Senator Carlucci Fast-Tracks Coronavirus Heroes Fund

NEW CITY, NY – State lawmakers are working quickly to establish a compensation fund for frontline workers and their families who have been impacted by the new coronavirus pandemic, officials announced Monday.

Senator David Carlucci has introduced legislation that would establish The COVID-19 Heros Compensation Fund, which would provide death benefits to families who have lost a frontline worker and provide essential workers who experience permanent impairments with workers' compensation or disability payments.

Under this legislation, eligible essential workers would be any employee of a business providing products or services that are required to maintain the health, welfare and safety of the people of New York state, as determined by Governor Andrew Cuomo.

"Many families have lost a loved one who was working on the frontlines to COVID-19 and this country has a responsibility to make sure families impacted are helped," Carlucci said in a prepared statement. "We owe our essential workforce a massive debt of gratitude. They go into work every day, risking their own health to keep our state running. They are the heroes of this crisis."

Carlucci said funding should be provided through the federal government, as was done for the September 11th Victims Compensation Fund.

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