BILL NUMBER: S8472A
SPONSOR: JACKSON
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the retirement and social security law, in relation to
establishing a twenty year retirement plan for members or officers of
law enforcement
 
PURPOSE:
To allow members of the regional state park police, environmental
conservation officers, forest rangers, and university police officers to
receive 20-year retirement plans.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 adds a new Section 383-E to the Retirement and Social
Security Law to allow environmental conservation officers, forest
rangers, regional state park police, and university police officers to
receive a 20-year retirement plan similar to the New York State Troopers
and the vast majority of municipal police officers.
Section 2 states that the newly created Section 383-E of the Retirement
and Social Security Law authorizes all past service costs associated
with implementing the provisions of this act shall be borne by the State
of New York and may be liquidated over a period of ten years.
Section 3 is the effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
The Police Benevolent Association of New York State, which is comprised
of Forest Rangers, Regional Park Police, Environmental Conservation
Officers and State University Police Officers are members of the Agency
Police Bargaining Unit. The Agency Police Bargaining Unit currently has
a 25-year retirement plan in which they receive 50% of their final aver-
age salary and 1.66% thereafter, at a maximum of 32 years with a maximum
61.66% final average salary.
However, New York State Troopers and approximately 97% of municipal
police officers have a 20-year retirement plan in which they can receive
50% of their final average salary. Many of them have the additional
benefit commonly referred to as "1/60th," which means for every year
above 20 years of employment, they get an additional 1/60th, or 1.66% of
their final average salary. For example, a police officer who has a
20-year retirement benefit, who works for 21 years, will get a pension
equal to 51.66%, whereas a police officer with 22 years of experience
will receive a pension worth 53.33%.
There will be a cap after 32 years of service, which will equate to 70
percent. Police officers can work beyond 32 years, but their pension
will not reach beyond 70 percent of the final average salary. Members of
the Agency Police Bargaining Unit currently do not have this benefit.
To rectify this discrepancy and to provide equity among law enforcement
officers, this legislation authorizes the Agency Police Bargaining Unit
to be given a 20-year retirement plan.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2023: S.1991 - Vetoed Memo 84/ A.4018 - Vetoed Memo 133
2021-2022: S.8477 - Vetoed Memo 133/A. 9325 - Vetoed Memo 133
2021-2022: S.4523 - Vetoed Memo 77/A6457 - Vetoed Memo 77
2019-2020: S.8148 - Referred to Civil Service and Pensions/A.10253
Referred to Governmental Employees
2019-2020: S.5207 - Vetoed Memo 275/A.443I - Vetoed Memo 275
2017-2018: S.6234-A - Amend and Recommit to Civil Service and
Pensions/A.10416 Reported Referred to Ways and Means
 
STATE AND LOCAL FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
See fiscal note.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall have
become a law.