BILL NUMBER: S8094
SPONSOR: JACKSON
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the retirement and social security law, in relation to
providing retirement credit to fire protection inspector members for a
child care leave of absence
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
This bill adds a new subdivision j of section six hundred nine of the
Retirement and Social Security Law that would allow any fire protection
inspector members (as defined in this new subdivision j of section six
hundred nine of the Retirement and Social Security Law) 1 to obtain
retirement service credit for periods of unpaid child care leave
provided the fire protection inspector member, (a) files a timely claim
for such service credit with the pension fund, and (b) contributes to
the pension fund an amount which the fire protection inspector member
would have contributed if the fire protection inspector member had been
actively working during the period of such child care leave, together
with interest thereon. The bill limits to one year the amount of service
credit a fire protection inspector member may receive for any period of
child care leave.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
Fire protection inspectors and associate fire protection inspectors, and
their supervisors (together, "fire protection inspectors") perform some
of the most demanding and important jobs in New York City inspecting and
ensuring compliance with the fire code. However, currently these key New
York City personnel are not eligible to receive retirement service cred-
it when they go on unpaid leave to care for a new child in their family
- either by birth or adoption - as permitted by their collective
bargaining agreement. Further, the lasting negative effects of unpaid
child care on future retirement opportunities disproportionately impact
female fire inspection inspectors, as women customarily shoulder larger
child caregiving responsibilities than men. This bill would change this
;situation by affording fire protection inspection members the opiSortu-
nity to obtain retirement service credit for periods of unpaid child
care leaves, and thereby also correcting retirement inequities for
female fire protection inspection members.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New Bill.
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
N/A
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

Statutes affected:
S8094: 609 retirement and social security law