Authorizes George Orfanoudakis to receive certain retroactive membership in the New York state and local police and fire retirement system.
Summary
This bill is a private pension-relief measure for George Orfanoudakis. It directs that, notwithstanding contrary law, he be treated as having joined the New York State and Local Police and Fire Retirement System on June 25, 2005, the date he was employed by the North Rockland Central School District, and grants him Tier II status in that system if he files a written request with the Comptroller within one year of the bill’s effective date. The bill also specifies that he will not receive a refund of employee contributions already made to the retirement system.
The bill further provides that all past service costs associated with this retroactive membership adjustment will be paid by the State of New York, and it takes effect immediately. The fiscal note estimates an ongoing increase in state annual contributions of about $12,000 beginning in fiscal year 2027, plus a one-time past service cost of about $300, reflecting the cost of moving the member to the earlier tier and membership date.
Impact
If enacted, the bill would create a narrow exception to existing retirement-system membership rules by retroactively adjusting one individual’s membership date and tier status in the New York State and Local Police and Fire Retirement System. It would affect the administration of NYSLRS, the Comptroller’s office, and the state budget, because the state would assume the past service cost and higher future employer contribution costs associated with the benefit correction. The bill does not change the retirement law generally, but instead grants individualized relief tied to a specific employment history and retirement-system enrollment error.
Sentiment
There is no recorded committee transcript or vote history in the provided materials, so no direct debate can be summarized. Based on the bill text and fiscal note, the measure appears to be a technical, remedial pension bill rather than a broad policy change, with a limited fiscal impact and a targeted benefit correction. The overall tone of the proposal is administrative and corrective, suggesting likely support for resolving an individual retirement-credit issue.
Contention
The main potential point of contention is the special treatment for a single individual, since the bill overrides ordinary retirement-system rules to grant retroactive Tier II membership and shifts the cost to the state. Critics of such bills typically raise fairness and precedent concerns, especially when a member receives a benefit correction not available to others in similar circumstances. Supporters would likely emphasize that the failure to enroll was not attributable to the member’s negligence and that the bill simply remedies an administrative error.
Authorizes the transfer of memberships for certain members of the New York state and local police and fire retirement system who previously held a membership with the New York state and local employees' retirement system back to such retirement system.