New York Senate Bill S02461

New York 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/17/25
• Refer: 1/17/25
• Report Pass: 5/27/25
• Engrossed: 6/12/25
• Refer: 6/12/25
• Refer: 1/7/26

Caption

Authorizes the New York state and local employees' retirement system to accept an application for disability retirement benefits from Andrew Reilly, Jr.

Summary

Bill S02461 authorizes the New York State and Local Employees' Retirement System to accept a disability retirement benefits application from Andrew Reilly, Jr. This application is deemed to have been submitted within 30 days of his disability, which occurred on February 20, 2020. The bill acknowledges that Reilly did not apply for these benefits due to the COVID-19 pandemic's state of emergency, which affected his ability to do so. The legislation aims to ensure that he receives the benefits he is entitled to despite the unusual circumstances surrounding his application timeline.

Impact

If enacted, the bill will have a financial impact on the New York State and Local Employees' Retirement System, with an estimated immediate past service cost of approximately $342,000. This cost will be borne by the state and local employers participating in the retirement system. The bill effectively modifies the application timeline for disability benefits for Reilly, aligning it with the circumstances of the pandemic, thus setting a precedent for similar cases in the future.

Sentiment

The sentiment surrounding Bill S02461 appears to be overwhelmingly positive, as indicated by the unanimous votes in committee and on the Senate floor. The bill received 6-0 in the Senate Civil Service and Pensions Committee and 59-0 in the final Senate floor vote, suggesting broad bipartisan support for the measure.

Contention

There are no notable points of contention reported in the discussions or voting history regarding this bill. The unanimous support indicates that there are no significant opposing views among the legislators concerning the necessity or fairness of the bill's provisions.