BILL NUMBER: S9669A
SPONSOR: JACKSON
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in
relation to the establishment of a twenty-two and one-half year retire-
ment program for members of the New York city employees' retirement
system employed as emergency medical technicians and advanced emergency
medical technicians; and to amend the retirement and social security
law, in relation to the establishment of twenty-two and one-half year
retirement programs for such members who are subject to articles 11 and
15 of such law
 
PURPOSE:
Establishes a twenty-two and one-half year retirement program for emer-
gency medical Technicians.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
This bill would establish a 22 and one-half-year retirement for EMTs and
Paramedics, and their supervisors who are uniformed service personnel
and members of the New York City employees retirement system. The plan
would be optional for the persons who work in these classifications. The
costs of the plan are paid for by required additional employee contrib-
utions of 6.5% of salary.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
EMTs and Paramedics perform some of the most important jobs in New York
City. They work in dangerous conditions and save New Yorkers' lives.
This bill would afford these uniformed personnel the opportunity to
retire with a full pension after 22 and one-half years of service.
Those who participate in the new pension program would be required to
make additional member contributions of their earnings. The additional
member contributions are set at a level which will offset the additional
cost to the pension fund occasioned by permitting retirement after 22
and one-half years of service regardless of age, particularly in light
of the fact that the bill also eliminates the retiree cost-of-living
increase guaranteed other retirees pursuant to law.
A number of other classes of employees currently enjoy similar benefits.
For example, sanitation workers, who are members of the New York City
employee retirement system, are granted the option of participating in a
program that allows them to retire after twenty years of service regard-
less of age. See N.Y.C. Admin. Code §§ 13-159, 13-160; Ret. & Soc. Sec.
L. § 445-b. Similarly, investigators, dispatchers, emergency medical
technicians, special officers, parking control specialists, school safe-
ty agents, campus peace officers, and New York city taxi and limousine
inspectors are granted the option of participating in a program that
allows them to retire after twenty-five years of service. See N.Y.C.
Admin. Code § 13-157.1, § 13-157.2, § 13-157.2, and § 13157.3.
Corrections officers and housing police have similar benefits, as do
others. See, e.g., N.Y.C. Admin. Code §§ 13-155, 13-156, 13-157. Those
opting to join these programs are also required to make additional
contributions which are designed to offset the cost of the benefits
thereof. However, for all of them, the retiree cola provision in RSL
76-a is retained. In contrast, those opting into the program covered by
this bill will not only pay additional member contributions but will
also forgo that retiree cola.
To the extent that "uniformed service" employees have been granted some-
what better retirement opportunities than other city employees, it is
because of the content of their jobs: uniformed service employees
perform work of an emergent nature or work that addresses potentially
hazardous conditions faced by the residents of the city. The work
performed by EMTs and Paramedics falls within this category: it is
hazardous work of an emergent nature which is of special need to the
residents of New York City.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New bill.
 
STATE AND LOCAL FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
To be determined.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.