§ 219-R — Authorization to adopt supplemental award programs

§ 219-r. Authorization to adopt supplemental award programs. 1. No\npolitical subdivision shall be required to adopt a supplemental award\nprogram. Any supplemental award program adopted pursuant to this section\nshall be governed by the provisions of this article.\n 2. (a) A political subdivision may adopt a supplemental award program\nfor volunteer firefighters only if that political subdivision has\npreviously established a service award program for volunteer\nfirefighters under article eleven-A or eleven-AA of this chapter.\n (b) A political subdivision may adopt a supplemental award program for\nvolunteer ambulance workers only if that political subdivision has\npreviously established a service award program for volunteer ambulance\nworkers under article eleven-AAA of this chapter.\n 3. A supplemental award program may be adopted only in the same manner\nas the service award program was adopted by a resolution of the\ngoverning board following the affirmative vote of at least sixty percent\nof the governing board and the approval of a proposition authorizing the\nadoption of the program at a referendum of the electors of the political\nsubdivision. A proposition for the approval of such local resolution\nshall be submitted at the next general election of state or local\ngovernment officers held in such local government not less than sixty\ndays after the passage of such resolution.\n 4. The resolution authorizing adoption of a supplemental award program\nshall state:\n (a) the amount of the contribution to the program to be made by the\nsponsor on behalf of each participant credited with at least one decade\nof service;\n (b) the maximum number of years for which service may be granted;\n (c) the date on which the proposition authorizing the adoption of the\nprogram shall be submitted to referendum;\n (d) the date as of which the program shall take effect.\n 5. The proposition authorizing the adoption of the supplemental award\nprogram shall be submitted to referendum in the same manner as the\nservice award program.\n 6. The proposition shall state:\n (a) the estimated annual cost of the supplemental service award\nprogram;\n (b) the portion of the estimated annual cost of the program, if any,\nto be paid by any other political subdivisions;\n (c) annual cost per participant;\n (d) whether the program provides credit for years of service rendered\nby a participant preceding the adoption of the supplemental service\naward program and the estimated cost of providing such credit.\n 7. Upon approval of the proposition, the supplemental award program\nshall be deemed adopted by the political subdivision in accordance with\nthe terms of the resolution adopted by the governing board. The\nsupplemental award program shall take effect January first next\nsucceeding the date at which the proposition was approved.\n 8. Once a supplemental award program has been adopted, participation\ntherein by the sponsor may be terminated, or the benefits under the\nprogram may be changed by resolution of the governing board of the\nsponsor receiving the affirmative vote of at least sixty percent of the\ngoverning board and the approval of a proposition at a referendum of the\nelectors of the sponsor.\n 9. Payments under the supplemental program, if adopted, shall not\nimpair any rights of the participants under the volunteer firefighters'\nbenefit law or volunteer ambulance workers' benefit law or any other\nlaw.\n