BILL NUMBER: S8111
SPONSOR: JACKSON
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the retirement and social security law, in relation to
providing retirement credit to emergency medical technicians and
advanced emergency medical technicians for a child care leave of absence
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
This bill adds a new subdivision i of section six hundred nine of the
Retirement and Social Security Law that would allow any EMT member (as
defined in paragraph 2 of subdivision a of section four hundred forty-
five-e and paragraph 1 of subdivision a of section six hundred four-e of
the Retirement and Social Security Law) 1 to obtain retirement service
credit for periods of unpaid child care leave provided the EMT 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 EMT member
would have contributed if the EMT member had been actively working
during the period of such child care leave, together with interest ther-
eon. The bill limits to one year the amount of service credit an EMT
member may receive for any period of child care leave.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
Emergency Medical Technicians and advanced emergency medical technician,
including Paramedics, and their supervisors (together, "EMTs") perform
some of the most important and difficult jobs on behalf of the citizens
of New York City - responding to emergency calls to provide efficient
and immediate care to the critically ill and injured, and transporting
these patients to emergency care medical facilities. However, currently
these hard working personnel must forgo receiving retirement service
credit when they go on unpaid leave to care for their own family with
regard to the birth or adoption of a child - as permitted by their
collective bargaining agreement. Further, the lasting financial effects
of unpaid child care, especially on future retirement benefits, dispro-
portionately impact female EMTs and paramedics. This bill would change
that by affording EMT members the opportunity to obtain service credit
foi 4uch periods of unpaid leave, and remediate retirement inequities
arising out of unpaid child care leaves of absence.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New Bill.
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
N/A
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

Statutes affected:
S8111: 609 retirement and social security law