Continued Costs of the September 11th Terrorist Attacks Act on Public Employee Pension Systems HR. 9539
What is the Issue?
Regrettably we are all aware of the fight over the years to get the federal government to recognize the impact that Ground Zero toxins have had upon responders and survivors of 9/11 and its aftermath.
There’s still unfinished business—a hidden cost of 9/11 that is still not fully recognized: New York State and City Public Employee Pension Systems that have had to bear the direct costs of 9/11for payment of death and disability claims for responders and other public employees.
Unpaid costs of 9/11 that Federal Government should reimburse
The federal government did initially recognize some of the impact on the State and City Pension Systems in 2002, when the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) reimbursed the pension systems for $290 million for unanticipated costs of the payment of death and disability claims that resulted from that day.
But that was then. To this day, FEMA has not yet recognized the costs to the State and City of the public employees who became sick and and who, in too many cases, have died and left their families to soon.
The increased costs to both the City and State Pension Systems was calculated in as of June 2023 by the NYS Comptroller and NYC Actuary to now be over $3 billion.
In 2002, when FEMA paid $290 million based on the disaster declarations made by President Bush, it denied New York State’s request for nan additional $460 million in then-projected costs–at the same time that the Bush administration was flat out denying the impact of the toxins and refusing to even study that impact.
Twenty-three years after the attacks, the issue is whether the Federal government will reimburse the State and City Pension Systems for these costs or will New York State and City Public Employees or Taxpayers will be forced to carry the burden of these costs.
If these costs are not covered, there will have to be future reductions in pensions for those that will be retiring in the years to come. Responders, other Public Employees and their families will pay the price.
On September 11, 2024, the 23rd Anniversary of the September 11th attacks, Congressman Andrew R. Garbarino (R-NY-02) introduced the “Continued Costs of the September 11th Terrorist Attacks Act” (HR. 9539).
This bi-partisan legislation would authorize the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) to reimburse the State and City pension systems for up to 3.4 billion dollars, for the costs in these pension systems have made due to the deaths and disability payments made for those public employees who responded to the terrorist attacks and who participated in the clean-up in the weeks following the attacks and became ill from the toxins at Ground Zero and the surrounding Community.
Congressman Garbarino was joined by co-lead cosponsors Members of Congress Jerry Nadler (D-NY-12), Anthony D’Esposito (R-NY-04) and Dan Goldman (D-NY-10), along with additional original cosponsors including Representatives Brandon Williams (R-NY-22), Pat Ryan (D-NY-18), Marc Molinaro (R-NY-19) Paul Tonko (D-NY-20), Nydia Velazquez (D-NY-07), Grace Meng (D-NY-06), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY-14), Gregory Meeks(D-NY-05), Mike Lawler (R-NY-17), Timothy Kennedy (D-NY-26), Jamaal Bowman (D-NY-16), Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY-11), Yvette Clarke (D-NY-09), Ritchie Torres (D-NY-15), Nick LaLota (R-NY-01), and Adriano Espaillat (D-NY-13).
Bill Text
Text of H.R.9539 “Continued Costs of the September 11th Terrorist Attacks Act’
Cosponsors of Legislation
List of House Sponsors HR. 9539
Dear Colleagues
9/9/2024 Garbarino Nadler Dear Colleague
Documents
April 11, 2024 Fiscal Analysis by NYC Actuary
March 2, 2023 Memo on Pension Issues by NYS Comptroller
January 24, 2023 Congressional Research Service Memo on FEMA 911 Assistance
August 2003 Report by the GAO on FEMA Assistance
October 2003 Report by GAO on Assistance to NYC
2002- 2003 FEMA Project Work Sheets (PW’s) 404, 947, 1491, 1492, 1518
News Articles
September 14, 2024 – Newsday — NY lawmakers move to shore up 9/11-linked death benefits. Death benefits related to the 9/11 attacks have soared far above earlier estimates.
A rarely discussed cost of the 9/11 World Trade Center attack continues to soar year by year for the New York state and city pension systems — and it now totals about $3.4 billion, according to new estimates. After the attacks, the Federal Emergency Management Administration reimbursed the pension funds $290 million to cover the death benefits for 343 firefighters and 28 active-duty and retired NYPD officers. But since then, the federal government has not made any more payments as the costs to the pension systems have continued to mount.
September 11, 2024 — Rep. Andrew Garbarino — Garbarino, Nadler, D’Esposito, Goldman Introduce The ‘Continued Costs of the September 11th Terrorist Attacks Act’ To Aide FDNY and NYPD
This legislation would allow FEMA to reimburse the State and City pension systems for the loss in payments due to unanticipated deaths of those who responded and who participated in the clean-up.
Aug. 30, 2021 — New York Daily News — Toll of 9/11 illness deaths and disabilities to cost NYC $2 billion in pension funds
Analysis by the city’s Office of the Actuary estimates that the cost of 9/11-related retirements and deaths through June of this year has soared to $2.35 billion — and will keep growing by billions.