Bill Text: NY A09844 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced


Bill Title: Provides an optional twenty-five year retirement plan for county 911 operators throughout the state.

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Republican 4-1)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-04-11 - referred to governmental employees [A09844 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-A09844-Introduced.html



                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          9844

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                     April 11, 2024
                                       ___________

        Introduced by M. of A. BYRNES -- 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 county 911 operators

          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-y to read as follows:
     3    §  89-y.  Optional  twenty-five year retirement plan for county police
     4  communications operators, police  communications  operator  supervisors,
     5  assistant bureau directors (police 911 communications) and bureau direc-
     6  tors  (police  911 communications). a. Any member who is a county police
     7  communications  operator,  police  communications  operator  supervisor,
     8  assistant bureau director (police 911 communications) or bureau director
     9  (police  911  communications) in any county, shall be eligible to retire
    10  pursuant to the provisions of this section. Such eligibility shall be an
    11  alternative to the eligibility provisions available under any other plan
    12  of this article to which such member is subject. The  comptroller  shall
    13  have  the authority to include positions herein that comprehend the same
    14  duties and responsibilities, but are named differently.
    15    b. Such member shall be entitled to  retire  upon  the  completion  of
    16  twenty-five  years  of total creditable service by filing an application
    17  therefor in the manner provided for in section seventy of this article.
    18    c. Upon completion of twenty-five  years  of  such  service  and  upon
    19  retirement,  each  such  member  shall receive a pension which, together
    20  with an annuity which shall be the actuarial equivalent of  his  or  her
    21  accumulated  contributions  at  the time of his or her retirement and an
    22  additional pension which is the actuarial equivalent  of  the  reserved-
    23  for-increased-take-home-pay  to  which  he  or  she may then be entitled
    24  shall be sufficient to provide him or her with  a  retirement  allowance
    25  equal to one-half of his or her final average salary.
    26    d.  As used in this section "creditable service" shall include any and
    27  all services performed  as  a  county  police  communications  operator,
    28  police  communications  operator  supervisor,  assistant bureau director

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD13559-04-4

        A. 9844                             2

     1  (police 911 communications) and bureau  director  (police  911  communi-
     2  cations).
     3    e. Credit for service as a member or officer of the state police or as
     4  a  paid  firefighter,  police  officer  or officer of any organized fire
     5  department or police force or department of any county,  city,  village,
     6  town, fire district or police district, or as a criminal investigator in
     7  the  office  of  a  district  attorney, or as a probation assistant in a
     8  county probation department, shall  also  be  deemed  to  be  creditable
     9  service  and  shall  be included in computing years of total service for
    10  retirement pursuant to this section.
    11    f. The chief executive officer in each county  shall  certify  to  the
    12  comptroller,  periodically  and  at  such  intervals  of  time as may be
    13  required and in such fashion as may be prescribed, the identity  of  the
    14  eligible police communications operators, police communications operator
    15  supervisors,  assistant bureau directors (police 911 communications) and
    16  bureau directors (police 911 communications) in his or her employ.
    17    g. A member contributing on the basis of this section at the  time  of
    18  retirement  shall  retire  after  the completion of twenty-five years of
    19  total creditable service. Application therefor may be filed in a  manner
    20  similar  to  that  provided  in  section  seventy  of this article. Upon
    21  completion of twenty-five years of such  service  and  upon  retirement,
    22  each such member shall receive a pension which, together with an annuity
    23  which  shall  be  the  actuarial  equivalent  of  his or her accumulated
    24  contributions at the time of his or her  retirement  and  an  additional
    25  pension  which  is  the  actuarial  equivalent  of  the reserved-for-in-
    26  creased-take-home-pay to which he or she may then be entitled, shall  be
    27  sufficient  to  provide  him or her with a retirement allowance equal to
    28  one-half of his or her final average salary.
    29    h. In computing the twenty-five years of total  service  of  a  member
    30  pursuant  to  this section full credit shall be given and full allowance
    31  shall be made for service of such member in time of war after World  War
    32  I as defined in section two of this chapter, provided such member at the
    33  time  of his or her entrance into the armed forces was in the service of
    34  the county of his or her employer that makes the election  provided  for
    35  herein.
    36    i. Nothing herein shall be construed to prevent a member, who does not
    37  retire  pursuant  to  the  provisions  of  this  section, from utilizing
    38  service which is creditable service pursuant to the provisions  of  this
    39  section  for service credit pursuant to the provisions of any other plan
    40  of this article to which such member is subject.
    41    j. 1. Each county that elects  pursuant  to  the  provisions  of  this
    42  subdivision shall pay the cost attributable therefor.
    43    2.  The  benefits  of  this  section  shall be available only to those
    44  members defined in subdivision a of this section whose  employer  elects
    45  to  provide  such  benefits  by adopting a resolution to such effect and
    46  filing a certified copy thereof with the  comptroller.  Such  resolution
    47  shall  be accompanied by the affidavit of the chief executive officer of
    48  the county that the county has received an estimate from the  retirement
    49  system of the cost of the benefit provided by this section.
    50    k. The provisions of this section shall be controlling notwithstanding
    51  any other provision in this article to the contrary.
    52    § 2. Subdivision a of section 445 of the retirement and social securi-
    53  ty  law,  as  amended  by chapter 714 of the laws of 2023, is amended to
    54  read as follows:
    55    a. No member of a retirement system who is subject to  the  provisions
    56  of this article shall retire without regard to age, exclusive of retire-

