Bill Text: NY A02490 | 2009-2010 | General Assembly | Introduced


Bill Title: An act to amend the state finance law, in relation to providing a pre-tax transit program for state employees

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 12-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-01-06 - referred to ways and means [A02490 Detail]

Download: New_York-2009-A02490-Introduced.html
                           S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                         2490
                              2009-2010 Regular Sessions
                                 I N  A S S E M B L Y
                                   January 16, 2009
                                      ___________
       Introduced  by M. of A. O'DONNELL, DINOWITZ, ENGLEBRIGHT, COLTON, CLARK,
         KAVANAGH -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A.  GLICK,  HOOPER,  V. LOPEZ,
         MILLMAN, PHEFFER, N. RIVERA -- read once and referred to the Committee
         on Ways and Means
       AN  ACT  to amend the state finance law, in relation to providing a pre-
         tax transit program for state employees
         THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
    1    Section  1.  The  state finance law is amended by adding a new section
    2  201-d to read as follows:
    3    S 201-D. TRANSIT BENEFIT PROGRAM.  1.  THIS  SECTION  SHALL  APPLY  TO
    4  EMPLOYEES  AS  SET FORTH IN SUBDIVISION ONE OF SECTION TWO HUNDRED ONE-A
    5  OF THIS ARTICLE.
    6    2. THE DIRECTOR OF EMPLOYEE RELATIONS, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE DIREC-
    7  TOR OF THE BUDGET AND THE PRESIDENT OF  THE  CIVIL  SERVICE  COMMISSION,
    8  SHALL ESTABLISH A TRANSIT BENEFIT PROGRAM WHICH SHALL INCLUDE BUT NOT BE
    9  LIMITED  TO  TRANSITCHEK,  AND  IMPLEMENT  SUCH  PROGRAM  SUBJECT TO THE
   10  APPROVAL OF THE DIRECTOR OF THE BUDGET. TRANSITCHEK IS A  PROGRAM  MAIN-
   11  TAINED  BY  THE  METROPOLITAN  COMMUTER  TRANSPORTATION  AUTHORITY WHICH
   12  ALLOWS PARTICIPANTS TO USE A PORTION OF THEIR PRE-TAX MONTHLY SALARY  TO
   13  PAY  FOR THEIR COMMUTE, AND INCLUDES COMMUTES ABOARD ALL SUBSIDIARIES OF
   14  THE METROPOLITAN COMMUTER TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY.
   15    3. AT THE REQUEST OF AN EMPLOYEE AS DEFINED IN SUBDIVISION ONE OF THIS
   16  SECTION, THE STATE COMPTROLLER  SHALL,  BY  PRE-TAX  PAYROLL  DEDUCTION,
   17  REDUCE  THE  AMOUNT  OF  COMPENSATION  ELECTED  BY  THE EMPLOYEE FOR THE
   18  PURPOSE OF PROVIDING THE EMPLOYEE PARTICIPATION IN THE  TRANSIT  BENEFIT
   19  PROGRAM  AS  AUTHORIZED  IN  SUBDIVISION  TWO OF THIS SECTION, AND SHALL
   20  TRANSFER THE AMOUNT SO REDUCED TO THE AUTHORIZED PROGRAM ADMINISTRATOR.
   21    4. THE TERM "PROGRAM ADMINISTRATOR" SHALL MEAN THAT AGENT,  AS  DETER-
   22  MINED BY THE DIRECTOR OF EMPLOYEE RELATIONS, RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MAINTE-
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD03687-01-9
       A. 2490                             2
    1  NANCE  AND  MANAGEMENT  OF  THE TRANSIT BENEFIT PROGRAM AS AUTHORIZED IN
    2  SUBDIVISION TWO OF THIS SECTION.
    3    5. MONEYS DEDUCTED FROM THE SALARIES OF EMPLOYEES SHALL BE HELD BY THE
    4  PROGRAM  ADMINISTRATOR  AS  AGENT FOR THE STATE COMPTROLLER AND SHALL BE
    5  ACCOUNTED FOR SEPARATELY. NOTWITHSTANDING ANY LAW TO THE CONTRARY,  SUCH
    6  MONEYS  MAY  BE PAID OUT BY THE PROGRAM ADMINISTRATOR WITHOUT ANY APPRO-
    7  PRIATION BY LAW. ALL PAYMENTS OF MONEYS  BY  THE  PROGRAM  ADMINISTRATOR
    8  SHALL  BE  MADE ONLY IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TRANSIT BENEFIT PROGRAM UPON
    9  AUDIT BY THE STATE COMPTROLLER.
   10    6. ANY SALARY DEDUCTED FROM A PARTICIPATING EMPLOYEE'S ANNUAL  COMPEN-
   11  SATION FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROVIDING SUCH EMPLOYEE WITH A TRANSIT BENEFIT
   12  SHALL  BE  CONSIDERED  PART  OF  ANNUAL  COMPENSATION FOR THE PURPOSE OF
   13  COMPUTING RETIREMENT BENEFITS.
   14    7. NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER LAW, RULE, OR REGULATION TO THE CONTRARY,
   15  WHERE, AND TO THE EXTENT THAT, IN AGREEMENT BETWEEN  THE  STATE  AND  AN
   16  EMPLOYEE  ORGANIZATION  ENTERED INTO PURSUANT TO ARTICLE FOURTEEN OF THE
   17  CIVIL SERVICE LAW ON BEHALF OF EMPLOYEES  IN  A  COLLECTIVE  NEGOTIATING
   18  UNIT  ESTABLISHED  PURSUANT TO ARTICLE FOURTEEN OF THE CIVIL SERVICE LAW
   19  PROVIDES FOR A TRANSIT BENEFIT PROVIDED BY THIS  SECTION,  SUCH  TRANSIT
   20  BENEFIT SHALL BE ESTABLISHED IN ACCORDANCE WITH SUCH AGREEMENT.
   21    S 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
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