Provides for service credit related to the birth or adoption of a new child for certain correction officer retirement system members.
Summary
This bill amends the retirement and social security law to allow certain Suffolk County correction officer members of the New York State and Local Employees’ Retirement System to receive retirement service credit for periods of unpaid leave taken in connection with the birth or adoption of a new child. Eligible members may receive up to one year of credit for each authorized unpaid leave period, provided they apply within the specified deadline, repay the contributions they would have made during the leave plus interest, and have at least five years of credited service (with a limited extension for members who reach five years later).
The bill is narrowly tailored to correction officers employed by Suffolk County and applies only to leave related to new child birth or adoption. It also requires the member to pay the employee contribution amount based on recent compensation, and it caps the credit at one year per leave period. The act takes effect immediately and expressly overrides conflicting laws or codes, while shifting all past service costs to Suffolk County and exempting the measure from the retirement system’s usual appropriation requirement.
Impact
The bill would create a new service-credit pathway in the retirement and social security law for a specific class of public employees: Suffolk County correction officers in NYSLERS who take unpaid parental leave for birth or adoption. It would modify Section 513 to add a new subdivision authorizing this credit, establish eligibility and filing requirements, and require member contributions plus interest as a condition of receiving the benefit. The fiscal note indicates the remaining actuarial cost would be billed to Suffolk County annually, making the county responsible for the past service cost associated with the benefit.
Sentiment
The available context suggests generally favorable or supportive treatment of the bill, though no committee transcript or vote record is provided. The measure appears framed as a targeted family-support and retirement-equity provision for correction officers, with the fiscal note acknowledging a cost but not questioning the policy objective. Because there are no recorded votes or debate excerpts, there is no evidence of formal opposition in the provided materials.
Contention
The main policy issue is fiscal responsibility and retirement-system consistency. The fiscal note states the proposal is not consistent with the retirement system’s general policy of granting service credit only when salary has been paid, and it estimates additional actuarial costs that would be charged to Suffolk County. Another point of potential contention is the bill’s narrow scope: it benefits only Suffolk County correction officers, which may raise questions about unequal treatment compared with other public employees or other counties. The eligibility rules, including the five-year service threshold, repayment requirement, and filing deadlines, are also likely to be the key administrative constraints.
Retirement: state police; membership in the retirement system of a corrections officer first hired after certain date; provide for, and allow for purchasing service credit for certain corrections officers' service under the state employees' retirement system. Amends secs. 3, 4, 14 & 70 of 1986 PA 182 (MCL 38.1603 et seq.) & adds secs. 14b & 24c. TIE BAR WITH: SB 47'25
Providing membership in the KP&F retirement system for certain security officers of the department of corrections and allowing certain service credit purchases of previous KPERS security officer service for purposes of KP&F retirement benefits.