        A. 9844                             3

     1  ment  for  disability, unless he or she is a police officer, an investi-
     2  gator member of the New York city employees'  retirement  system,  fire-
     3  fighter,  correction  officer, a qualifying member as defined in section
     4  eighty-nine-t,  as  added by chapter six hundred fifty-seven of the laws
     5  of nineteen hundred ninety-eight, of this chapter, sanitation worker,  a
     6  special  officer  (including persons employed by the city of New York in
     7  the title urban park ranger or  associate  urban  park  ranger),  school
     8  safety  agent,  campus  peace officer or a taxi and limousine commission
     9  inspector member of the New York city employees'  retirement  system  or
    10  the  New  York  city  board of education retirement system, a dispatcher
    11  member of the New York  city  employees'  retirement  system,  a  police
    12  communications member of the New York city employees' retirement system,
    13  an EMT member of the New York city employees' retirement system, a depu-
    14  ty  sheriff  member of the New York city employees' retirement system, a
    15  correction officer of the Westchester county  correction  department  as
    16  defined  in section eighty-nine-e of this chapter or employed in Suffolk
    17  county as a peace officer, as defined in section eighty-nine-s, as added
    18  by chapter five hundred eighty-eight of the  laws  of  nineteen  hundred
    19  ninety-seven,   of  this  chapter,  employed  in  Suffolk  county  as  a
    20  correction officer, as defined in section eighty-nine-f of this chapter,
    21  or  employed  in  Nassau  county  as  a  correction  officer,  uniformed
    22  correction  division personnel, sheriff, undersheriff or deputy sheriff,
    23  as defined in section eighty-nine-g of  this  chapter,  or  employed  in
    24  Nassau  county  as an ambulance medical technician, an ambulance medical
    25  technician/supervisor or a member who performs ambulance medical techni-
    26  cian related services, or a police medic, police medic supervisor  or  a
    27  member who performs police medic related services, as defined in section
    28  eighty-nine-s,  as  amended by chapter five hundred seventy-eight of the
    29  laws of nineteen hundred ninety-eight, of this chapter, or  employed  in
    30  Nassau  county  as a peace officer, as defined in section eighty-nine-s,
    31  as added by chapter five hundred ninety-five of  the  laws  of  nineteen
    32  hundred ninety-seven, of this chapter, or employed in Albany county as a
    33  sheriff, undersheriff, deputy sheriff, correction officer or identifica-
    34  tion  officer, as defined in section eighty-nine-h of this chapter or is
    35  employed in St. Lawrence county as a sheriff, undersheriff, deputy sher-
    36  iff or correction officer, as defined in section eighty-nine-i  of  this
    37  chapter  or  is  employed  in Orleans county as a sheriff, undersheriff,
    38  deputy  sheriff  or  correction   officer,   as   defined   in   section
    39  eighty-nine-l  of  this  chapter or is employed in Jefferson county as a
    40  sheriff, undersheriff, deputy sheriff or correction officer, as  defined
    41  in  section  eighty-nine-j  of  this  chapter or is employed in Onondaga
    42  county as a deputy sheriff-jail division competitively appointed or as a
    43  correction officer, as defined in section eighty-nine-k of this  chapter
    44  or  is  employed in a county which makes an election under subdivision j
    45  of section eighty-nine-p of this chapter  as  a  sheriff,  undersheriff,
    46  deputy  sheriff or correction officer as defined in such section eighty-
    47  nine-p or is employed in Broome County as a sheriff, undersheriff, depu-
    48  ty sheriff or correction officer, as defined in section eighty-nine-m of
    49  this chapter or is a Monroe county  deputy  sheriff-court  security,  or
    50  deputy  sheriff-jailor  as defined in section eighty-nine-n, as added by
    51  chapter five hundred ninety-seven of the laws of nineteen hundred  nine-
    52  ty-one,  of  this  chapter or is employed in Greene county as a sheriff,
    53  undersheriff, deputy  sheriff  or  correction  officer,  as  defined  in
    54  section  eighty-nine-o  of this chapter or is a traffic officer with the
    55  town of Elmira as defined in section eighty-nine-q of this chapter or is
    56  employed by Suffolk county as a  park  police  officer,  as  defined  in

