New York Assembly Bill A06718

New York 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 3/10/25
• Refer: 3/10/25
• Refer: 1/7/26

Caption

Establishes alternative twenty and twenty-five year plans for every non-seasonally appointed sworn member or officer of the division of law enforcement in the department of environmental conservation, a forest ranger in the service of the department of environmental conservation, which shall mean a person who serves on a full-time basis in the title of forest ranger I, forest ranger II, forest ranger III, assistant superintendent of forest fire control, or any successor titles or new titles in the forest ranger title series in the department of environmental conservation, a police officer in the department of environmental conservation, the regional state park police, and university of police officers whose date of membership is prior to January first, two thousand ten.

Summary

This bill amends the Retirement and Social Security Law to create two new retirement options for certain New York State law enforcement personnel employed by the Department of Environmental Conservation, forest rangers, DEC police officers, regional state park police, and university police officers. One new plan, section 383-e, applies to eligible members with membership dates on or after January 9, 2010 and allows retirement after 20 years of service with a half-pay benefit, with additional accruals for service beyond 20 years up to a three-quarters salary cap. The second plan, section 383-f, applies to eligible members with membership dates before January 9, 2010 and allows retirement after 25 years of service, but with benefit accruals structured to mirror the more generous 20-year half-pay formula. The bill also provides rules for crediting prior service, including certain police, peace officer, park police, and related public safety service, and it addresses military service credit for qualifying members. It includes provisions allowing some members to transfer previously moved service credit back to the Employees' Retirement System, and it makes the new sections controlling over conflicting provisions of existing law. The act would take effect on the first day of January following enactment. In practical terms, the bill would expand retirement benefits under the state pension system for a defined group of state law enforcement employees and would alter how their service is credited and how retirement allowances are calculated. According to the fiscal note, the measure would increase annual state contributions by about $6.9 million in the first fiscal year and create an immediate past service cost of about $96.2 million, affecting roughly 1,200 state employees. The bill does not appear to change disability benefits. The overall sentiment reflected in the available materials is procedural and supportive rather than contentious: the bill was introduced, amended, and recommitted, suggesting active legislative refinement rather than opposition in the record provided. No committee transcript or recorded vote is included, so there is no direct evidence of debate or formal dissent in the supplied context. The fiscal note, however, indicates that the principal policy tradeoff is the cost to the state pension system and state budget in exchange for enhanced retirement benefits for public safety workers. The main point of contention, based on the text and fiscal analysis, is likely the cost of the enhanced pension benefits and the distinction between pre-2010 and post-2010 members, since the bill creates different eligibility rules and benefit structures tied to membership date. Another possible issue is the complexity of retroactive service credit transfers and the interaction with existing retirement tiers, which may affect administrative implementation and member equity.

Impact

The bill would add new sections 383-e and 383-f to the Retirement and Social Security Law, creating alternative retirement plans for specified state law enforcement titles within the New York State and Local Police and Fire Retirement System. It would change pension formulas, service-credit rules, and retirement eligibility for eligible DEC officers, forest rangers, state park police, and university police officers, while also authorizing certain retroactive service-credit transfers. The fiscal note estimates increased employer contribution costs and a substantial one-time past service cost borne by the State of New York.

Sentiment

The available record suggests generally favorable treatment of the bill, with no recorded opposition in the provided materials and with the measure advancing through introduction, amendment, and recommittal. The discussion context is limited, but the bill appears to be framed as a retirement benefit enhancement for public safety personnel rather than a controversial policy change. The main concern evident from the fiscal note is financial impact on the state, not disagreement over the underlying policy goal.

Contention

The primary contention is fiscal: the bill would increase state pension contributions and require a significant one-time past service payment, which may raise budget concerns. A second issue is eligibility and fairness across retirement tiers, because the bill treats members differently based on whether they joined before or after January 9, 2010. Administrative complexity around prior service credit, retroactive transfers, and coordination with existing retirement tiers may also be a point of concern for the comptroller and retirement system administrators.