Authorizes the Onondaga county sheriff's department, in the county of Onondaga, to offer the optional twenty year retirement plan to deputy sheriffs Brittany E. Dorn, Noah C. Hunt, Daniel D. Lorenzini, Gordon J. Lopez, Tre C. Fesinger, and Christopher L. Van Dusen.
Summary
This bill authorizes the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Department to extend the optional twenty-year retirement plan under section 552 of the Retirement and Social Security Law to six named deputy sheriffs who missed the original application deadline for reasons not attributable to their own negligence. If the county elects to do so, it must file a resolution with the State Comptroller within 180 days after the bill becomes law, and each affected deputy sheriff must then file an individual request within one year of the effective date to receive coverage and benefits under the plan.
The measure is narrowly tailored to a specific group of employees and does not broadly change retirement eligibility for all deputy sheriffs or other public employees. It also requires Onondaga County to bear all past service costs associated with the retroactive enrollment, while future employer contribution costs would continue as part of the retirement system. The bill takes effect immediately.
Impact
The bill creates a special authorization for Onondaga County to reopen participation in the optional twenty-year retirement plan for six identified deputy sheriffs under Article 14-B of the Retirement and Social Security Law. It effectively amends the practical application of retirement law for this county and these employees by allowing late enrollment despite missed deadlines, provided the county certifies the lapse was not due to the employees’ negligence. The fiscal note estimates an increase in annual county contributions and a one-time past service cost, both paid by Onondaga County, with no direct statewide benefit change beyond this local exception.
Sentiment
The available voting record shows strong support and no recorded opposition. The Senate Civil Service and Pensions Committee approved the bill unanimously, and the Senate floor passed it 59-0, with the Rules Committee also voting unanimously. The lack of dissent suggests the bill was viewed as a limited, equitable correction for specific employees rather than a controversial policy change.
Contention
There is little evidence of substantive contention in the record. The main issue is the narrowness of the relief: the bill benefits only six named deputy sheriffs, which is typical of a special retirement bill and may raise fairness or precedent concerns in principle, but no opposition is reflected in the votes. The only practical point of discussion apparent from the text is fiscal responsibility, since Onondaga County must absorb both the ongoing employer costs and the past service cost for the retroactive retirement coverage.
Same As
Authorizes the Onondaga county sheriff's department, in the county of Onondaga, to offer the optional twenty year retirement plan to deputy sheriffs Brittany E. Dorn, Noah C. Hunt, Daniel D. Lorenzini, Gordon J. Lopez, Tre C. Fesinger, and Christopher L. Van Dusen.