Authorizes Alexander D. Rusin to receive retroactive membership in the New York state and local employees' retirement system.
Summary
This bill is a private retirement-benefit measure for a single individual, Alexander D. Rusin, an employee of the Erie County Water Authority. It provides that, notwithstanding contrary law, he shall be deemed to have joined the New York State and Local Employees’ Retirement System (NYSLRS) on June 2, 2008, the date he first began seasonal employment as a meter service worker, if he files a written request with the State Comptroller within one year of the act’s effective date. The bill is intended to correct a missed enrollment in retirement system membership that occurred for reasons not attributable to his own negligence.
The bill also specifies that no member contributions already made by Rusin will be refunded, and it makes the Erie County Water Authority responsible for all past service costs associated with the retroactive membership adjustment. The act would take effect immediately. According to the fiscal note, the measure would effectively grant Rusin Tier 4 status in NYSLRS, despite his current Tier 6 membership, by moving his membership date back to his first employment date in 2008.
Impact
The bill would create a narrow exception to general retirement system membership rules by authorizing retroactive NYSLRS membership for one named employee. In practical terms, it would alter the member’s retirement tier and service credit calculation, while imposing a one-time past service cost and higher ongoing employer contributions on the Erie County Water Authority. It does not change the retirement system statutes broadly, but it does set a special statutory rule for this individual case and directs the fiscal burden to the employer rather than the state retirement system or the member.
Sentiment
The available record suggests the bill is largely remedial and noncontroversial in purpose, aimed at fixing an individual retirement enrollment issue. There are no committee transcripts or recorded votes provided, so there is no documented debate or opposition in the supplied materials. The fiscal note reflects an administrative and actuarial assessment rather than policy criticism, indicating the measure was treated as a targeted personnel correction with identifiable costs.
Contention
The main point of potential contention is the fiscal impact on the Erie County Water Authority, which must bear both the immediate past service cost and increased future contributions. Another possible issue is the precedent of granting retroactive retirement membership by special act, since such bills can be viewed as exceptions to uniform retirement enrollment rules. However, no specific opposition, amendments, or disputed arguments are included in the provided record.