New York Senate Bill S10206

New York 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 5/5/26
• Refer: 5/5/26

Caption

Authorizes Ryan J. St. Gelais and Aaron M. St. Gelais, police officers in the village of Menands, county of Albany, to receive certain credit under section 384-d of the retirement and social security law and to apply for reinstatement with the NY state and local police and fire retirement system.

Summary

S10206 is a private pension bill that would allow Ryan J. St. Gelais and Aaron M. St. Gelais, both police officers for the Village of Menands in Albany County, to receive service credit under section 384-d of the Retirement and Social Security Law. The bill addresses a situation in which the officers, through no fault of their own, were not granted credit for certain prior employment that would otherwise count toward a 20-year retirement benefit under the New York State and Local Police and Fire Retirement System (NYSLPFRS). To receive the credit, each officer must first apply for tier reinstatement after having withdrawn membership from the New York State and Local Employees' Retirement System, and any reinstatement costs must be paid in full. Once those conditions are met, the credited service would count as creditable service under section 384-d, giving them the full rights and benefits associated with that retirement provision. The bill takes effect immediately and requires any past service costs to be paid by the Village of Menands.

Impact

The bill would create a narrow exception to existing retirement law by authorizing two named officers to receive credit for service that is not ordinarily creditable under a NYSLPFRS 384-d 20-year plan, specifically correction officer service and age-based plan service. It would not change the general statutory framework for other employees, but it would direct the State Comptroller and the retirement system to recognize this service for these individuals if the bill’s conditions are satisfied. The fiscal note states that the measure would impose a one-time past service cost of about $260,000 on the Village of Menands, while not increasing the village’s annual contributions.

Sentiment

The available materials suggest the bill is largely remedial and individualized, aimed at correcting an apparent retirement credit issue for two local police officers. There are no recorded committee transcripts or votes indicating opposition or broader debate, and the fiscal note frames the measure as a targeted adjustment rather than a systemic change. Overall sentiment appears neutral to favorable, with the main focus on resolving a specific pension-credit problem.

Contention

The main point of potential contention is fiscal responsibility: the bill shifts all past service costs to the Village of Menands, which must absorb the one-time payment associated with the added retirement credit. Another possible issue is the precedent of granting special, named-person relief in retirement law, since the bill creates an exception for two specific officers rather than changing the law generally. The bill also requires tier reinstatement and full payment of reinstatement costs before credit can be granted, which may be relevant to implementation but does not appear to be disputed in the available record.