S 5994: Updates the Pound Ridge Volunteer Exempt Firemen's Benevolent Association's charter and provides for new duties of such charter.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 5994 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN SENATE March 4, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sen. MAYER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Local Government AN ACT to amend chapter 260 of the laws of 1969, relating to incorporat- ing the Pound Ridge Volunteer Exempt Firemen's Benevolent Association and providing for its powers and duties, in relation to updating such association's charter The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Sections 1, 2, 3, 4, and 7 of chapter 260 of the laws of 2 1969, relating to incorporating the Pound Ridge Volunteer Exempt Fire- 3 men's Benevolent Association and providing for its powers and duties, is 4 amended to read as follows: 5 Section 1. Incorporation: membership. A membership corporation by the 6 name of "Pound Ridge Volunteer Exempt [Firemen's] Firefighters' Benevo- 7 lent Association" is hereby created. It shall be composed of such 8 persons eligible to membership therein as hereinafter provided as shall 9 (a) notify the secretary of the Pound Ridge Fire Department, Inc., a 10 volunteer fire department, in writing prior to the organization meeting 11 of such corporation hereinafter provided for of their desire to become 12 members, or (b) shall attend such meeting or an adjournment thereof, and 13 also such persons so eligible as may thereafter become members of such 14 corporation pursuant to its by-laws. 15 § 2. Persons eligible to membership. All persons who are now, or have 16 been, or hereafter shall be active volunteer members of the fire depart- 17 ment of the Pound Ridge Fire District, in the Town of Pound Ridge, Coun- 18 ty of Westchester, or of any fire corporation in such Fire District, and 19 who have acquired or shall hereafter acquire the status of exempt volun- 20 teer [firemen] firefighter as defined in section two hundred of the 21 general municipal law by virtue of having rendered service in such fire 22 department or fire corporation, and all persons who are now or hereafter 23 shall be active volunteer members of such fire department, shall be 24 eligible for membership in the corporation created by this act, except 25 that any [fireman] firefighter who has been removed for cause, expelled 26 or dropped from the rolls of any fire company or fire department, and EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD10373-01-5 
 S. 5994 2 1 who has not been reinstated therein, shall not be eligible for member- 2 ship in such corporation. The membership of any person in such corpo- 3 ration shall terminate when [his] their membership as an active volun- 4 teer member of the fire department of the Pound Ridge Fire District 5 shall terminate before such person shall have acquired the status of 6 exempt volunteer [fireman] firefighter as defined in section two hundred 7 of the general municipal law by virtue of having rendered service in 8 such fire department. 9 § 3. Purposes and duty of the association. The purposes of such corpo- 10 ration shall be [the maintenance of]: (a) to maintain a suitable head- 11 quarters for[, and the promotion of fraternal intercourse among] the 12 members of such corporation[, the]; (b) to provide relief, aid and 13 assistance [of] to such members [and their families] who are disabled or 14 indigent, or injured in the performance of such member's duties, and 15 such members' families; (c) to promote and safeguard the welfare of 16 the volunteer members of such corporation, and such members' families; 17 (d) to provide for the health and safety of the volunteer members of the 18 corporation; (e) to enhance the morale of the volunteer members of such 19 corporation by providing social and recreational activities for the 20 volunteer members of such corporation; and (f) the promotion of [the 21 welfare of] the volunteer fire service within the Pound Ridge Fire 22 District and territory provided with fire protection by contract with 23 such Fire District. 24 § 4. Powers and duties. Such corporation shall have all of the powers 25 of a membership corporation, and the provisions of law relating to 26 membership corporations shall apply to such corporation except where 27 they conflict with the provisions of this act. [However, unless written 28 approval of the state board of social welfare shall have first been 29 obtained this corporation shall not establish and maintain any home or 30 institution which, if separately incorporated, would require the 31 approval of such board.] 32 § 7. Precept for payment of foreign fire insurance premium taxes. Such 33 corporation shall collect and there shall be paid to it all taxes 34 imposed by section [five hundred fifty-three] nine thousand one hundred 35 four of the insurance law for fire department use and benefit, upon 36 premiums for insurance against loss or damage by fire covering property 37 situated in the Pound Ridge Fire District, in the town of Pound Ridge, 38 county of Westchester, or within any duly organized territory in which 39 the Pound Ridge Fire Department, Inc. is or may be obligated to render 40 fire protection. The officer of said corporation designated by its 41 by-laws to collect and receive the aforesaid tax shall have all the 42 powers and be subject to all the provisions of the insurance law, relat- 43 ing to treasurers of fire departments. Such corporation shall also be 44 entitled to receive a share of the tax imposed by section [five hundred 45 fifty-four] nine thousand one hundred five of the insurance law, based 46 upon the business written in the territory with respect to which it is 47 entitled to collect and receive the tax under section [five hundred 48 fifty-three] nine thousand one hundred four of the insurance law. Such 49 taxes shall only be used [for the care and relief of disabled or indi- 50 gent volunteer and exempt volunteer firemen and their families] by the 51 corporation in furtherance of its purposes as set forth in section three 52 of this act. 53 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately, provided however, that 54 the amendments to section 7 of chapter 260 of the laws of 1969 made by 55 section one of this act shall apply to taxes due on premiums received on 56 and after January 1, 2026.