Bill Text: NY A07163 | 2009-2010 | General Assembly | Introduced


Bill Title: Allows airport firefighters employed by division of military and naval affairs to retire upon completion of 25 years of creditable service; provides that the benefit upon retirement would be an allowance of one-half of final average salary; provides that there is no reduction for early service retirement.

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-01-06 - referred to governmental employees [A07163 Detail]

Download: New_York-2009-A07163-Introduced.html
                           S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                         7163
                              2009-2010 Regular Sessions
                                 I N  A S S E M B L Y
                                    March 25, 2009
                                      ___________
       Introduced by M. of A. ABBATE, DenDEKKER, TOWNSEND, CALHOUN, SALADINO --
         Multi-Sponsored  by  --  M. of A. PHEFFER -- read once and referred to
         the Committee on Governmental Employees
       AN ACT to amend the retirement and social security law, in  relation  to
         the  retirement  of  airport  firefighters employed by the division of
         military and naval affairs
         THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
    1    Section 1. The retirement and social security law is amended by adding
    2  a new section 89-x to read as follows:
    3    S 89-X. RETIREMENT OF AIRPORT FIREFIGHTERS IN THE DIVISION OF MILITARY
    4  AND  NAVAL  AFFAIRS.  A. ANY MEMBER EMPLOYED BY THE DIVISION OF MILITARY
    5  AND NAVAL AFFAIRS SHALL BE ELIGIBLE TO RETIRE PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS
    6  OF THIS SECTION IF HE OR  SHE  IS  AN  AIRPORT  FIREFIGHTER  APPRENTICE,
    7  AIRPORT  FIREFIGHTER I, AIRPORT FIREFIGHTER II, AIRPORT FIREFIGHTER III,
    8  OR A TRAINING AND SAFETY OFFICER. SUCH ELIGIBILITY SHALL BE AN  ALTERNA-
    9  TIVE  TO  THE  ELIGIBILITY  PROVISIONS AVAILABLE UNDER ANY OTHER PLAN OF
   10  THIS ARTICLE TO WHICH SUCH MEMBER IS SUBJECT.
   11    B. SUCH MEMBER SHALL BE ENTITLED TO  RETIRE  UPON  THE  COMPLETION  OF
   12  TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  OF TOTAL CREDITABLE SERVICE BY FILING AN APPLICATION
   13  THEREFOR IN THE MANNER PROVIDED FOR IN SECTION SEVENTY OF THIS ARTICLE.
   14    C. UPON COMPLETION OF TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  OF  SUCH  SERVICE  AND  UPON
   15  RETIREMENT,  EACH  SUCH  MEMBER  SHALL RECEIVE A PENSION WHICH, TOGETHER
   16  WITH AN ANNUITY WHICH SHALL BE THE ACTUARIAL EQUIVALENT OF  HIS  OR  HER
   17  ACCUMULATED  CONTRIBUTIONS  AT  THE TIME OF HIS OR HER RETIREMENT AND AN
   18  ADDITIONAL  PENSION  WHICH  IS   THE   ACTUARIAL   EQUIVALENT   OF   THE
   19  RESERVED-FOR-INCREASED-TAKE-HOME-PAY  TO  WHICH  HE  OR  SHE MAY THEN BE
   20  ENTITLED SHALL BE SUFFICIENT TO PROVIDE HIM OR  HER  WITH  A  RETIREMENT
   21  ALLOWANCE EQUAL TO ONE-HALF OF HIS OR HER FINAL AVERAGE SALARY.
   22    D.  AS USED IN THIS SECTION "CREDITABLE SERVICE" SHALL INCLUDE ANY AND
   23  ALL SERVICES PERFORMED AS AN  AIRPORT  FIREFIGHTER  APPRENTICE,  AIRPORT
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD10353-01-9
       A. 7163                             2
    1  FIREFIGHTER  I,  AIRPORT  FIREFIGHTER  II, AIRPORT FIREFIGHTER III, OR A
    2  TRAINING AND SAFETY OFFICER  IN  THE  DIVISION  OF  MILITARY  AND  NAVAL
    3  AFFAIRS.
