Bill Text: NY A06801 | 2013-2014 | General Assembly | Introduced


Bill Title: Increases the amount of money a retiree may earn in a position of public service in the year 2013 and thereafter to $32,500.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 24-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-01-08 - referred to governmental employees [A06801 Detail]

Download: New_York-2013-A06801-Introduced.html
                           S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
           S. 4732                                                  A. 6801
                              2013-2014 Regular Sessions
                             S E N A T E - A S S E M B L Y
                                    April 19, 2013
                                      ___________
       IN  SENATE  --  Introduced by Sen. DeFRANCISCO -- read twice and ordered
         printed, and when printed to be committed to the  Committee  on  Civil
         Service and Pensions
       IN  ASSEMBLY  --  Introduced  by  M.  of A. SWEENEY, ABBATE, WEISENBERG,
         GALEF, HOOPER, BOYLAND, ZEBROWSKI, ABINANTI,  ROBERTS  --  Multi-Spon-
         sored  by -- M. of A. CAHILL, CLARK, COLTON, COOK, CYMBROWITZ, JAFFEE,
         MAGEE, MILLMAN, ORTIZ,  PERRY,  ROBINSON,  WRIGHT  --  read  once  and
         referred to the Committee on Governmental Employees
       AN  ACT  to amend the retirement and social security law, in relation to
         the employment of retired persons
         THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
    1    Section  1.  Subdivision 2 of section 212 of the retirement and social
    2  security law, as amended by chapter 74 of the laws of 2006,  is  amended
    3  to read as follows:
    4    2.  The earning limitations for retired persons in positions of public
    5  service under this section shall be in  accordance  with  the  following
    6  table:
    7          For the year               Earnings limitation
    8              1996                         $12,500
    9              1997                         $13,500
   10              1998                         $14,500
   11              1999                         $15,500
   12              2000                         $17,000
   13              2001                         $18,500
   14              2002                         $20,000
   15              2003                         $25,000
   16              2004                         $27,500
   17              2005 and 2006                $27,500
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD04719-04-3
       S. 4732                             2                            A. 6801
    1              2007 [and thereafter],       $30,000
    2              2008, 2009, 2010, 2011
    3              AND 2012
    4              2013 AND THEREAFTER          $32,500
    5    S  2.  This  act  shall take effect immediately and shall be deemed to
    6  have been in full force and effect on and after January 1, 2013.
         FISCAL NOTE.--Pursuant to Legislative Law, Section 50:
         This bill would amend Section 212 of the Retirement and Social Securi-
       ty Law to set the amount a retired person may earn in public  employment
       without reduction in retirement allowance during the year 2013 and ther-
       eafter, to $32,500.
         If this bill is enacted, insofar as it would affect the New York State
       and  Local Employees' Retirement System and the New York State and Local
       Police and Fire Retirement System, the resulting 8.3% increase over  the
       current  $30,000  limit,  in  place  since  2007, which is less than the
       increase in the consumer price index over  the  same  period  would  not
       affect retirement patterns. Therefore, there will be no additional cost.
         Summary of relevant resources:
         Data:  March  31,  2012  Actuarial Year End File with distributions of
       membership and other statistics displayed in  the  2012  Report  of  the
       Actuary and 2012 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report.
         Assumptions  and  Methods:  2010,  2011  and 2012 Annual Report to the
       Comptroller on Actuarial Assumptions, Codes Rules and Regulations of the
       State of New York: Audit and Control.
         Market Assets and GASB Disclosures: March 31, 2012 New York State  and
       Local  Retirement System Financial statements and Supplementary Informa-
       tion.
         Valuations of Benefit Liabilities and Actuarial Assets: summarized  in
       the 2012 Actuarial Valuations report.
         I am a member of the American Academy of Actuaries and meet the Quali-
       fication Standards to render the actuarial opinion contained herein.
         This  estimate,  dated  December  17,  2012  and intended for use only
       during the  2013  Legislative  Session,  is  Fiscal  Note  No.  2013-16,
       prepared  by  the  Actuary  for  the New York State and Local Employees'
       Retirement System and the New York  State  and  Local  Police  and  Fire
       Retirement System.
