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NEW YORK — Gov. George Pataki signed legislation Monday to expand benefits for workers who have died or become sick from toiling in the smoke and dust that hung over the ruins of the World Trade Center.

Among other things, the families of rescue workers who die of their illnesses years after Sept. 11 would receive the full benefits available to those killed in the line of duty.

Rescue workers claim they are suffering from a variety of respiratory ailments and fear they could develop cancer from exposure to asbestos and other toxic substances.

The governor's office had no immediate estimates for how many people the three new laws would cover or how much money the benefits would involve, but Mayor Michael Bloomberg complained that the legislation would cost the city $500 million over 10 years.

Pataki said the costs would not be "anything like" Bloomberg's estimate and a "significant part" would be paid by the state.

A class-action lawsuit representing 8,000 workers and civilians blames Sept. 11 for sinusitis, cancer and other ailments developed after the attacks.

One of the laws signed Monday allows recovery workers who became ill after a two-year deadline to reapply for workers' compensation benefits.

The second law allows relatives of police officers and firefighters to receive the same benefits offered to families of those killed in the line of duty.

The third law would allow Ground Zero workers who become ill after they retire to have their retirement status reclassified as accidental disability, providing more generous benefits.