Bill Text: NY A11490 | 2009-2010 | General Assembly | Introduced


Bill Title: Provides that court reporters employed by the unified court system may retire upon the 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 shall be no reduction for early service retirement.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-06-17 - referred to governmental employees [A11490 Detail]

Download: New_York-2009-A11490-Introduced.html
                           S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                         11490
                                 I N  A S S E M B L Y
                                     June 17, 2010
                                      ___________
       Introduced  by  COMMITTEE ON RULES -- (at request of M. of A. Abbate) --
         read once and referred to the Committee on Governmental Employees
       AN ACT to amend the retirement and social security law, in  relation  to
         retirement of court reporters employed by the unified court system
         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 COURT REPORTERS EMPLOYED BY THE  UNIFIED  COURT
    4  SYSTEM. A. A MEMBER EMPLOYED AS A COURT REPORTER EMPLOYED BY THE UNIFIED
    5  COURT  SYSTEM  SHALL BE ELIGIBLE TO RETIRE PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF
    6  THIS SECTION. SUCH ELIGIBILITY SHALL BE AN ALTERNATIVE TO THE  ELIGIBIL-
    7  ITY  PROVISIONS  AVAILABLE UNDER ANY OTHER PLAN OF THIS ARTICLE TO WHICH
    8  SUCH MEMBER IS SUBJECT.
    9    B. SUCH MEMBER SHALL BE ENTITLED TO  RETIRE  UPON  THE  COMPLETION  OF
   10  TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  OF TOTAL CREDITABLE SERVICE BY FILING AN APPLICATION
   11  THEREFOR IN THE MANNER PROVIDED IN SECTION SEVENTY OF THIS ARTICLE.
   12    C. UPON COMPLETION OF TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  OF  SUCH  SERVICE  AND  UPON
   13  RETIREMENT,  EACH  SUCH  MEMBER  SHALL RECEIVE A PENSION WHICH, TOGETHER
   14  WITH AN ANNUITY WHICH SHALL BE THE ACTUARIAL EQUIVALENT OF  HIS  OR  HER
   15  ACCUMULATED  CONTRIBUTIONS  AT  THE TIME OF HIS OR HER RETIREMENT AND AN
   16  ADDITIONAL  PENSION  WHICH  IS   THE   ACTUARIAL   EQUIVALENT   OF   THE
   17  RESERVE-FOR-INCREASED-TAKE-HOME-PAY TO WHICH HE OR SHE MAY THEN BE ENTI-
   18  TLED  SHALL BE SUFFICIENT TO PROVIDE HIM OR HER WITH A RETIREMENT ALLOW-
   19  ANCE EQUAL TO ONE-HALF OF HIS OR HER FINAL AVERAGE SALARY.
   20    D. AS USED IN THIS SECTION "CREDITABLE SERVICE" SHALL BE  ALL  SERVICE
   21  AS A COURT REPORTER EMPLOYED BY THE UNIFIED COURT SYSTEM.
   22    E.  A MEMBER, CONTRIBUTING ON THE BASIS OF THIS SECTION AT THE TIME OF
   23  RETIREMENT, SHALL RETIRE AFTER THE COMPLETION OF  TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  OF
   24  TOTAL  CREDITABLE SERVICE. APPLICATION THEREFOR MAY BE FILED IN A MANNER
   25  SIMILAR TO THAT PROVIDED  IN  SECTION  SEVENTY  OF  THIS  ARTICLE.  UPON
   26  COMPLETION  OF  TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  OF SUCH SERVICE AND UPON RETIREMENT,
   27  EACH SUCH MEMBER SHALL RECEIVE A PENSION WHICH, TOGETHER WITH AN ANNUITY
   28  WHICH SHALL BE THE  ACTUARIAL  EQUIVALENT  OF  HIS  OR  HER  ACCUMULATED
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD17274-02-0
       A. 11490                            2
    1  CONTRIBUTIONS  AT  THE  TIME  OF HIS OR HER RETIREMENT AND AN ADDITIONAL
    2  PENSION WHICH IS THE ACTUARIAL EQUIVALENT OF THE  RESERVE-FOR-INCREASED-
    3  TAKE-HOME-PAY  TO  WHICH  HE OR SHE MAY THEN BE ENTITLED SHALL BE SUFFI-
    4  CIENT  TO  PROVIDE  HIM  OR  HER  WITH  A  RETIREMENT ALLOWANCE EQUAL TO
    5  ONE-HALF OF HIS OR HER FINAL AVERAGE SALARY.
    6    F. IN COMPUTING THE TWENTY-FIVE YEARS OF TOTAL  SERVICE  OF  A  MEMBER
    7  PURSUANT  TO  THIS SECTION FULL CREDIT SHALL BE GIVEN AND FULL ALLOWANCE
