate, with prior movement through Civil Service and Pensions and Finance committees. If enacted, it would apply to the enumerated correctional and deputy sheriff roles and could interact with existing workers’ compensation frameworks and occupational disease laws.

Bill