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New York Assembly Bill A08554
New York 2025-2026 Regular Session
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New York 2025-2026 Regular Session

New York Assembly Bill A08554

Introduced
5/20/25  
Refer
5/20/25  

Caption

Establishes a managerial or confidential higher education differential for employees designated managerial or confidential who hold an earned associate's degree, bachelor's degree, master's degree, or doctorate (e.g., MD, JD, Ph.D.) from a college or university or a professional license issued by the New York state education department are eligible to receive a higher education differential of up to six hundred dollars retroactively for state fiscal year two thousand twenty-four-two thousand twenty-five and for state fiscal year two thousand twenty-five-two thousand twenty-six.

Summary

This bill amends the New York civil service law to create a new “managerial or confidential higher education differential” for certain state employees. Employees in managerial or confidential titles who have earned an associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree, or who hold a professional license issued by the New York State Education Department, would be eligible for a lump-sum payment of up to $600 for state fiscal year 2024-2025 and again for fiscal year 2025-2026. The payment would be retroactive, but it would not be added to base salary, would not count toward future salary increases, and would not be pensionable. The bill also requires prorating for employees who are not full-time or who are paid hourly or per diem, and it sets out a documentation process requiring proof of the qualifying degree or license to be submitted to agency human resources offices by deadlines established by the Office of Employee Relations. The bill takes effect immediately.

Impact

The bill would add a new section 154-d to the civil service law and create a new compensation entitlement for a specific subset of state employees: managerial or confidential employees with qualifying higher education credentials or professional licenses. It would affect state payroll administration, agency human resources procedures, and the Office of Employee Relations’ role in setting submission deadlines and notifying employees. Because the differential is expressly excluded from base salary and pension calculations, it would provide a one-time or limited-term cash benefit without changing pensionable earnings or permanently increasing compensation rates.

Sentiment

Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee debate or votes in the provided materials, the measure appears to be presented as a targeted employee compensation adjustment rather than a controversial policy overhaul. The structure of the bill suggests a favorable view toward recognizing advanced education and professional licensure among managerial and confidential state workers. No opposing arguments, amendments, or recorded roll-call votes are included in the materials provided.

Contention

The main potential points of contention are fiscal cost, eligibility scope, and administrative implementation. The bill is limited to managerial or confidential employees, which could raise fairness questions from other employee groups not covered by the differential. There may also be debate over whether the payment should be retroactive, whether the $600 amount is sufficient or appropriate, and how agencies will verify credentials and manage deadlines. Because the benefit is not pensionable and not added to base pay, supporters may view it as a controlled compensation measure, while critics could see it as an uneven or temporary recognition of education.

Latest NY A08554 Activity

View All Events: NY 2025-2026 Regular Session A08554

Companion Bills

NY S07829

Same As Establishes a managerial or confidential higher education differential for employees designated managerial or confidential who hold an earned associate's degree, bachelor's degree, master's degree, or doctorate (e.g., MD, JD, Ph.D.) from a college or university or a professional license issued by the New York state education department are eligible to receive a higher education differential of up to six hundred dollars retroactively for state fiscal year two thousand twenty-four-two thousand twenty-five and for state fiscal year two thousand twenty-five-two thousand twenty-six.

Previously Filed As

NY S07829

Establishes a managerial or confidential higher education differential for employees designated managerial or confidential who hold an earned associate's degree, bachelor's degree, master's degree, or doctorate (e.g., MD, JD, Ph.D.) from a college or university or a professional license issued by the New York state education department are eligible to receive a higher education differential of up to six hundred dollars retroactively for state fiscal year two thousand twenty-four-two thousand twenty-five and for state fiscal year two thousand twenty-five-two thousand twenty-six.

NY A11281

Authorizes the South Nassau Water Authority and the North Shore Water Authority to remain eligible for funding in state fiscal year two thousand twenty-six--two thousand twenty-seven.

NY S07490

Authorizes the South Nassau Water Authority and the North Shore Water Authority to remain eligible for funding in state fiscal year two thousand twenty-six--two thousand twenty-seven.

NY S08911

Increases the amount of the credit against taxes for long-term care insurance from twenty to forty percent and from one thousand five hundred dollars to two thousand five hundred dollars.

NY A08531

Prevents certain public institutions of higher education from using the scholastic aptitude test and ACT assessment in the admissions process on and after the two thousand twenty-six--two thousand twenty-seven academic year for New York resident applicants; requires SUNY and CUNY to create a new standardized test by the two thousand thirty--two thousand thirty-one academic year.

NY A00304

Provides that for the two thousand twenty-four--two thousand twenty-five school year, the two thousand twenty-five--two thousand twenty-six school year, and the two thousand twenty-six--two thousand twenty-seven school year, surplus funds as used in this subdivision shall mean any operating funds in excess of five percent of the current school year budget, and shall not include funds properly retained under other sections of law.

NY A06734

Requires certain public authorities to establish a cashless tolling amnesty program between August first, two thousand twenty-five and December thirty-first, two thousand twenty-five for cashless tolls collected between April twenty-third, two thousand sixteen and June twenty-ninth, two thousand twenty-five.

NY S07278

Requires certain public authorities to establish a cashless tolling amnesty program between August first, two thousand twenty-five and December thirty-first, two thousand twenty-five for cashless tolls collected between April twenty-third, two thousand sixteen and June twenty-ninth, two thousand twenty-five.

NY S00091

Enacts the graduate outreach assistance law to exempt from state income taxation the first two hundred fifty thousand dollars, with a fifty thousand dollar cap per year, earned by a four-year college graduate and the first one hundred fifty thousand dollars, with a twenty-five thousand dollar cap per year, earned by a two-year college graduate.

NY S00231

Enacts the graduate outreach assistance law to exempt from state income taxation the first two hundred fifty thousand dollars, with a fifty thousand dollar cap per year, earned by a four-year college graduate and the first one hundred fifty thousand dollars, with a twenty-five thousand dollar cap per year, earned by a two-year college graduate.

Similar Bills

No similar bills found.