New York extends qualifications for 9-11 injuries

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on Friday signed five pieces of legislation to provide support to 9/11 victims and survivors, including three that would simplify the process for workers compensation and disability.

S. 9370 and the accompanying A. 9922A provide a presumption for workers compensation claims for any health impairment or death for those who participated in the World Trade Center rescue, recovery and clean-up operations.

According to a statement from Gov. Hochul’s office, many of the first responders and rescue and recovery workers have a “timely claim for benefits with the NYS Workers' Compensation Board but have been denied without cause.” And dependents of workers who died of certified illnesses stemming from the recovery and cleanup were barred from filing claims for workers compensation benefits because the statute of limitations expired before the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s World Trade Center Health Program list of certified illnesses was accepted under the presumption, the statement said.

The governor also signed S. 6812 and the accompanying A. 7426, which require the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund Award to process injury claims equally to death claims, allowing an “appointed personal representative” to file and prosecute a claim with the fund for an individual who was injured, and S. 9294A and the accompanying A. 10416, which extends the deadline for filing disability claims for a qualifying World Trade Center condition.