Senator Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr. announced recently that the New York State Senate passed legislation that would extend the certification for emergency medical technicians (EMT) who have been ordered to active military duty. The certification would be extended for six months after the EMT is released from active duty.

According to the senator, this legislation would include EMTs from New York who are serving the United States as part of Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, as well as special operations in the Philippines, Korea, Saudi Arabia, and other areas.

"EMTs who serve on active military duty should not be penalized for their service by losing their EMT certification because they were on active duty overseas when their certification expired," Fuschillo said. "This legislation protects their personal interests while they are overseas protecting American interests."

In 1991, similar legislation was passed relating to the Persian Gulf Crisis where the public health law was amended to extend certification for EMTs.

The New York State Senate last week passed legislation sponsored by Senator Fuschillo that would make criminal impersonation at a transportation facility or public place a felony. This legislation is part of the Senate's legislative package to strengthen Homeland Security.

"Secure transportation facilities, such as airports, train and bus stations, have become an essential component of enhanced security efforts," Fuschillo said. "Using false Ids or impersonating someone such as a pilot or transit employee, could allow someone wide-ranging illegal access to New York's transportation infrastructure, which could lead to large scale disaster."

According to Fuschillo, the maximum penalty under current law for use of false identification to obtain entrance to an airport or public building is a Class A misdemeanor. Fuschillo legislation would raise the penalty to a Class E felony.

"The need for heightened security at our airports and public buildings has brought about a corresponding increase in the seriousness of offenses involving the use of false identification to obtain entrance to these places," Fuschillo said.

The New York State Senate last week passed legislation sponsored by Senator Fuschillo that would strengthen the qualification procedures for school bus attendants and require fingerprinting and criminal history checks for all applicants for the job of school bus attendant in New York State.

"School bus attendants have as much, if not more, access to children while riding on the bus," Fuschillo said. "This legislation would assure parents that all employees on the school bus have a background free from issues that would potentially cause any harm to their children and that they will arrive to and from school safely."

According to the senator, the measure would expand a similar law for school bus drivers, whereby New York State requires the fingerprinting of prospective employees of school districts, and extends those provisions to include school bus attendants. The success of universal criminal background checks for school bus drivers has garnered over 1000 disqualifications for criminal convictions since mandatory school bus driver background checks were implemented.

The provisions of the measure would require criminal background checks and fingerprinting for each candidate applying for the school bus attendant position. The penalty for refusing to comply with the history checks would result in a $500 fine and any applicant with a previous criminal conviction would be disqualified from the process.

Senator Fuschillo is providing the children of the community with an online resource about the New York State Senate, as well as information about his Youth Fitness Campaign, and Summertime Reading Railroad Program.

By visiting www.SenatorFuschillo.com and clicking on "Senator Fuschillo's Kids Page," children of all ages can learn about how bills become laws, how the different branches of state government operate, and how to participate in the Senate sessions. The site also contains games and special projects for students who are studying state government.

Fuschillo's Summertime Reading Railroad Program encourages children to use their imaginations and make reading a regular part of their daily routine. Participants in the program will receive a certificate from Fuschillo if they meet the goal of reading three age-appropriate books during the summer, other than those assigned for school.

Fuschillo's Youth Fitness Program is a special 10-week program encouraging kids to engage in activities like playing sports, running, or riding a bike. Participants will complete a weekly chart of their physical activities, and at the end of the program they can send it to Fuschillo for a personalized certificate.