BILL NUMBER: S7021
SPONSOR: RYAN C
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the retirement and social security law, in relation to
establishing a retirement service credit for volunteer fire or emergency
service
 
PURPOSE OF BILL:
The purpose of this bill is to establish a retirement service credit for
volunteer fire or emergency service.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 of this bill would allow a member, upon application to a
public retirement system, to achieve one year of service credit for
every five years of volunteer fire or emergency service in the State,
not to exceed three years of total service credit; available to such
member anytime before retirement.
Section 2 of this bill provides that the effective date shall take
effect immediately.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
There are thousands of members in the State's public retirement systems
that actively provide volunteer fire or emergency services to their
community, sacrificing their free time to save lives. These brave indi-
viduals respond to fires, natural disasters, and other catastrophes,
often incurring lifelong health conditions and other ills. Such volun-
teers do not garner any compensation despite the value of their essen-
tial services. Therefore, they should be recognized by the State for
their service.
Members would be required to make a payment of three percent of their
most recent compensation per year of additional service credit granted
by this bill. Service credit would be creditable on regular age-based
and special service-based plans. This means that volunteers would be
able to receive a well-deserved reward, in the form of retirement
service credits, for their essential services. This bill would allow
public retirement system members to achieve one year of retirement
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2023-24:S06273B (Mannion) - Died in Civil Service & Pensions.
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
See fiscal note.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.