         Pursuant to Legislative Law, Section 50:
         This  bill  would amend subdivision 2 of section 212 of the Retirement
       and Social Security Law to increase the earnings limitation for  retired
       members  in  positions  of public employment to $32,500 for the calendar
       year 2013 and thereafter. The earnings limitation for the calendar  year
       2012 was $30,000.
         The  annual  cost  to  the  employers of members of the New York State
       Teachers' Retirement System is estimated to be negligible if  this  bill
       is enacted.
         The  source  of  this estimate is Fiscal Note 2013-9 dated February 7,
       2013 prepared by the Actuary of the New York State Teachers'  Retirement
       System and is intended for use only during the 2013 Legislative Session.
       I,  Richard  A.  Young,  am the Actuary for the New York State Teachers'
       Retirement System.
         Pursuant to Legislative Law, Section 50:
         PROVISIONS OF PROPOSED LEGISLATION:  With respect to the New York City
       Retirement Systems ("NYCRS"),  this  proposed  legislation  would  amend
       Retirement  and Social Security Law ("RSSL") Section 212 to increase the
       earnings limit of certain members who have  returned  to  employment  in
       Public Service.
       S. 4732                             3                            A. 6801
         The  Effective  Date  of the proposed legislation would be the date of
       enactment retroactive to January 1, 2013.
         IMPACT  ON  BENEFITS:  Retired  members  of the NYCRS are permitted to
       return to employment in "Public Service" where such term  means  employ-
       ment in the service of New York State ("NYS") or any its political divi-
       sions including:
         * A special district,
         * District corporation,
         * School district,
         * Board of cooperative educational services,
         * County vocational education and extension board,
         * Public benefit corporation,
         * Public authority created by or pursuant to NYS laws, or
         *  An  agency  or  organization  which  contributes as a participating
       employer in a retirement system or pension plan administered by  NYS  or
       any of its political subdivisions.
         Retirees  who  return  to Public Service and elect to be covered under
       the provisions of RSSL Section 212 are permitted to earn in  a  calendar
       year  an  amount  not  exceeding  a  specific dollar limit without loss,
       suspension or diminution of their retirement allowances. Once a  retiree
       attains  age 65 in a calendar year, there are no earnings limitations in
       that calendar year or thereafter. Currently, the  dollar  limitation  in
       effect for Calendar Year 2007 and thereafter is $30,000.
         Under  the  proposed  legislation,  the  dollar  limitation  would  be
       increased to $32,500 for Calendar Year 2013 and thereafter.
         FINANCIAL IMPACT - EMPLOYER COST: The ultimate cost of a pension  plan
       is the benefits it pays.
         To the extent the current RSSL Section 212 earnings limitation applies
       in  Calendar  Years  2013  and  later, certain retirees would have their
       retirement allowances suspended for the remainder of the  calendar  year
       in  which  their earnings in Public Service exceed that earnings limita-
       tion.
         Enactment of the proposed legislation  would  raise  the  amount  that
       could  be  earned  in  Public  Service.  This  would  result in a slight
       increase in benefits paid to retirees where their Public  Service  earn-
       ings exceed the current RSSL Section 212 earnings limitation.
         If  a  definite amount of change to the expected retirement allowances
       to be paid in a calendar year were known, it would be reflected  in  the
       fiscal year the legislation were enacted.
         However,  a  change  in  the  applicable retirement allowances paid to
       NYCRS retired members in a calendar year under this proposed legislation
       are not known in advance. These changes would be  treated  as  actuarial
       experience gains/losses recognized in the assets of the respective NYCRS
       at  the end of that fiscal year (i.e., a change in retirement allowances
       paid during Calendar Year 2013 would be reflected in the NYCRS assets as
       of June 30, 2014).
         Under the Lag actuarial valuation methodology, adjustments in the June
       30, 2014 asset values would first impact employer contributions  to  the
       respective NYCRS for Fiscal Year 2016.
