File #: Res 0323-2026    Version: * Name: WTC Health Program to add neurodegenerative and cognitive diseases to the program’s list of recognized conditions.
Type: Resolution Status: Committee
Committee: Committee on Health
On agenda: 2/24/2026
Enactment date: Law number:
Title: Resolution calling on the Administrator of the WTC Health Program to add neurodegenerative and cognitive diseases to the program's list of recognized conditions
Sponsors: David M. Carr, Julie Menin
Council Member Sponsors: 2
Attachments: 1. Res. No., 2. February 24, 2026 - Stated Meeting Agenda

Res No.

Resolution calling on the Administrator of the WTC Health Program to add neurodegenerative and cognitive diseases to the program’s list of recognized conditions

 

By Council Member Carr and The Speaker (Council Member Menin)

                     Whereas, The September 11 (9/11) attacks were a series of attacks that took place on September 11, 2001 in New York City (NYC) and Washington DC; and

Whereas, During the 9/11 attacks, the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center (WTC) were struck by planes and would collapse; and

Whereas, 2,977 innocent people would be killed in the attacks, with 2,606 of the victims dying either at the Twin Towers or as a result of injuries sustained there, according to the BBC; and

Whereas, In the immediate aftermath of the plane strikes, first responders would rush to the scene, many of whom would ultimately sacrifice their own lives saving others, according to FirstNet Authority; and

                     Whereas, Following the attacks, according to the NYC government, more than 91,000 rescue, recovery, clean-up workers, and volunteers would make their way to Ground Zero, where they would be exposed to environmental hazards which would permeate the air following the towers’ collapse; and

                     Whereas, In total, an estimated 400,000 people were exposed to toxic contaminants and physically and emotionally stressful conditions in the months following the attacks, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); and

                     Whereas, According to the CDC, in response to these traumas and the disproportionate negative health outcomes faced by 9/11 first responders and survivors, President Obama signed the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010 (Zadroga Act) into law, which established the WTC Health program within the Department of Health and Human Services; and

                     Whereas, The WTC Health Program is designed to provide medical monitoring and treatment benefits for the first responders and survivors of the 9/11 attacks, according to the CDC; and

                     Whereas, Survivor is defined by Title I of the Zadroga Act as any person who was present in the dust or dust cloud on 9/11 or who worked, resided, or attended school, childcare, or adult daycare in the New York City Disaster Area; and

                     Whereas, Currently, the WTC Health Program recognizes numerous WTC-Related Health Conditions including aerodigestive disorders like asthma and interstitial lung diseases, mental health conditions such as posttraumatic stress disorder, musculoskeletal disorders such as lower back pain and carpal tunnel syndrome, acute traumatic injuries like eye injuries, burns, and head trauma, and various cancers; and

                     Whereas, The WTC Health Program does not currently recognize neurodegenerative and cognitive diseases as WTC-Related Health Conditions; and

                     Whereas, Such diseases are becoming an increasing concern for survivors and first responders who were present during and in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, with one article published in Nature Reviews Neurology finding that “WTC-affected” individuals breathed and ingested a mixture of organic and particulate neurotoxins and pro-inflammogens and that some of these individuals are experiencing neurocognitive and motor dysfunctions that resemble the typical features of neurodegenerative disease, and cortical atrophy, which usually manifests later in life; and

                     Whereas, Another article published by the Journal of the American Medical Association found that first responders who suffered more severe exposure to the dust following the towers’ collapse had more incidences of dementia before age 65 than those whose exposure was less severe; and

                     Whereas, Section 88.16(b) of the Code of Federal Regulations allows the Administrator of the WTC Health Program to add a condition to the list of WTC-Related Health Conditions by publishing a proposed rule in the Federal Register and providing interested parties a period of 30 calendar days to submit written comments and providing for an independent peer review of the scientific and technical evidence that would be the basis for issuing a final rule; and

                     Whereas, Given the mounting evidence that neurodegenerative and cognitive diseases are a major issue faced by 9/11 first responders and survivors, the WTC Health Program should begin a review of relevant neurodegenerative and cognitive diseases and, where applicable, propose to add such conditions to the list of WTC-Related Health Conditions; now, therefore, be it;

                     Resolved, that the Council of the City of New York calls on the Administrator of the WTC Health Program to add neurodegenerative and cognitive diseases to the program’s list of recognized conditions.

JN

LS 20993

2/11/2026