New York Assembly Bill A07824

New York 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 4/11/25
• Refer: 4/11/25
• Refer: 1/7/26

Caption

Authorizes Janice Middlebrooks, the widow of William James Middlebrooks, to file a retirement option election on behalf of her deceased husband.

Summary

Bill A07824 authorizes Janice Middlebrooks, the widow of William James Middlebrooks, to file a retirement option election form on behalf of her deceased husband, who was a member of the New York State and Local Employees' Retirement System. The bill allows her to submit this form for a joint allowance full option, despite the fact that her husband passed away before he could file the necessary paperwork. Additionally, the bill stipulates that his application for disability retirement will be considered effective as of November 1, 2004. This provision aims to ensure that Janice Middlebrooks can access retirement benefits that would have been available to her husband had he been able to complete the filing process before his death.

Impact

The passage of this bill would amend existing retirement law to allow for the retroactive filing of a retirement option election form by a widow for her deceased husband. This change will specifically affect the New York State and Local Employees' Retirement System, enabling the widow to receive retirement benefits that would otherwise not be available due to the timing of her husband's death. The fiscal note indicates that the immediate past service cost associated with this change is approximately $472,000, which will be shared between the State of New York and local participating employers in the retirement system.

Sentiment

The general sentiment surrounding Bill A07824 appears to be supportive, as it addresses the needs of a widow seeking to secure retirement benefits for her deceased husband. However, there may be concerns regarding the financial implications of the bill, particularly the immediate costs associated with the past service benefits. The lack of recorded votes or committee discussions may indicate that the bill has not faced significant opposition or controversy thus far.

Contention

While there are no explicit points of contention noted in the available discussions or voting history, potential concerns could arise regarding the financial impact of the bill on the retirement system and the precedent it sets for similar cases. Stakeholders who may hold differing views could include fiscal conservatives who are wary of increasing costs to the retirement system versus advocates for the rights of surviving spouses to access benefits.