O’Mara Ensuring Volunteer Firefighters Access to Critical Health Care Benefits

ELMIRA N.Y. (WENY) — With the Republican-led Congress pushing efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act, one local politician is ensuring volunteer firefighters will still have access to critical health care benefits.

On Friday, Senator Tom O’Mara announced he will continue to co-sponsor legislation focused on volunteer firefighters’ health.

The bill would expand levels of protection for firefighters stricken with cancer, attributable to their service as volunteers.

The legislation (S1411/A711) received Senate approval for the past two legislative sessions, but has not come to a vote in the Assembly.

If enacted into law, it would expand the Volunteer Firefighters’ Benefit Law to provide presumptive cancer coverage to New York’s more than 100,000 volunteer firefighters.

The legislation is the top priority for the Firemen’s Association of the State of New York (FASNY) in 2017.