    4    E. CREDIT FOR SERVICE AS A MEMBER OR OFFICER OF THE STATE POLICE OR AS
    5  A  PAID  FIREFIGHTER,  POLICE  OFFICER, OR OFFICER OF ANY ORGANIZED FIRE
    6  DEPARTMENT OR POLICE FORCE OR DEPARTMENT OF ANY COUNTY,  CITY,  VILLAGE,
    7  TOWN,  FIRE  DISTRICT, OR POLICE DISTRICT, OR AS A CRIMINAL INVESTIGATOR
    8  IN THE OFFICE OF A DISTRICT ATTORNEY, SHALL ALSO BE DEEMED TO BE CREDIT-
    9  ABLE SERVICE AND SHALL BE INCLUDED IN COMPUTING YEARS OF  TOTAL  SERVICE
   10  FOR RETIREMENT PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION.
   11    F.  A  MEMBER CONTRIBUTING ON THE BASIS OF THIS SECTION AT THE TIME OF
   12  RETIREMENT MAY RETIRE AFTER THE COMPLETION OF TWENTY-FIVE YEARS OF TOTAL
   13  CREDITABLE SERVICE. APPLICATION THEREFOR MAY BE FILED IN A MANNER  SIMI-
   14  LAR  TO  THAT  PROVIDED  FOR  IN  SECTION  SEVENTY OF THIS ARTICLE. UPON
   15  COMPLETION OF TWENTY-FIVE YEARS OF SUCH  SERVICE  AND  UPON  RETIREMENT,
   16  EACH SUCH MEMBER SHALL RECEIVE A PENSION WHICH, TOGETHER WITH AN ANNUITY
   17  WHICH  SHALL  BE  THE  ACTUARIAL  EQUIVALENT  OF  HIS OR HER ACCUMULATED
   18  CONTRIBUTIONS AT THE TIME OF HIS OR HER  RETIREMENT  AND  AN  ADDITIONAL
   19  PENSION  WHICH  IS  THE  ACTUARIAL  EQUIVALENT  OF  THE RESERVED-FOR-IN-
   20  CREASED-TAKE-HOME-PAY TO WHICH HE OR SHE MAY BE ENTITLED SHALL BE SUFFI-
   21  CIENT TO PROVIDE HIM  OR  HER  WITH  A  RETIREMENT  ALLOWANCE  EQUAL  TO
   22  ONE-HALF OF HIS OR HER FINAL AVERAGE SALARY.
   23    G.  IN  COMPUTING  THE  TWENTY-FIVE YEARS OF TOTAL SERVICE OF A MEMBER
   24  PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION, FULL CREDIT SHALL BE GIVEN AND FULL  ALLOWANCE
   25  SHALL  BE MADE FOR SERVICE OF SUCH MEMBER IN TIME OF WAR AFTER WORLD WAR
   26  I AS DEFINED IN SECTION TWO OF THIS CHAPTER, PROVIDED SUCH MEMBER AT THE
   27  TIME OF HIS OR HER ENTRANCE INTO THE ARMED FORCES WAS IN THE SERVICE  OF
   28  THE  DIVISION OF MILITARY AND NAVAL AFFAIRS OR AN EMPLOYER AS DEFINED IN
   29  SUBDIVISION E OF THIS SECTION.
   30    H. NOTHING IN THIS SECTION SHALL BE CONSTRUED TO PREVENT A MEMBER, WHO
   31  DOES NOT RETIRE PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION, FROM UTILIZ-
   32  ING SERVICE WHICH IS CREDITABLE SERVICE PURSUANT TO  THE  PROVISIONS  OF
   33  THIS  SECTION FOR SERVICE CREDIT PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF ANY OTHER
   34  PLAN OF THIS ARTICLE TO WHICH SUCH MEMBER IS SUBJECT.
   35    I. THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION SHALL BE CONTROLLING NOTWITHSTANDING
   36  ANY OTHER PROVISIONS IN THIS ARTICLE TO THE CONTRARY.
   37    S 2. Subdivision a of section 445 of the retirement and social securi-
   38  ty law, as amended by chapter 295 of the laws of  2007,  is  amended  to
   39  read as follows:
   40    a.  No  member of a retirement system who is subject to the provisions
   41  of this article shall retire without regard to age, exclusive of retire-
   42  ment for disability, unless he  is  a  [policeman]  POLICE  OFFICER,  an
   43  investigator  member  of the New York city employees' retirement system,
   44  [fireman]  FIREFIGHTER,  correction  officer,  a  qualifying  member  as
   45  defined  in  section  eighty-nine-t,  as  added  by  chapter six hundred
   46  fifty-seven of the laws of nineteen hundred ninety-eight, of this  chap-
   47  ter,  sanitation  [man]  WORKER,  a  special  officer (including persons
   48  employed by the city of New York in the title urban park ranger or asso-
