Bill > A01847

This bill modifies the general municipal law to create a presumptive evidence standard for sanitation department employees who contract leptospirosis, a bacterial disease. Specifically, the bill establishes that if a paid, competitive civil service sanitation worker who passed a pre-employment physical examination develops a health impairment due to leptospirosis resulting in partial or total disability or death, it will be presumed that the condition was incurred in the line of duty. The presumption can be challenged by contrary evidence, but shifts the burden of proof to show that the illness was not work-related. The bill is particularly focused on sanitation workers in certain cities and does not apply to workers' compensation or labor law contexts. By creating this presumptive evidence standard, the bill makes it easier for sanitation workers to receive disability or death benefits if they contract leptospirosis, recognizing the potentially hazardous nature of their work and the risks associated with handling waste and working in environments where the disease might be transmitted.

Budget and Finance, Government Affairs

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A1847