Under existing law in New York City, family members of police officers and firefighters are automatically entitled to receive continued health benefits. However, relatives of deceased employees of New York City's Departments of Correction and Sanitation who died while “in active duty” only can do so with a legislative amendment.
According to Bloomberg, the new bill will eliminate the need to enact separate legislation and instead will offer benefits to family members of the deceased corrections officers and sanitation workers through the same process that relatives of deceased police officers and firefighters receive them.
However, Bloomberg said this will be done only after the New York City Employee Retirement System – the pension board for corrections and sanitation employees – determines that the death of the uniformed member occurred while he or she was on the job and that the death was the result of an accident or injury sustained while working.
“Too many of our uniformed employees have sacrificed their lives to protect our city and it is important that we continue to provide health benefits to their families,” Bloomberg said.