        A. 9844                             4

     1  section  eighty-nine-r of this chapter or is a peace officer employed by
     2  a county probation department as defined in  section  eighty-nine-t,  as
     3  added by chapter six hundred three of the laws of nineteen hundred nine-
     4  ty-eight,  of this chapter or is employed in Rockland county as a deputy
     5  sheriff-civil as defined in section eighty-nine-v  of  this  chapter  as
     6  added by chapter four hundred forty-one of the laws of two thousand one,
     7  or  is  employed  in Rockland county as a superior correction officer as
     8  defined in section eighty-nine-v of this chapter  as  added  by  chapter
     9  five hundred fifty-six of the laws of two thousand one or is a paramedic
    10  employed  by  the police department in the town of Tonawanda and retires
    11  under the provisions of section eighty-nine-v of this chapter, as  added
    12  by  chapter four hundred seventy-two of the laws of two thousand one, or
    13  is a county  fire  marshal,  supervising  fire  marshal,  fire  marshal,
    14  assistant  fire  marshal,  assistant  chief  fire  marshal,  chief  fire
    15  marshal, division supervising  fire  marshal  or  fire  marshal  trainee
    16  employed  by the county of Nassau as defined in section eighty-nine-w of
    17  this chapter or is employed in Monroe county as a  deputy  sheriff-civil
    18  as  defined  in  section  eighty-nine-x  of this chapter, employed as an
    19  emergency medical technician, critical care technician,  advanced  emer-
    20  gency  medical  technician,  paramedic or supervisor of such titles in a
    21  participating Suffolk county fire district as defined in section  eight-
    22  y-nine-ss  of  this chapter, or is a county police communications opera-
    23  tor, police communications operator supervisor, assistant bureau  direc-
    24  tor   (police  911  communications)  and  bureau  director  (police  911
    25  communications) and is in a plan which permits immediate retirement upon
    26  completion of a specified period  of  service  without  regard  to  age.
    27  Except as provided in subdivision c of section four hundred forty-five-a
    28  of  this  article, subdivision c of section four hundred forty-five-b of
    29  this article, subdivision c of section four hundred forty-five-c of this
    30  article, subdivision c of section  four  hundred  forty-five-d  of  this
    31  article,  subdivision  c  of  section  four hundred forty-five-e of this
    32  article, subdivision c of section  four  hundred  forty-five-f  of  this
    33  article  and  subdivision c of section four hundred forty-five-h of this
    34  article, a member in such a plan and such an occupation,  other  than  a
    35  police  officer  or  investigator member of the New York city employees'
    36  retirement system or a firefighter, shall not  be  permitted  to  retire
    37  prior  to  the  completion  of  twenty-five  years  of credited service;
    38  provided, however, if such a member in such an occupation is in  a  plan
    39  which  permits  retirement  upon  completion  of twenty years of service
    40  regardless of age, he or she may retire upon completion of twenty  years
    41  of  credited service and prior to the completion of twenty-five years of
    42  service, but in such event the benefit provided from  funds  other  than
    43  those  based  on  such a member's own contributions shall not exceed two
    44  per centum of final average salary per each year of credited service.
    45    § 3. Section 603 of the retirement and social security law is  amended
    46  by adding a new subdivision w to read as follows:
    47    w.  The  service  retirement  benefit specified in section six hundred
    48  four of this article shall be payable to members with twenty-five  years
    49  of  creditable  service,  without  regard  to age, who are employed as a
    50  county police communications operator,  police  communications  operator
    51  supervisor,  assistant  bureau  director (police 911 communications) and
    52  bureau director (police 911 communications) as defined in section eight-
    53  y-nine-y of this chapter if: (i)  such  members  have  met  the  minimum
    54  service  requirements  upon retirement, and (ii) in the case of a member
    55  subject to the provisions of article  fourteen  of  this  chapter,  such
    56  member  files an election therefor which provides that he or she will be

