Authorizes Jeffrey Alva Beall eligibility to apply for retroactive military service credit in the New York state teachers' retirement system.
Summary
This bill is a private pension-relief measure for a single individual, Jeffrey Alva Beall, a retired member of the New York State Teachers’ Retirement System. It authorizes him to apply for military service credit for his active-duty Army service from April 17, 1984 through February 27, 1987, even though he retired in 2016 and was not eligible to purchase that credit under the law as it existed at the time of his retirement. If approved, the credit would be applied retroactively to his retirement date, and he would be required to pay the retirement system an amount equal to three percent of his final year’s compensation multiplied by the number of years of military service credited.
The bill amends the operation of Retirement and Social Security Law section 1000 as applied to this specific retiree, creating an exception to the general rule that had previously limited military service credit to certain periods of war. The measure would affect the calculation of Beall’s pension benefits and would require the New York State Teachers’ Retirement System to recalculate and pay an increased benefit retroactively. According to the fiscal note, the estimated cost of the benefit is about $76,000, which would be borne by the employers participating in the system.
The overall sentiment reflected in the bill materials is procedural and favorable, with the measure moving forward through committee amendment and reprinting rather than through public debate. There are no recorded committee transcripts or roll-call votes in the provided materials, so there is no evidence of organized opposition or support beyond the bill’s advancement. The fiscal note suggests the proposal is treated as a narrow, individualized correction rather than a broad policy change.
The main point of contention, insofar as one can be inferred from the text, is the retroactive extension of a pension benefit to a retiree who was previously ineligible under then-existing law. That raises the usual concerns associated with pension enhancement bills: fairness to similarly situated retirees, the precedent of granting individualized exceptions, and the fiscal impact on the retirement system and its contributing employers. The bill itself does not include any articulated opposition, but the exception-based nature of the relief is the most likely source of scrutiny.
Impact
The bill would create a one-person exception to New York Retirement and Social Security Law section 1000 by allowing Jeffrey Alva Beall to purchase military service credit after retirement and have that credit applied retroactively to his pension. It would increase his retirement benefit and require the New York State Teachers’ Retirement System to adjust his pension calculation and pay the resulting increase back to his retirement date. The fiscal note estimates a $76,000 cost to the system, ultimately borne by participating employers.
Sentiment
The available record suggests a neutral-to-supportive posture toward the bill. It was amended, reprinted, and recommitted through committee, and there are no recorded votes or transcripts showing opposition. The absence of debate in the provided materials indicates the measure was handled as a narrow administrative or equity-based pension adjustment rather than a controversial policy proposal.
Contention
The likely point of contention is the bill’s individualized retroactive pension enhancement for a single retiree, which can raise concerns about precedent, fairness to other retirees who were similarly situated but did not receive special legislation, and the cost to the retirement system. The fiscal note quantifies the cost and makes clear that employers in the New York State Teachers’ Retirement System would bear it. No explicit opposition is recorded in the provided materials, but those are the issues most directly implicated by the bill.