Authorizes Breanne M. Smith to receive a refund of certain accumulated contributions paid to the New York state and local employees' retirement system.
Summary
This bill is a private retirement benefit measure for a named individual, Breanne M. Smith. It authorizes her to receive a refund of certain accumulated contributions she paid into the New York State and Local Employees’ Retirement System (NYSLERS) after a tier reinstatement issue arose. The bill applies to contributions made during the period when her tier reinstatement had not yet been fully initiated and no cessation date had been established, and it requires that any application for the refund be filed within one year of the act’s effective date.
The bill also provides that its provisions are not subject to section 25 of the retirement and social security law, and it would take effect immediately. According to the fiscal note, the refund would cover contributions made from January 13, 2016 through July 12, 2019, and would create an immediate past service cost of about $17,800, shared by the state and local participating employers in NYSLERS, without increasing Putnam County’s future annual contributions.
Impact
The bill would create a narrow exception to existing retirement law by overriding subdivision b of section 902 of the retirement and social security law for one named member and exempting the act from section 25 of that law. In practical terms, it would direct NYSLERS to refund accumulated employee contributions to Breanne M. Smith and adjust retirement system accounting for a past service cost, but it would not change the contribution rates of Putnam County going forward. The measure affects the retirement system, the member involved, and the state and local employers that share NYSLERS costs.
Sentiment
Because there are no committee transcripts or recorded votes provided, there is no direct evidence of debate or opposition in the available record. The bill’s structure suggests it is a targeted corrective measure intended to resolve an individual retirement system issue, which typically draws limited policy controversy compared with broad statutory changes. The fiscal note indicates a relatively small cost, suggesting the measure is administratively modest rather than a major budget issue.
Contention
The main point of potential contention is the bill’s individualized nature: it grants a special statutory remedy to a single named employee rather than changing the law generally for all similarly situated members. Any concern would likely focus on fairness, precedent, or whether the retirement system should make exceptions through legislation instead of ordinary administrative processes. Another possible issue is the retroactive refund of contributions for a period when tier reinstatement had not been completed, though the bill appears designed to correct a specific service-credit and contribution problem.
Same As
Authorizes Breanne M. Smith to receive a refund of certain accumulated contributions paid to the New York state and local employees' retirement system.