BILL NUMBER: S2710
SPONSOR: SCARCELLA-SPANTON
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the retirement and social security law, in relation to
the restoration of 20 year service retirement for New York city police
officers
 
PURPOSE:
The purpose of this bill is to restore the 20-year service retirement
for New York city police officers hired on or after July 2009
 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Section 1: Amends subdivision 17 of § 501 of the Retirement and Social
Security Law to state that for police/fire members of the New York city
police pension fund, normal retirement age shall be the age at which a
member completes or would have completed service.
Section 2: Amends subdivision d of § 503 of the Retirement and Social
Security Law to state that the normal service retirement benefit speci-
fied in § 505 of this Article shall be paid to police/fire members of
the New York city police pension fund, after twenty years of service.
Section 3: Amends § 505 of the Retirement and Social Security Law to add
a new subdivision d that states that notwithstanding anything to the
contrary in any other law, police/fire members of the New York city
police pension fund shall be eligible for a normal service retirement
benefit in lieu of an early service retirement benefit upon completing
twenty years of service pursuant to subdivision d of § 503 of this Arti-
cle.
Section 4: Provides an effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
This bill seeks to remedy a glaring inequity facing recently hired New
York City police officers. Throughout New York State, police officers
become eligible for a full-service retirement benefit of half of their
final salary after 20 years. And in New York City, police officers hired
prior to July 1.2009 become eligible for a full-service retirement bene-
fit after 20 years. However, under current law New York City police
officers hired on or after July 1, 2009, do not become eligible for a
full-service retirement benefit until they have worked at least 22
years.
This inequity has played a role in the unprecedented crisis New York
City is experiencing in regarding the recruitment and retention of
police officers. With respect to retention, 2022 saw the most New York
City police officer resignations in at least two decades, including an
increase of more than 600% from 10 years ago. Departing police officers
regularly cite their inferior pensions and the additional service
requirement as reasons for joining other police departments.
With respect to recruitment, the NYPD has been unable to fill and gradu-
ate sufficient police academy classes. These issues have a profound
impact on both New York City police officers and New Yorkers. Many of
the NYPD's best, brightest, and most diverse officers are fleeing for
neighboring jurisdictions, where they not only are eligible for a
20-year service retirement, but can also earn more wages, work less, and
improve their quality of life. For similar reasons, promising young men
and women interested in pursuing careers in law enforcement are choosing
to join other police agencies or pursue other careers altogether. The
loss of these talented individuals-and the attendant impact on remaining
officers who are forced to work overtime due to staffing shortages-makes
New York City less safe. And, it has a direct financial impact on the
New York taxpayer, both through the significant resources wasted on
training officers who soon depart (costs for such training are estimated
to be in excess of $100,000 per recruit), as well as the additional
overtime costs incurred due to lack of adequate staffing.
Finally, and importantly, this bill would merely restore the 20-year
service retirement for all New York City police officers as it existed
prior to the veto of the Tier 2 extender by Governor David Paterson in
2009, which was never intended to take away this meaningful benefit for
New York City police officers.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2024: S.7714-A; Amended and Recommitted to Senate Civil Service and
Pensions Committee
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
See fiscal note.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

Statutes affected:
S2710: 501 retirement and social security law, 501(17) retirement and social security law, 505 retirement and social security law