    8  SHALL BE MADE FOR SERVICE OF SUCH MEMBER IN TIME OF WAR AFTER WORLD  WAR
    9  I AS DEFINED IN SECTION TWO OF THIS CHAPTER, PROVIDED SUCH MEMBER AT THE
   10  TIME  OF HIS OR HER ENTRANCE INTO THE ARMED FORCES WAS IN THE SERVICE OF
   11  THE UNIFIED COURT SYSTEM.
   12    G. NOTHING HEREIN SHALL BE CONSTRUED TO PREVENT A MEMBER WHO DOES  NOT
   13  RETIRE PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION FROM UTILIZING SERVICE
   14  WHICH  IS  CREDITABLE SERVICE PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION
   15  FOR SERVICE CREDIT PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF ANY  OTHER  SECTION  OF
   16  THIS ARTICLE TO WHICH SUCH MEMBER IS SUBJECT.
   17    S 2. Subdivision b of section 442 of the retirement and social securi-
   18  ty law is amended by adding a new paragraph 5 to read as follows:
   19    5.  A  MEMBER  WHO  IS  A COURT REPORTER EMPLOYED BY THE UNIFIED COURT
   20  SYSTEM MAY RETIRE WITHOUT REDUCTION IN HIS  OR  HER  RETIREMENT  BENEFIT
   21  UPON COMPLETION OF TWENTY-FIVE OR MORE YEARS OF SERVICE.
   22    S 3. Subdivision a of section 603 of the retirement and social securi-
   23  ty  law, as amended by section 7 of part B of chapter 504 of the laws of
   24  2009, is amended to read as follows:
   25    a.  The service retirement benefit specified in  section  six  hundred
   26  four  of this article shall be payable to members who have met the mini-
   27  mum service requirements upon retirement and attainment  of  age  sixty-
   28  two,  other  than  members who are eligible for early service retirement
   29  pursuant to subdivision c of section six hundred four-b of this article,
   30  subdivision c of section six hundred four-c of this article, subdivision
   31  d of section six hundred  four-d  of  this  article,  subdivision  c  of
   32  section six hundred four-e of this article, subdivision c of section six
   33  hundred  four-f  of  this  article, subdivision c of section six hundred
   34  four-g of this article, subdivision c of section six hundred  four-h  of
   35  this  article  or  subdivision  c  of section six hundred four-i of this
   36  article, provided, however, a member of a teachers' retirement system or
   37  the New York state and local  employees'  retirement  system  who  first
   38  joins such system before January first, two thousand ten or a member who
   39  is  a  uniformed  court officer or peace officer employed by the unified
   40  court system may retire without reduction of his or her retirement bene-
   41  fit upon attainment of at least fifty-five years of age  and  completion
   42  of  thirty or more years of service, provided, however, that a uniformed
   43  court officer or peace officer employed by the unified court system  who
   44  first  becomes  a  member  of  the  New  York state and local employees'
   45  retirement system on or  after  January  first,  two  thousand  ten  and
   46  retires  without reduction of his or her retirement benefit upon attain-
   47  ment of at least fifty-five years of age and  completion  of  thirty  or
   48  more years of service pursuant to this section shall be required to make
   49  the  member  contributions  required  by  subdivision  f  of section six
   50  hundred thirteen of this article for all years of credited and  credita-
   51  ble  service.   A MEMBER WHO IS A COURT REPORTER EMPLOYED BY THE UNIFIED
   52  COURT SYSTEM SHALL BE ELIGIBLE  FOR  EARLY  SERVICE  RETIREMENT  WITHOUT
   53  REDUCTION   OF   HIS  OR  HER  RETIREMENT  BENEFIT  UPON  COMPLETION  OF
   54  TWENTY-FIVE OR MORE YEARS OF SERVICE.
       A. 11490                            3
    1    S 4. Subdivision a of section 603 of the retirement and social securi-
    2  ty law, as amended by section 3-a of chapter 19 of the laws of 2008,  is
    3  amended to read as follows:
