Bill > A00470

This bill modifies the Volunteer Firefighters' Benefit Law to change how legal service costs are handled for claims. Specifically, it updates language from "workmen's compensation" to "workers' compensation" and introduces a new process where the board can assess legal service costs directly onto the insurance carrier when a claimant has filed a claim. The bill requires that when such an assessment is made, the attorney's fee will be calculated based on a fee application prescribed by the board and will be commensurate with the actual legal services rendered. This change aims to provide a more standardized and transparent method for compensating legal services in volunteer firefighter benefit claims, ensuring that attorneys are fairly compensated while also creating a clear mechanism for how those costs are determined and allocated. The bill will take effect 120 days after becoming law.

Government Affairs

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A470