New York Assembly Bill A10198

New York 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/12/26
• Refer: 2/12/26

Caption

Grants members of the city of New York's police force eligibility for retirement and pension based on previous service as traffic enforcement agents

Summary

This bill would amend the New York City Administrative Code to allow certain New York City Police Department members to count prior service as traffic enforcement agents toward police retirement and pension benefits. It applies to officers who previously served as traffic enforcement agents and later became members of the NYPD uniformed force, whether by transfer or competitive examination and appointment, so long as they are still serving in the department. The bill also allows those members to buy back that prior service credit, but only if they pay the amount they would have contributed had they been in the police retirement system from the start of their traffic enforcement service. The bill is limited to people appointed to the traffic enforcement agent title before July 1, 2009, and it would take effect immediately. It overrides any contrary restrictions in the civil service law or civil service rules regarding transfers. The fiscal note estimates an initial increase in employer pension contributions for New York City, with costs in the early years followed by offsetting decreases later, and an increase in unfunded accrued liability tied to the affected members' prior service credit.

Impact

The bill would change the rules governing pension eligibility and service credit under the New York City Administrative Code and the Retirement and Social Security Law as applied to NYPD members. It would treat qualifying prior traffic enforcement service as police service for retirement purposes, expand the service that can be credited toward an unreduced pension, and authorize buyback of that service for eligible members. The fiscal impact would fall on New York City, which would bear the employer contribution changes and the added actuarial liability for the affected retirement system.

Sentiment

The available record shows no committee transcript or vote history, so there is no documented floor or committee debate to gauge broader political sentiment. Based on the bill text and fiscal note, the measure appears to be a targeted benefit expansion for a defined group of current NYPD members with prior traffic enforcement service. The fiscal analysis is neutral and technical, acknowledging both increased near-term costs and later offsetting contribution changes.

Contention

The main point of potential contention is fiscal cost: the bill increases pension liabilities and employer contributions for New York City, at least in the near term, which could draw concern from budget-focused lawmakers or city officials. Another possible issue is fairness and precedent, because the bill grants retroactive service credit and pension treatment to a specific cohort of employees hired before a cutoff date in 2009. Support would likely come from affected police personnel and their representatives, while opposition, if any, would likely center on pension affordability, actuarial risk, and whether the service should be treated as police service for retirement purposes.