   49  ciate urban park ranger), school safety agent, campus peace officer or a
   50  taxi and limousine commission inspector member  of  the  New  York  city
   51  employees'  retirement  system  or  the New York city board of education
   52  retirement system, a dispatcher member of the New York  city  employees'
   53  retirement  system,  a police communications member of the New York city
   54  employees' retirement system, an EMT member of the New York city employ-
   55  ees' retirement system, a deputy sheriff member of  the  New  York  city
   56  employees'  retirement  system,  a correction officer of the Westchester
       A. 7163                             3
    1  county correction department as defined in section eighty-nine-e of this
    2  chapter or employed in Suffolk county as a peace officer, as defined  in
    3  section  eighty-nine-s, as added by chapter five hundred eighty-eight of
    4  the  laws of nineteen hundred ninety-seven, of this chapter, employed in
    5  Suffolk county as a correction officer, as defined  in  section  eighty-
    6  nine-f  of  this  chapter,  or employed in Nassau county as a correction
    7  officer, uniformed correction division personnel, sheriff,  undersheriff
    8  or  deputy sheriff, as defined in section eighty-nine-g of this chapter,
    9  or employed in Nassau county as  an  ambulance  medical  technician,  an
   10  ambulance  medical  technician/supervisor or a member who performs ambu-
   11  lance medical technician related services, as defined in section  eight-
   12  y-nine-s,  as  amended by chapter five hundred seventy-eight of the laws
   13  of nineteen hundred ninety-eight, of this chapter, or employed in Nassau
   14  county as a peace officer, as defined in section eighty-nine-s, as added
   15  by chapter five hundred ninety-five of  the  laws  of  nineteen  hundred
   16  ninety-seven,  of this chapter, OR IS EMPLOYED AS AN AIRPORT FIREFIGHTER
   17  APPRENTICE, AIRPORT FIREFIGHTER I, AIRPORT FIREFIGHTER II, AIRPORT FIRE-
   18  FIGHTER III, OR A TRAINING AND SAFETY OFFICER IN THE DIVISION  OF  MILI-
   19  TARY  AND  NAVAL  AFFAIRS,  AS  DEFINED IN SECTION EIGHTY-NINE-X OF THIS
   20  CHAPTER, or employed in Albany county as a sheriff, undersheriff, deputy
   21  sheriff, correction officer or identification  officer,  as  defined  in
   22  section  eighty-nine-h  of  this  chapter or is employed in St. Lawrence
   23  county as a sheriff, undersheriff, deputy sheriff or correction officer,
   24  as defined in section eighty-nine-i of this chapter or  is  employed  in
   25  Orleans  county as a sheriff, undersheriff, deputy sheriff or correction
   26  officer, as defined in section  eighty-nine-l  of  this  chapter  or  is
   27  employed  in Jefferson county as a sheriff, undersheriff, deputy sheriff
   28  or correction officer, as defined in section eighty-nine-j of this chap-
   29  ter or is employed in Onondaga county as a deputy sheriff-jail  division
   30  competitively  appointed  or  as  a  correction  officer,  as defined in
   31  section eighty-nine-k of this chapter or is employed in a  county  which
   32  makes  an  election under subdivision j of section eighty-nine-p of this
   33  chapter as a sheriff, undersheriff, deputy sheriff or correction officer
   34  as defined in such section eighty-nine-p or is employed in Broome County
   35  as a sheriff, undersheriff, deputy sheriff  or  correction  officer,  as
