Authorizes a member to obtain up to three years of service credit for prior paid police service within the United States with an accredited police agency outside of the state of New York; requires a member to have at least five years of credited service to be eligible to receive such credit.
Summary
S09549 would amend the Retirement and Social Security Law to allow certain members of the New York State and Local Police and Fire Retirement System to purchase up to three years of service credit for prior paid police service performed outside New York State, so long as the service was with an accredited police agency elsewhere in the United States. The bill applies only to prior police employment, not volunteer service, and requires the member to apply before retirement and to have at least five years of credited service before becoming eligible to buy the credit.
To receive the credit, a member would have to pay the retirement system an amount based on the member’s current tier contribution rate and the number of years claimed. The bill is structured as a retirement benefit enhancement for eligible police officers, particularly those who entered New York service after prior law-enforcement work in another state. It would take effect 120 days after becoming law, with implementing regulations authorized immediately.
Impact
The bill would create a new exception to current retirement credit rules, which generally limit purchasable prior service credit to service with participating employers in New York public retirement systems, aside from certain military service provisions. It would expand eligibility for service credit in the NYSLRS by recognizing out-of-state accredited police service, potentially increasing retirement benefits and earlier retirement eligibility for affected members. The fiscal note indicates the state would bear remaining costs after member contributions, and that implementation would also create administrative costs for the retirement system.
Sentiment
The available materials suggest a generally supportive posture toward the bill, as reflected by its introduction and the absence of recorded opposition, committee objections, or votes in the provided history. The bill is framed as a targeted benefit for police officers with prior law-enforcement experience, which typically aligns with pension portability and recruitment/retention arguments. No contrary testimony or recorded floor debate is included in the materials provided.
Contention
The main policy issue is cost and pension expansion. The fiscal note estimates a substantial past service cost, with the state responsible for remaining annual costs after member contributions, and notes significant administrative expenses to implement the change. Another point of contention could be fairness and precedent: the bill departs from the usual rule limiting prior service credit to New York public employment, so critics may question whether out-of-state service should be treated the same as in-state service. Eligibility limits, including the five-year credited service requirement and the need for accredited agency service, appear designed to narrow the benefit and may be intended to address those concerns.
Authorizes a member to obtain up to three years of service credit for prior paid police service within the United States with an accredited police agency outside of the state of New York; requires a member to have at least five years of credited service to be eligible to receive such credit.
Relates to obtaining military credit for members of the New York state and local police and fire retirement system, the New York city police pension fund, and the New York city fire pension fund; provides that the calculation for military credit shall be equal to the product of the number of years of military service being claimed and three percent of such member's compensation earned during the twelve months of credited service.
Relates to obtaining military credit for members of the New York state and local police and fire retirement system, the New York city police pension fund, and the New York city fire pension fund; provides that the calculation for military credit shall be equal to the product of the number of years of military service being claimed and three percent of such member's compensation earned during the twelve months of credited service.
Provides that a member with credited service in excess of twenty-five years shall receive an additional retirement allowance equal to one-sixtieth of such member's final average salary for each year of creditable service in excess of twenty-five years; makes related provisions.
Authorizes active members of the New York state and local police and fire retirement system to purchase service credit for service with the Long Island Railroad Company police department.
Provides that a member of a public retirement system of the state who is a disabled veteran may retire without reduction of their retirement benefit upon their attainment of at least fifty-five years of age and completion of at least thirteen years of credited service in such retirement system.
Provides that full escalation date means the first day of the month following the date on which a member completes or would have completed twenty-three years of credited service, with respect to service retirement benefits for uniformed members of the New York city fire department pension fund.
Provides that full escalation date means the first day of the month following the date on which a member completes or would have completed twenty-three years of credited service, with respect to service retirement benefits for uniformed members of the New York city fire department pension fund.