Bill Text: NY A02684 | 2025-2026 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Expands the purposes of the volunteer and exempt firefighters' benevolent association of Thornwood, New York; provides for the payment to it of certain taxes imposed upon premiums on policies of fire insurance in foreign insurance companies.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2025-01-22 - referred to local governments [A02684 Detail]

Download: New_York-2025-A02684-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          2684

                               2025-2026 Regular Sessions

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                    January 22, 2025
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by M. of A. SHIMSKY -- read once and referred to the Commit-
          tee on Local Governments

        AN ACT to amend chapter 123 of the laws of 1945 incorporating the volun-
          teer and exempt firemen's benevolent  association  of  Thornwood,  New
          York,  in  relation  to the purposes of the volunteer and exempt fire-
          fighters' benevolent association of Thornwood, New York

          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section  1. Section 1 of chapter 123 of the laws of 1945 incorporating
     2  the volunteer and exempt firemen's benevolent association of  Thornwood,
     3  New York is amended to read as follows:
     4    Section  1.  A corporation by the name of "Volunteer and Exempt [Fire-
     5  men's] Firefighters' Benevolent Association of Thornwood, New  York"  is
     6  hereby  created.  It  shall  be  composed  of such active members of the
     7  Thornwood fire department and such exempt volunteer [firemen] firefight-
     8  ers, as defined in section [two hundred] 200 of  the  general  municipal
     9  law or any other applicable law, who have acquired such status by virtue
    10  of  having rendered service in any company in the Thornwood fire depart-
    11  ment[,] as shall:
    12    (a) notify the secretary of their company, in writing,  prior  to  the
    13  organization meeting of the corporation created by this act, which meet-
    14  ing is hereinafter provided for, of their desire to become members, or
    15    (b) attend such organization meeting or an adjournment thereof, or
    16    (c) notify the secretary of such corporation, in writing, within sixty
    17  days  after [his] such firefighter's election, of their desire to become
    18  members thereof, and also such other of the active  volunteer  [firemen]
    19  firefighters  aforesaid,  or  of  those  who may hereafter become active
    20  members of the aforesaid Thornwood fire department, or who may hereafter
    21  become exempt volunteer [firemen] firefighters, as  defined  in  section
    22  [two  hundred]  200 of the general municipal law or any other applicable
    23  law, by virtue of having rendered service in any company of said depart-

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD01839-01-5
        A. 2684                             2

     1  ment, as  may  become  members  of  such  corporation  pursuant  to  the
     2  provisions  of  its  by-laws. Any active member of any of said companies
     3  who shall cease to be a  member  thereof  without  having  acquired  the
     4  status  of an exempt volunteer [fireman] firefighter shall automatically
     5  be dropped from membership in such corporation.  The  purposes  of  such
     6  corporation  shall  be [the]: to provide relief, aid and assistance [of]
     7  to the members [thereof and their families,] of such corporation who are
     8  disabled or indigent[, and the promotion of] or injured in the  perform-
     9  ance  of  their duties, and their families; to promote and safeguard the
    10  welfare of the volunteer [fire service in  the  territory  protected  by
    11  such  department]  members  of  the  corporation, and their families; to
    12  maintain a suitable headquarters for the members of such corporation; to
    13  provide for the health and safety  of  the  volunteer  members  of  such
    14  corporation;  and to enhance the morale of the volunteer members of such
    15  corporation by providing for the social and  recreational  wellbeing  of
    16  the  volunteer  members  of  the  corporation,  and the promotion of the
    17  volunteer fire service within the territory protected by  the  Thornwood
    18  fire department.
    19    Such  corporation  shall  have  all  the powers of a membership corpo-
    20  ration, and the provisions of law relating  to  membership  corporations
    21  shall  apply  to  such  corporation, except where they conflict with the
    22  provisions of this act.
    23    The presidents, or other presiding officers, of the companies of  said
    24  department  shall  call  a  meeting  for the organization of such corpo-
    25  ration, to be held not later  than  sixty  days  after  this  act  takes
    26  effect,  notice  of  which shall be given by posting a notice thereof in
    27  five conspicuous places within the territory protected by such companies
    28  and also by publication thereof in one or more newspapers having general
    29  circulation in such territory, such posting and publishing to take place
    30  at least ten days prior to the date of such meeting. At such meeting, or
    31  an adjournment thereof, the members of such  corporation  present  shall
    32  adopt  by-laws  and elect officers to serve until the first annual meet-
    33  ing, which shall be held on a date to be fixed by the by-laws.
    34    Any member failing to comply with the by-laws,  rules  or  regulations
    35  duly  adopted  by such corporation shall be subject to expulsion in such
    36  manner as may be provided for in such by-laws. Any member who ceases  to
    37  be  such,  voluntarily  or  otherwise, shall forfeit all interest in the
    38  property of such corporation.
    39    § 2. Section 3 of chapter 123 of the laws of  1945  incorporating  the
    40  volunteer  and exempt firemen's benevolent association of Thornwood, New
    41  York is amended to read as follows:
    42    § 3. Such corporation shall collect and there shall be paid to it  all
    43  tax  which  is imposed by section [five hundred fifty-three] 9104 of the
    44  insurance law, for fire department use and benefit,  upon  premiums  for
    45  insurance  against  loss  or  damage  by fire covering property situated
    46  within the territory immediately protected by the  aforesaid  department
    47  and  companies thereof, and within any duly organized territory in which
    48  any or all of such companies is or may hereafter be obligated to  render
    49  protection. The officer of said corporation designated by its by-laws to
    50  collect  and  receive  the  aforesaid  tax shall have the same powers as
    51  provided by law for the treasurer of a fire department with  respect  to
    52  such  collection and receipt. Such corporation shall also be entitled to
    53  receive a share of the tax imposed by section [five hundred  fifty-four]
    54  9105  of the insurance law based upon the business written in the terri-
    55  tory with respect to which it is entitled to collect and receive the tax
    56  under section [five hundred fifty-three] 9104 of the insurance law. Such
        A. 2684                             3

     1  taxes shall only be used [for the care and relief of disabled  or  indi-
     2  gent volunteer and exempt firemen and their families] by the corporation
     3  in furtherance of its purposes set forth in section one of this act.
     4    §  3.  This  act shall take effect immediately; provided however, that
     5  section two of this act shall apply to taxes due on premiums received on
     6  and after January 1, 2026.