Council Member Morano on 9/11 first responder outreach and service bills

Councilmember Morano, followed by Hanks.

Thank you, Majority Leader.

Today, I'm proud to introduce two bills as we approach the 25th anniversary of September 11th.

25 years is a long time, and there are New Yorkers today who know September 11th only as history, but for thousands of first responders, recovery workers, survivors, and their families, it's not history.

They're still living with the consequences.

So my first bill requires the health department to strengthen outreach about the programs

available to those harmed by the attacks and their aftermath and creates a voluntary email and text notification system for information about benefits, eligibility, and important deadlines.

Because a benefit only helps someone if they know it exists.

My second bill establishes an annual 9-11 week of service.

We'll always remember the nearly 3,000 innocent lives taken from us, but we should also remember what New Yorkers did next.

Firefighters and police officers ran towards danger.

Recovery workers labored for months, and ordinary New Yorkers gave blood.

They brought food, volunteered, and helped complete strangers.

At one of the darkest moments in our history, this city showed the very best of itself.

I can think of no better way to mark the 25th anniversary than to take care of those still living.

with the consequences of that day, and to pass that spirit of service on to the next generation.

So I hope colleagues from across this body will join me in supporting these bills, and I think it would be particularly meaningful if we could work together to pass them before September 11th, the actual 25th anniversary.

Never forget, shouldn't just describe how we remember the past, it should guide what we do today.

Jeff, best of luck in your next step, and we're going to miss you.

I hope whoever sits in that chair next has a stopwatch that doesn't work quite so well.

Thank you.

He loves rules for sure.