New York Senate Bill S04725

New York 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/12/25
• Refer: 2/12/25
• Report Pass: 5/27/25
• Engrossed: 6/12/25
• Refer: 6/12/25
• Refer: 1/7/26

Caption

Authorizes Michael Winston Hoard, the widower of Kathy Marie Dwyer-Hoard, to file a new service retirement application and an option election form on behalf of his deceased wife with the New York state and local employees' retirement system.

Summary

S04725 is a private pension bill that grants Michael Winston Hoard, the widower of Kathy Marie Dwyer-Hoard, permission to submit a new service retirement application and option election form to the New York State and Local Employees’ Retirement System on behalf of his late wife. The bill applies because she filed retirement paperwork but died before her retirement became effective. It directs that her retirement date be deemed October 21, 2019, and allows the election of a joint allowance full option, which is intended to provide survivor benefits to the widower. The bill also requires that any pre-retirement ordinary death benefits already paid be offset against the retirement benefit payable under this special authorization. It further states that any additional cost will be borne by the state and makes the act effective immediately. The fiscal note estimates an immediate past service cost of $547,000 to the state, reflecting the one-time impact on the retirement system.

Impact

This bill creates a narrow exception to the normal retirement application rules in the Retirement and Social Security Law and the administration of NYSLRS by authorizing a posthumous retirement filing and option election for a specific individual. It effectively overrides standard deadlines and procedural requirements for retirement elections in this one case, while preserving the system’s ability to offset any death benefits already paid. The measure imposes a one-time cost on the state rather than on the retirement system member or beneficiary.

Sentiment

The available voting history shows strong and unanimous support for the bill. It passed the Senate Civil Service and Pensions Committee 6-0, the Senate Rules Committee 20-0, and the full Senate 59-0. No committee transcript or recorded debate is provided, but the unanimous votes suggest the bill was viewed favorably as a limited, equitable correction for a specific family circumstance.

Contention

There is little evidence of substantive opposition in the available record. The only likely point of concern is the precedent of granting individualized retirement relief and the associated state cost, estimated at $547,000. However, the unanimous committee and floor votes indicate that any such concerns were not significant enough to generate recorded resistance. The bill’s offset provision for previously paid death benefits also appears designed to address fairness and reduce duplication of benefits.