New York Assembly Bill A08879

New York 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 6/9/25
• Refer: 6/9/25

Caption

Provides for a heart disease presumption for certain New York police department traffic enforcement agents.

Impact

Under the new provisions, if enacted, qualifying agents suffering from heart disease would be entitled to receive a disability retirement benefit equal to 75% of their final average salary, without reductions for workers' compensation claims. This presents a significant enhancement over existing benefits for such medical conditions and addresses concerns about the dangers traffic enforcement agents face on duty, recognizing the impact of heart-related conditions that may arise from their work environment.

Summary

Bill A08879 aims to amend New York's retirement and social security law by establishing a presumption for heart disease as a job-related condition for Tier 4 and Tier 6 Traffic Enforcement Agents. This legislation stipulates that if a member of the New York City police department, specifically those working as traffic enforcement agents, develops heart disease, it is presumed to have occurred in the line of duty, provided that the member passed a physical exam upon entering service that did not indicate any heart issues at that time. This creates a rebuttable presumption that benefits the officers when claiming disability or death benefits related to heart conditions.

Contention

The bill proposes that the financial implications of providing these enhanced benefits, including any past service costs, will fall on the city of New York. There are potential concerns regarding the sustainability of funding these benefits; hence, discussions might arise over the financial burden on the city as it adjusts to these new obligations. Critics of the legislation may argue about the necessity of the presumption and whether its cost could strain municipal budgets, especially when considering the potential number of affected officers and the scalability of the proposed benefits over time.