Provides for retirement credit to emergency medical technicians and advanced emergency medical technicians for a child care leave of absence.
Summary
This bill amends the Retirement and Social Security Law to allow certain Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) and Advanced Emergency Medical Technician (AEMT) members to receive retirement service credit for periods of authorized unpaid child care leave. The bill applies notwithstanding other provisions that would normally bar credit for leave without pay, and it is limited to leave taken under a collective bargaining agreement covering the member.
To qualify, an eligible member must file a claim for the service credit by December 31, 2025, or within 90 days after the child care leave ends, whichever is later, and must pay into the pension fund the contributions that would have been made during the leave, plus interest. The bill caps the credit at one year for each period of authorized child care leave and takes effect immediately.
Impact
The bill would create a new exception in section 609 of the Retirement and Social Security Law for EMT and AEMT members, allowing them to purchase pension service credit for unpaid child care leave. In practical terms, it would affect NYCERS members in these classifications by increasing their potential retirement service time and, correspondingly, pension benefits, while requiring employee buy-in through retroactive contributions with interest. The fiscal note estimates a modest near-term employer contribution increase and recognizes that the long-term cost depends on how many members use the benefit.
Sentiment
The available materials suggest generally favorable treatment of the bill as a targeted employee-benefit measure, with the fiscal note framing it as a defined and administratively limited pension enhancement rather than a broad expansion. No committee transcript or recorded vote is available here, so there is no documented opposition or debate in the provided record. The bill’s structure—requiring member contributions and limiting the credit to one year per leave period—suggests an effort to balance benefit expansion with fiscal restraint.
Contention
The main policy issue is the added pension cost to New York City and NYCERS, since the bill would increase employer contributions and future liabilities for covered members. Any concern would likely center on whether it is appropriate to grant service credit for unpaid leave, even when the member repays the missed contributions with interest, and on the open-ended uncertainty about how many members will qualify in the future. The bill also narrows eligibility to EMT/AEMT members covered by collective bargaining agreements, which may limit controversy but also confines the benefit to a specific workforce group.
Provides for benefits for certain emergency medical technicians or advanced emergency medical technicians in the city of New York who suffer any condition or impairment of health caused by a stroke resulting in disability or death.
Requires all certified first responders, emergency medical technicians, and advanced emergency medical technicians to undergo criminal background checks to maintain their certification.
Relates to the establishment of a twenty-two and one-half year retirement program for members of the New York city employees' retirement system employed as emergency medical technicians and advanced emergency medical technicians and to the establishment of such program for such members who are subject to articles 11 and 15 of the retirement and social security law.
Relates to the establishment of a twenty-two and one-half year retirement program for members of the New York city employees' retirement system employed as emergency medical technicians and advanced emergency medical technicians and to the establishment of such program for such members who are subject to articles 11 and 15 of the retirement and social security law.
Relates to the optional retirement of members employed as an emergency medical technician, critical care technician, advanced emergency medical technician, paramedic or supervisor
In emergency medical services system, further providing for emergency medical responders, for emergency medical technicians, for emergency medical services vehicle operators and for advanced life support ambulances.
Provides as an alternative retirement option from the current option, that any member employed as an emergency medical technician, critical care technician, advanced emergency medical technician, paramedic or supervisor of such titles upon an election by a participating fire district, not including those in a city with a population of one million or more, shall be eligible to retire.