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

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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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-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          6539

                               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

        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
        §605(4)(d) of the Retirement and Social Security Law, as a result of his
        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 his date of retirement.

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD10825-04-1
        S. 6539                             2

          If this bill is enacted during the  2021  legislative  session,  there
        will  be  an immediate past service cost of approximately $266,000 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,
        2022.
          Summary of relevant resources:
          Membership  data as of March 31, 2020 was used in measuring the impact
        of the proposed change, the same data used in the April 1, 2020 actuari-
        al valuation. Distributions and other statistics can  be  found  in  the
        2020  Report  of the Actuary and the 2020 Comprehensive Annual Financial
        Report.
          The actuarial assumptions and methods used are described in  the  2020
        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, 2020
        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 April 30, 2021, and intended for use only  during
        the  2021  Legislative Session, is Fiscal Note No. 2021-126, prepared by
        the Actuary for the New York State and Local Retirement System.