    4    a.  The  service  retirement  benefit specified in section six hundred
    5  four of this article shall be payable to members who have met the  mini-
    6  mum  service  requirements  upon retirement and attainment of age sixty-
    7  two, other than members who are eligible for  early  service  retirement
    8  pursuant to subdivision c of section six hundred four-b of this article,
    9  subdivision c of section six hundred four-c of this article, subdivision
   10  d  of  section  six  hundred  four-d  of  this article, subdivision c of
   11  section six hundred four-e of this article, subdivision c of section six
   12  hundred four-f of this article, subdivision c  of  section  six  hundred
   13  four-g  of  this article, subdivision c of section six hundred four-h of
   14  this article or subdivision c of section  six  hundred  four-i  of  this
   15  article  provided,  however, a member who is a peace officer employed by
   16  the unified court system or a member of a teachers' retirement system or
   17  the New York state and local employees'  retirement  system  may  retire
   18  without reduction of his or her retirement benefit upon attainment of at
   19  least  fifty-five years of age and completion of thirty or more years of
   20  service, AND A MEMBER WHO IS A COURT REPORTER EMPLOYED  BY  THE  UNIFIED
   21  COURT  SYSTEM  SHALL  BE  ELIGIBLE  FOR EARLY SERVICE RETIREMENT WITHOUT
   22  REDUCTION  OF  HIS  OR  HER  RETIREMENT  BENEFIT  UPON   COMPLETION   OF
   23  TWENTY-FIVE OR MORE YEARS OF SERVICE.
   24    S  5. Section 604 of the retirement and social security law is amended
   25  by adding a new subdivision u to read as follows:
   26    U. THE EARLY SERVICE RETIREMENT BENEFIT FOR A MEMBER WHO  IS  EMPLOYED
   27  AS A COURT REPORTER IN THE UNIFIED COURT SYSTEM SHALL BE A PENSION EQUAL
   28  TO  ONE-FIFTIETH OF FINAL AVERAGE SALARY TIMES YEARS OF CREDITED SERVICE
   29  AT THE COMPLETION OF TWENTY-FIVE YEARS OF SERVICE AS SUCH COURT REPORTER
   30  BUT NOT EXCEEDING ONE-HALF OF HIS OR HER FINAL SALARY.
   31    S 6. Paragraph 1 of subdivision b of section 902 of the retirement and
   32  social security law, as amended by section 10 of part B of  chapter  504
   33  of the laws of 2009, is amended to read as follows:
   34    1.  [An]  EXCEPT  FOR  COURT  REPORTER OF THE UNIFIED COURT SYSTEM, AN
   35  eligible employee (i) with a date of membership in a  retirement  system
   36  on or after July twenty-seventh, nineteen hundred seventy-six and before
   37  January  first,  two thousand ten, and (ii) who has ten or more years of
   38  membership or ten or more years of credited service  with  a  retirement
   39  system under the provisions of article fourteen or fifteen of this chap-
   40  ter  shall not be required to contribute to a retirement system pursuant
   41  to section five hundred seventeen or six hundred thirteen of this  chap-
   42  ter  as  of  the  cessation date.   COURT REPORTERS OF THE UNIFIED COURT
   43  SYSTEM WITH TEN OR MORE YEARS OF MEMBERSHIP OR  TEN  OR  MORE  YEARS  OF
   44  CREDITED  SERVICE  SHALL  NOT  BE REQUIRED TO CONTRIBUTE TO A RETIREMENT
   45  SYSTEM PURSUANT TO SECTION SIX HUNDRED THIRTEEN OF THIS CHAPTER.
   46    S 7. The cost attributable to the operation of this act shall be borne
   47  by the unified court system.
   48    S 8. This act shall take effect immediately, provided, that the amend-
   49  ments to subdivision a of section 603 of the retirement and social secu-
   50  rity law made by section three of this act shall be subject to the expi-
   51  ration and reversion of such  subdivision  pursuant  to  section  13  of
   52  chapter  682  of  the  laws of 2003, as amended, when upon such date the
   53  provisions of section four of this act shall take effect.
         FISCAL NOTE. -- Pursuant to Legislative Law, Section 50:
         This bill would allow court reporters employed by  the  Unified  Court
       System  to retire without benefit reduction due to early retirement upon
       A. 11490                            4
       completion of twenty-five (25) years of credible  service.  In  addition
       this bill removes the required member contributions of 3% of salary that
       such  Tier  5  members  would make for all years of service and replaces
       that  requirement  with  3%  of salary for the first 10 years of service
       only. 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 for Tier 1,  2,  3  and  4
       court  reporters  employed  by the Unified Court System there will be an
       increase of approximately $3.2 million in the  annual  contributions  of
       the  State  of  New  York, on behalf of the Unified Court System for the
       fiscal year ending March 31, 2011. In addition, for  all  Tier  5  court
       reporters  employed  by  the Unified Court System, there will also be an
       annual increase to the State of New York of approximately 4.8% of  sala-
       ry.
         In addition to the annual contributions discussed above, there will be
       an  immediate  past  service  cost  of approximately $15.2 million 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, 2011.
         These estimated costs are  based  on  1,140  known  affected  officers
       having  a total estimated annual salary for the fiscal year ending March
       31, 2010 of approximately $113 million.
         This estimate, dated June 9, 2010 and intended for use only during the
       2010 Legislative Session, is Fiscal Note No. 2010-166, prepared  by  the
       Actuary for the New York State and Local Employees' Retirement System.
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