N.Y. WKC Law § 301

§ 301. Declaration of policy and legislative intent. The president of\nthe United States on December sixteenth, nineteen hundred fifty,\nproclaimed a state of national emergency. The governor of this state, in\na special message to the legislature on January eighth, nineteen hundred\nfifty-one, recommended a program for the defense of the people of our\nstate and the safeguarding of property against attack. In order to make\neffective necessary measures of civil defense, many of our citizens will\nvoluntarily undertake to perform civil defense duties and may, in the\nevent of attack, be exposed to injury in the performance of authorized\ncivil defense duties they voluntarily assumed as a patriotic service for\nthe common good.\n Those who volunteer to perform civil defense duties deserve some\nprotection for themselves and their families in the event that\ndisability or death should be incurred while they are performing these\nduties. No such benefits have yet been provided by the federal\ngovernment. Accordingly it is hereby declared to be the intent of the\nlegislature that special workmen's compensation benefits, as provided in\nthis article, should be made available for civil defense volunteers in\nthis state.\n