         For those NYCRS reemployed retirees who have elected to become subject
       to  RSSL  Section 212 and who have exceeded the limit, the Actuary esti-
       mates that the annual potential impact of the proposed legislation would
       be to increase payouts from the NYCRS by less than $100,000  and,  over-
       all,  there  would  be  a de minimis impact on the retirement allowances
       otherwise payable.
       S. 4732                             4                            A. 6801
         FINANCIAL IMPACT: EMPLOYER CONTRIBUTIONS: If enacted during  the  2013
       Legislative  Session,  the  impact  on employer costs to the NYCRS would
       begin Fiscal Year 2016.
         Overall,  the  Actuary  believes  the  changes  in  employer costs and
       employer contributions to the NYCRS as a  result  of  enactment  of  the
       proposed legislation would be de minimis.
         OTHER  COSTS:  Not  measured  in  this  Fiscal  Note  are any possible
       increased administrative costs attributable to enactment of the proposed
       legislation.
         CENSUS DATA: For purposes of analyzing  the  impact  of  the  proposed
       legislation,   data  on  retirees  reemployed  in  Public  Service  were
       furnished by the staffs of the NYRCS. This data was reviewed and consid-
       ered illustrative of those who could potentially  be  impacted  by  this
       proposed  legislation.  Where  data was not final, a percentage of those
       retirees employed in Public Service under age 65 were assumed to  exceed
       the RSSL Section 212 limit.
                                        Table 1
                  NYCRS Retirees Reemployed in Public Service in 2012
                             Who Elected to be Subject to
                                   RSSL Section 212
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                                        Number Reemployed Under
                                  Number Reemployed          Age 65 with
                                      All Ages            Earnings in Excess
       Retirement System{1}         Any Earnings             of $30,000
       ________________________________________________________________________
       NYCERS                            509                     35
       TRS                             3,128                     12
       BERS                               20{2}                   1
       POLICE                            226                     11
       FIRE                               10                      2{2}
              Total                    3,893                     61
       ________________________________________________________________________
       {1} New York City Employees' Retirement System ("NYCERS")
           New York City Teachers' Retirement System ("TRS")
           New York City Board of Education Retirement System ("BERS")
           New York City Police Pension Fund ("POLICE")
           New York City Fire Department Pension Fund ("FIRE")
       {2} Estimated from Information furnished.
         ACTUARIAL  ASSUMPTIONS  AND  METHODS: Any changes in employer contrib-
       utions have been estimated based on the actuarial assumptions and  meth-
       ods used in the June 30, 2011 (Lag) actuarial valuations of the NYCRS.
         For  purposes  of analyzing the impact of the proposed legislation, it
       was assumed that the current number  of  reemployed  NYCRS  retirees  in
       Public  Service  under  age 65 earning in excess of the RSSL Section 212
       dollar limit would remain constant over time.
         It was also assumed that the earnings in Public Service of such  reem-
       ployed  retirees  would  also  exceed  the proposed new RSSL Section 212
       dollar limit by amounts comparable to those being earned  in  excess  of
       the current dollar limit.
       S. 4732                             5                            A. 6801
         Additional  employer  costs  have  been calculated using the actuarial
       assumptions and methods currently in effect for the June 30, 2011  (Lag)
       actuarial  valuation  of  NYCRS  to determine employer contributions for
       Fiscal Year 2013.
         STATEMENT  OF ACTUARIAL OPINION: I, Robert C. North, Jr., am the Chief
       Actuary for the New York City Retirement Systems. I am a Fellow  of  the
       Society  of Actuaries and a Member of the American Academy of Actuaries.
       I meet the Qualification Standards of the American Academy of  Actuaries
       to render the actuarial opinion contained herein.
         FISCAL  NOTE  IDENTIFICATION:  This  estimate is intended for use only
       during the 2013 Legislative Session. It is Fiscal  Note  2013-06,  dated
       April  4,  2013  prepared  by  the  Chief  Actuary for the New York City
       Retirement Systems.
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