N.Y. Workers' Compensation Law § 301: Declaration of policy and legislative intent

§ 301. Declaration of policy and legislative intent. The president of

the United States on December sixteenth, nineteen hundred fifty,

proclaimed a state of national emergency. The governor of this state, in

a special message to the legislature on January eighth, nineteen hundred

fifty-one, recommended a program for the defense of the people of our

state and the safeguarding of property against attack. In order to make

effective necessary measures of civil defense, many of our citizens will

voluntarily undertake to perform civil defense duties and may, in the

event of attack, be exposed to injury in the performance of authorized

civil defense duties they voluntarily assumed as a patriotic service for

the common good.

Those who volunteer to perform civil defense duties deserve some

protection for themselves and their families in the event that

disability or death should be incurred while they are performing these

duties. No such benefits have yet been provided by the federal

government. Accordingly it is hereby declared to be the intent of the

legislature that special workmen's compensation benefits, as provided in

this article, should be made available for civil defense volunteers in

this state.