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Council adopts home-rule change on survivor benefits after family'led push in Detective Familia case
Summary
The City Council adopted a home-rule message to allow certain child beneficiaries to receive accidental-death benefits for the duration of their lives, a change advanced in part because of advocacy by Genesis Familia following the 2017 killing of Detective Miossotis Familia.
The City Council on June 11 adopted a home-rule measure that would amend local retirement and benefits rules to allow certain child beneficiaries of fallen first responders to receive accidental-death benefits for the duration of their lives.
Council members repeatedly praised Genesis Familia, who has advocated for the change since her mother, Detective Miossotis Familia, was killed in the line of duty in 2017. "Detective Familia's legacy lives on, and today, we honor her with action," one council member said on the floor.
Speakers across the floor framed the vote as correcting an injustice. Several members described how Genesis stepped in to raise and support her younger siblings after their mother's death and called the change "long overdue." One council member who supported the measure said Genesis "would not take no for an answer" and credited her advocacy with moving the item forward.
The measure was part of the council's package of home-rule and state-legislative resolutions considered on general orders; the general orders calendar that included SLR 7 was adopted by the council. Passage on the council's calendar signals the council's support and sends the proposed change to the state for any action that requires state-level authorization.
Council members from across the political spectrum used floor time to congratulate the Familia family and to note that additional steps in Albany may be required to complete the pension and benefits changes for surviving dependents.