   36  defined  in  section eighty-nine-m of this chapter or is a Monroe county
   37  deputy sheriff-court security, or deputy sheriff-jailor  as  defined  in
   38  section  eighty-nine-n, as added by chapter five hundred ninety-seven of
   39  the laws of nineteen hundred ninety-one, of this chapter or is  employed
   40  in   Greene  county  as  a  sheriff,  undersheriff,  deputy  sheriff  or
   41  correction officer, as defined in section eighty-nine-o of this  chapter
   42  or  is  a  traffic officer with the town of Elmira as defined in section
   43  eighty-nine-q of this chapter or is employed by Suffolk county as a park
   44  police officer, as defined in section eighty-nine-r of this  chapter  or
   45  is  a peace officer employed by a county probation department as defined
   46  in section eighty-nine-t, as added by chapter six hundred three  of  the
   47  laws of nineteen hundred ninety-eight, of this chapter or is employed in
   48  Rockland  county as a deputy sheriff-civil as defined in section eighty-
   49  nine-v of this chapter as added by chapter four hundred forty-one of the
   50  laws of two thousand one, or is employed in Rockland county as a superi-
   51  or correction officer as defined in section eighty-nine-v of this  chap-
   52  ter  as added by chapter five hundred fifty-six of the laws of two thou-
   53  sand one or is a paramedic employed by the police department in the town
   54  of Tonawanda and retires under the provisions of  section  eighty-nine-v
   55  of  this  chapter,  as  added by chapter four hundred seventy-two of the
   56  laws of two thousand one, or is a county fire marshal, supervising  fire
       A. 7163                             4
    1  marshal,  fire  marshal,  assistant  fire  marshal, assistant chief fire
    2  marshal or chief fire marshal  employed  by  the  county  of  Nassau  as
    3  defined  in section eighty-nine-w of this chapter and is in a plan which
    4  permits  immediate  retirement  upon completion of a specified period of
    5  service without regard to age. Except as provided in  subdivision  c  of
    6  section  four  hundred  forty-five-a  of  this article, subdivision c of
    7  section four hundred forty-five-b of  this  article,  subdivision  c  of
    8  section  four  hundred  forty-five-c  of  this article, subdivision c of
    9  section four hundred forty-five-d of  this  article,  subdivision  c  of
   10  section  four  hundred  forty-five-e  of  this article, subdivision c of
   11  section four hundred forty-five-f of this article and subdivision  c  of
   12  section  four  hundred  forty-five-h of this article, a member in such a
   13  plan and such an occupation, other than a [policeman] POLICE OFFICER  or
   14  investigator member of the New York city employees' retirement system or
   15  a  [fireman]  FIREFIGHTER, shall not be permitted to retire prior to the
   16  completion of twenty-five years of credited service; provided,  however,
   17  if  such  a  member  in  such  an  occupation is in a plan which permits
   18  retirement upon completion of twenty years of service regardless of age,
   19  he may retire upon completion of twenty years of  credited  service  and
   20  prior  to  the  completion  of twenty-five years of service, but in such
   21  event the benefit provided from funds other than those based on  such  a
   22  member's  own  contributions  shall  not  exceed two per centum of final
   23  average salary per each year of credited service.
