Bill Text: NY S06539 | 2021-2022 | General Assembly | Amended


Bill Title: Provides accidental disability retirement benefits for deputy sheriff Richard Stueber, a participant in World Trade Center rescue, recovery, and cleanup operations.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-05-12 - PRINT NUMBER 6539A [S06539 Detail]

Download: New_York-2021-S06539-Amended.html



                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                         6539--A

                               2021-2022 Regular Sessions

                    IN SENATE

                                       May 5, 2021
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  Sen. PALUMBO -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
          printed to be committed to the Committee on Civil Service and Pensions
          -- recommitted to the Committee  on  Civil  Service  and  Pensions  in
          accordance  with  Senate  Rule 6, sec. 8 -- committee discharged, bill
          amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said  commit-
          tee

        AN  ACT  relating  to  disability retirement benefits for deputy sheriff
          Richard Stueber, a participant in World Trade Center rescue, recovery,
          and cleanup operations

          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section  1.  Notwithstanding  any  other  law to the contrary, Richard
     2  Stueber, a deputy sheriff employed by Suffolk County  who  retired  from
     3  such  service  on March 1, 2019, and who participated in the World Trade
     4  Center rescue, recovery and cleanup operations as a member  of  the  New
     5  York City police department, shall be entitled to a 75% accidental disa-
     6  bility  retirement   benefit pursuant to paragraph 4 of subdivision d of
     7  section 605 of the retirement and social security  law  based  upon  the
     8  determination  by  the  New  York  state and local employees' retirement
     9  system on March 12, 2020 that Richard Stueber was permanently  incapaci-
    10  tated    for  the  performance  of his duties as a result of his partic-
    11  ipation in the World Trade Center rescue,  recovery,  or  cleanup  oper-
    12  ations. Such benefit shall be payable from the date of his retirement.
    13    § 2. All costs associated with implementing this act shall be borne by
    14  the state of New York.
    15    § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
          FISCAL NOTE.--Pursuant to Legislative Law, Section 50:
          This  bill  would  allow Richard Stueber, a service retiree of the New
        York State and Local Employees' Retirement System who previously  worked
        for  Suffolk  County, to be entitled to an accidental disability retire-
        ment benefit equal to 75% of final average salary, payable  pursuant  to

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD10825-05-2

        S. 6539--A                          2

        §605(4)(d)  of  the  Retirement  and Social Security Law, as a result of
        their participation in the World Trade Center (WTC) rescue, recovery and
        cleanup operations. The retirement benefit  would  be  recalculated  and
        payment would be made retroactive to the date of retirement.
          If  this  bill  is  enacted during the 2022 legislative session, there
        will be an immediate past service cost of approximately  $285,000  which
        will be borne by the State of New York as a one-time payment. This esti-
        mate  is  based  on the assumption that payment will be made on March 1,
        2023.
          Summary of relevant resources:
          Membership data as of March 31, 2021 was used in measuring the  impact
        of the proposed change, the same data used in the April 1, 2021 actuari-
        al  valuation.    Distributions and other statistics can be found in the
        2021 Report of the Actuary and the 2021 Comprehensive  Annual  Financial
        Report.
          The  actuarial  assumptions and methods used are described in the 2020
        and 2021 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, 2021
        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  May 12, 2022, and intended for use only during
        the 2022 Legislative Session, is Fiscal Note No. 2022-125,  prepared  by
        the Actuary for the New York State and Local Retirement System.
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