New York Assembly Bill A10398

New York 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 3/3/26
• Refer: 3/3/26

Caption

Provides for certain death benefits to deputy sheriffs employed by Orange county

Summary

This bill amends the Retirement and Social Security Law to create a new death benefit provision for deputy sheriffs employed by Orange County. It defines “deputy sheriff” for this purpose as a person employed by Orange County with that title, and applies when a covered deputy sheriff dies on or after the bill’s effective date while they would have been eligible for a service retirement benefit. In that event, the beneficiary or beneficiaries may elect to receive a lump-sum payment equal to the pension reserve that would have been established if the member had retired on the date of death, or the value of the existing death benefit plus any reserve-for-increased-take-home-pay, whichever is greater. The bill also assigns all past service costs to Orange County and allows those costs to be amortized over ten years. It expressly exempts the measure from the appropriation requirement in section 25 of the Retirement and Social Security Law and takes effect immediately. The fiscal note estimates an increase in Orange County’s annual contributions of about $15,000 beginning in fiscal year 2027, with an immediate past service cost of about $197,000, or roughly $25,100 per year if amortized over ten years. The overall sentiment reflected in the bill materials is practical and localized rather than controversial: the measure is a targeted benefit enhancement for a specific county employee group, with the fiscal impact explicitly quantified. No committee transcript or recorded votes were provided, so there is no documented floor or committee debate to indicate broader support or opposition. The main point of contention, based on the text itself, is fiscal responsibility and who bears the cost. The bill places the full financial burden on Orange County rather than the state retirement system, and it creates a new benefit for a narrowly defined class of employees. Any concern would likely center on the added pension liability and whether similar benefits should be extended to other local public safety employees, but no direct objections are included in the available record.

Impact

The bill would add a new section 606-d to the Retirement and Social Security Law, creating a special in-service death benefit for Orange County deputy sheriffs who were retirement-eligible at the time of death. It changes the benefit calculation for qualifying deaths by allowing beneficiaries to elect a lump-sum payment based on the member’s pension reserve, if that amount is greater than the existing death benefit formula. The measure also shifts all associated past service costs to Orange County, permits amortization over ten years, and exempts the act from the usual appropriation requirement, thereby affecting county pension obligations and NYSLRS administration for this employee group.

Sentiment

The bill appears generally favorable and noncontroversial in tone, as it is a targeted benefit enhancement for a specific group of public safety employees and includes a clear fiscal note. Because there are no committee transcripts or recorded votes in the provided materials, there is no evidence of formal opposition or debate. The available record suggests the measure is being advanced as a localized retirement benefit adjustment rather than a broader policy dispute.

Contention

The primary issue likely to generate concern is cost: the bill increases Orange County’s pension-related obligations and assigns both ongoing and past service costs to the county. Another possible point of contention is the narrow scope of the benefit, since it applies only to Orange County deputy sheriffs and not to other county employees or similarly situated law enforcement personnel. No specific objections, amendments, or opposing arguments are included in the provided record, so any contention is inferred from the bill’s structure rather than documented debate.