BILL NUMBER: S7955
SPONSOR: PARKER
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to authorize the widow of Peter Sistrom to file a retirement
option election form on behalf of her deceased husband
 
PURPOSE:
To allow Leanne Burney, the widow of Peter Sistrom, to file a new
service retirement application and option election form on behalf of her
deceased husband with a joint allowance full option.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1: Authorizes Leanne Burney, the widow of Peter Sistrom, to file
a new service retirement application and option election form with the
New York state and local employees' retirement system on behalf of her
deceased husband with a joint allowance full option.
Section 2: All past service costs associated with the implementation of
this act shall be borne by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
Section 3: Effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
Peter Sistrom was a dedicated public servant for nearly half of his
life. An attorney who briefly worked in private practice during the
early years of his career, Peter began his state government service in
1992. Initially, Peter served in the Executive Chamber as an Assistant
Counsel; he then founded and was a committed employee of the New York
State Capital Defender's Office for a decade; and in 2005 he joined the
Office of the New York State Attorney General. Three years later, he
joined the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's counsel's office,
eventually becoming Deputy General Counsel in 2014. He continued to
serve at the MTA until his sudden and untimely death in 2021. Peter was
eligible for service retirement benefits, but he continued working given
the expressed need for his skills and his dedication to both the MTA and
his colleagues. At the time of his death, he was preparing, but had not
yet filed the requisite retirement benefit paperwork.
This legislation would authorize his spouse to file for the benefit he
rightly deserved given the many years of dedicated hard work for the
State of New York.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2021-22: S8594 - Referred to Governmental Employees
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
Fiscal Note attached to this bill.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.