Authorizes Jeffrey Alva Beall eligibility to apply for retroactive military service credit in the New York state teachers' retirement system.
Summary
This bill is a private pension measure that authorizes Jeffrey Alva Beall, a retired member of the New York State Teachers’ Retirement System, to apply for military service credit for his active-duty service in the U.S. Army from April 17, 1984 through February 27, 1987. The bill makes this authorization retroactive to the date of his retirement and requires Mr. Beall to pay the system an amount equal to three percent of his final year’s compensation multiplied by the number of years of military service credited.
The measure is narrowly tailored to one individual and operates as an exception to existing retirement law. It overrides subdivision 5 of section 1000 of the Retirement and Social Security Law to permit a retired Tier 4 member to purchase credit that he was not eligible to buy at the time of retirement in 2016, because the law then limited military credit to certain wartime service periods. The fiscal note estimates the cost to the system at about $76,000, which would be borne by employers participating in the New York State Teachers’ Retirement System, offset in part by Mr. Beall’s required contribution.
Impact
If enacted, the bill would amend the practical application of section 1000 of the Retirement and Social Security Law for a single named retiree by allowing retroactive purchase of military service credit in the New York State Teachers’ Retirement System. It would increase Mr. Beall’s pension benefit retroactively to his retirement date and create an employer-funded actuarial cost to the system, while leaving the broader statutory framework intact except for this individualized exception.
Sentiment
The available record suggests the bill is noncontroversial and administrative in nature, with no recorded votes or committee debate indicating opposition. Its purpose appears to be remedial, allowing a veteran retiree to receive credit that became available under later changes in law, and the fiscal note treats the cost as limited and quantifiable. Overall sentiment appears favorable or at least neutral, with the bill advancing through committee amendment and recommittal without documented dissent.
Contention
The main point of potential contention is the creation of a one-person exception to retirement law, which can raise fairness and precedent concerns even when the fiscal impact is modest. Another possible issue is the retroactive increase in pension benefits, since the bill grants credit for service that was not purchasable when the member retired. No specific objections, however, are reflected in the provided transcripts or voting history.