   24    S 3. Section 603 of the retirement and social security law is  amended
   25  by adding a new subdivision t to read as follows:
   26    T.  THE  SERVICE  RETIREMENT  BENEFIT SPECIFIED IN SECTION SIX HUNDRED
   27  FOUR OF THIS ARTICLE SHALL BE PAYABLE TO  MEMBERS  WITH  TWENTY-FIVE  OR
   28  MORE  YEARS  OF  CREDITABLE  SERVICE,  WITHOUT  REGARD  TO  AGE, WHO ARE
   29  EMPLOYED AS AIRPORT FIREFIGHTERS EMPLOYED BY THE  DIVISION  OF  MILITARY
   30  AND  NAVAL  AFFAIRS, AS DEFINED IN SECTION EIGHTY-NINE-X OF THIS CHAPTER
   31  IF: (I) SUCH MEMBERS HAVE MET  THE  MINIMUM  SERVICE  REQUIREMENTS  UPON
   32  RETIREMENT,  AND  (II) IN THE CASE OF A MEMBER SUBJECT TO THE PROVISIONS
   33  OF ARTICLE FOURTEEN OF THIS  CHAPTER,  SUCH  MEMBER  FILES  AN  ELECTION
   34  THEREFOR WHICH PROVIDES THAT HE OR SHE WILL BE SUBJECT TO THE PROVISIONS
   35  OF  THIS ARTICLE AND TO NONE OF THE PROVISIONS OF SUCH ARTICLE FOURTEEN.
   36  SUCH ELECTION, WHICH IS IRREVOCABLE, SHALL BE IN WRITING, DULY EXECUTED,
   37  AND SHALL BE FILED WITH THE COMPTROLLER WITHIN ONE YEAR OF THE EFFECTIVE
   38  DATE OF THIS SUBDIVISION OR WITHIN ONE YEAR AFTER ENTERING  THE  EMPLOY-
   39  MENT  WITH  THE  DIVISION OF MILITARY AND NAVAL AFFAIRS, WHICHEVER COMES
   40  LATER. FOR THE  PURPOSES  OF  THIS  SUBDIVISION,  THE  TERM  "CREDITABLE
   41  SERVICE"  SHALL  HAVE THE MEANING AS SO DEFINED IN SECTION EIGHTY-NINE-X
   42  OF THIS CHAPTER.
   43    S 4. Section 604 of the retirement and social security law is  amended
   44  by adding a new subdivision u to read as follows:
   45    U.  THE  EARLY  SERVICE RETIREMENT FOR A MEMBER WHO MAKES THE ELECTION
   46  PROVIDED FOR IN SUBDIVISION F OF SECTION EIGHTY-NINE-X OF  THIS  CHAPTER
   47  SHALL  BE  A PENSION EQUAL TO ONE-FIFTIETH OF FINAL AVERAGE SALARY TIMES
   48  YEARS OF CREDITED SERVICE AT THE  COMPLETION  OF  TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  OF
   49  SERVICE, BUT NOT EXCEEDING ONE-HALF OF HIS OR HER FINAL AVERAGE SALARY.
   50    S 5. Any past service costs attributable pursuant to this act shall be
   51  borne by the employer.
   52    S  6. This act shall take effect immediately; provided that the amend-
   53  ments to sections 603 and 604 of the retirement and social security  law
   54  made  by  sections  three  and four of this act shall expire on the same
   55  date as such sections expire pursuant to section 615 of such law.
         FISCAL NOTE.--Pursuant to Legislative Law, Section 50:
       A. 7163                             5
         This bill would allow airport firefighters employed by the division of
       military and naval affairs to retire upon completion of twenty-five (25)
       years of creditable service. The benefit upon  retirement  would  be  an
       allowance  of  one-half  of  final  average  salary.  There  would be no
       reduction for early service retirement.
         If  this bill is enacted, we anticipate that there will be an increase
       of approximately $65,600 in the annual contributions of the State of New
       York, for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2010.
         In addition to the annual contributions discussed above, there will be
       an immediate past service cost of approximately $813,000 which would  be
       borne  by  the State of New York as a one-time payment. This estimate is
       based on the assumption that payment will be made on March 1, 2010.
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