        A. 9844                             5

     1  subject to the provisions of this article and to none of the  provisions
     2  of  such  article  fourteen.  Such election, which shall be irrevocable,
     3  shall be in writing, duly executed and shall be  filed  with  the  comp-
     4  troller  within  one  year  of the effective date of this subdivision or
     5  within one year after entering the  employment  with  such  county  upon
     6  which  eligibility  is based, whichever comes later. For the purposes of
     7  this subdivision, the term "creditable service" shall have  the  meaning
     8  as so defined in both sections eighty-nine-y and six hundred one of this
     9  chapter.
    10    §  4. Section 604 of the retirement and social security law is amended
    11  by adding a new subdivision w to read as follows:
    12    w. The early service retirement benefit for a member who  is  employed
    13  as a county police communications operator, police communications opera-
    14  tor  supervisor,  assistant  bureau director (police 911 communications)
    15  and bureau director (police 911 communications) as  defined  in  section
    16  eighty-nine-y  of  this chapter shall be a pension equal to one-fiftieth
    17  of  final  average  salary  times  years  of  credited  service  at  the
    18  completion of twenty-five years of service as such police communications
    19  operator,  police  communications  operator supervisor, assistant bureau
    20  director (police 911 communications) and  bureau  director  (police  911
    21  communications),  but not exceeding one-half of his or her final average
    22  salary; for service beyond twenty-five years the benefits shall increase
    23  by one-sixtieth of final average salary  for  each  year  of  additional
    24  service  credit  provided,  however,  that  the  total allowance payable
    25  pursuant to this section shall not exceed three-fourths of such member's
    26  final average salary.
    27    § 5. All past service costs incurred with implementing the  provisions
    28  of  this  act  shall  be  borne by any county that elects to provide the
    29  benefits provided by this act.
    30    § 6. This act shall take effect January 1, 2025.
          FISCAL NOTE.--Pursuant to Legislative Law, Section 50:
          This bill would permit counties that participate in the New York State
        and Local Employees' Retirement  System  to  elect  to  provide  members
        employed in the title of police communications operator, police communi-
        cations  operator  supervisor,  assistant  bureau  director  (police 911
        communications) or  bureau  director  (police  911  communications)  the
        option  to  retire  upon  completion  of twenty-five years of creditable
        service with a benefit of one-half of final average salary (FAS) and for
        Tiers 3 through 6 an additional benefit of one-sixtieth of FAS for  each
        year of creditable service in excess of twenty-five years, not to exceed
        fifteen  years.  Additionally,  for  those  members  covered  under  the
        provisions of Article 14, this bill would permit an irrevocable election
        to forfeit the benefits of Article 14 in favor of  the  twenty-five-year
        plan  benefit.  Such election must be made within one year of the effec-
        tive date of this bill or within one year of entering employment with an
        electing county in any of the above titles, whichever comes later.
          If this bill is enacted during the 2024 Legislative Session, we antic-
        ipate that there will be an increase in the annual contributions  of  an
        electing  county  of approximately 5% of salary paid to eligible members
        for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2025. In  future  years  this  cost
        will vary as the billing rates of the affected members change.
          In addition to the annual contributions discussed above, there will be
        an  immediate  past  service cost of approximately 16% of salary paid to
        eligible members which will be borne by the electing county  as  a  one-
        time  payment. This estimate assumes that payment will be made on Febru-
        ary 1, 2025.

        A. 9844                             6

          Further, we anticipate additional administrative  costs  to  implement
        the provisions of this legislation.
          The  exact  number  of  current  members as well as future members who
        could be affected by this  legislation  cannot  be  readily  determined.
        Prior  to electing to provide these benefits, a county would be required
        to submit a roster of eligible members to the New York State  and  Local
        Retirement  System. This roster would be used to determine an exact cost
        to the electing county.
          Summary of relevant resources:
          Membership data as of March 31, 2023 was used in measuring the  impact
        of the proposed change, the same data used in the April 1, 2023 actuari-
        al  valuation.  Distributions  and  other statistics can be found in the
        2023 Report of the Actuary and the 2023 Annual  Comprehensive  Financial
        Report.
          The  actuarial  assumptions and methods used are described in the 2023
        Annual Report to the  Comptroller  on  Actuarial  Assumptions,  and  the
        Codes,  Rules  and  Regulations  of  the  State  of  New York: Audit and
        Control.
          The Market Assets and GASB Disclosures are found in the March 31, 2023
        New York State and Local  Retirement  System  Financial  Statements  and
        Supplementary Information.
          I am a member of the American Academy of Actuaries and meet the Quali-
        fication Standards to render the actuarial opinion contained herein.
          This  fiscal note does not constitute a legal opinion on the viability
        of the proposed change nor is it intended to serve as a  substitute  for
        the professional judgment of an attorney.
          This  estimate,  dated March 6, 2024, and intended for use only during
        the 2024 Legislative Session, is Fiscal Note No.  2024-66,  prepared  by
        the Actuary for the New York State and Local Retirement System.
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