Newsday: NY lawmakers introduce bill that would pump $3B into federal World Trade Health Center Program
A bipartisan group of lawmakers that include two Long Island lawmakers and advocates announced legislation on Thursday that urges Congress to fully fund the World Trade Health Center Program so it can avoid a nearly $3 billion shortfall.
The bill, introduced in the House and Senate, would fix an outdated funding formula and inject a final investment into the program to prevent a projected shortage of money beginning in 2028 and ensure survivors and first responders do not lose access to care, the lawmakers said...
...The bill seeks $2.97 billion for the health program, fixes the funding formula after 2034 to ensure adequate funding until the program expires in 2090, increases funding for research and data collection on 9/11 health conditions and makes technical corrections to the statute.
Gillibrand said the bill’s sponsors will try to attach it to other must-past spending bills, an approach that they have used to get piecemeal funding for the program over in the past few sessions of Congress.
“Over the last several years, we have successfully chipped away at the program’s funding shortfall – first securing $1 billion, and then an additional $676 million to keep the program afloat,” said Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-Bayport), the lead House sponsor of the new bill.
“With the introduction of this bill, we hope to move past the piecemeal funding solutions and fully fund 9/11 health care for all those who need it,” Garbarino said.