Bill Text: NY A06793 | 2013-2014 | General Assembly | Amended


Bill Title: Relates to impairments of health, presumption and staph/MRSA.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-04-29 - reported referred to ways and means [A06793 Detail]

Download: New_York-2013-A06793-Amended.html
                           S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                        6793--A
                              2013-2014 Regular Sessions
                                 I N  A S S E M B L Y
                                    April 18, 2013
                                      ___________
       Introduced by M. of A. ABBATE -- read once and referred to the Committee
         on  Governmental  Employees -- recommitted to the Committee on Govern-
         mental Employees in accordance with Assembly Rule 3, sec. 2 -- commit-
         tee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and  recom-
         mitted to said committee
       AN  ACT  to amend the retirement and social security law, in relation to
         impairments of health, presumption and staph/MRSA
         THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
    1    Section 1. The retirement and social security law is amended by adding
    2  a new section 363-ddd to read as follows:
    3    S  363-DDD.  IMPAIRMENTS OF HEALTH; PRESUMPTION; STAPH/MRSA.  NOTWITH-
    4  STANDING ANY PROVISION OF THIS CHAPTER OR OF  ANY  GENERAL,  SPECIAL  OR
    5  LOCAL  LAW  TO  THE  CONTRARY,  ANY POLICE OFFICER OR FIREFIGHTER WHO IS
    6  COVERED BY THE PROVISIONS OF SECTION THREE HUNDRED SIXTY-THREE  OF  THIS
    7  TITLE  AND  WHO  CONTRACTS  METHICILLIN  RESISTANT STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS
    8  (MRSA) OR STAPH/MRSA WILL BE PRESUMED TO HAVE CONTRACTED SUCH DISEASE IN
    9  THE PERFORMANCE OR DISCHARGE OF HIS OR HER DUTIES  AS  THE  NATURAL  AND
   10  PROXIMATE  RESULT OF AN ACCIDENT AND TO BE DISABLED FROM THE PERFORMANCE
   11  OF HIS OR  HER  DUTIES  UNLESS  THE  CONTRARY  BE  PROVEN  BY  COMPETENT
   12  EVIDENCE.
   13    S 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
         FISCAL  NOTE.--  This bill will affect certain members of the New York
       State and Local Police and Fire  Retirement  System  by  presuming  that
       contracting MRSA or Staph/MRSA will qualify them for an accidental disa-
       bility retirement, unless the contrary be proven by competent evidence.
         If  this  bill  is  enacted,  it would lead to more disabilities being
       classified as "accidental". For the disabilities so  classified  due  to
       this  bill,  the  cost  would  depend  on whether such person would have
       otherwise been eligible for an ordinary  disability,  a  performance  of
       duty  disability  or  a  service retirement. For those who contract such
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD09076-02-4
       A. 6793--A                          2
       disease prior to  being  eligible  to  receive  an  ordinary  disability
       retirement,  it  is  estimated that there would be an average per person
       cost of approximately eight (8) times final average  salary.  For  those
       who  contract  such disease who would be eligible to receive an ordinary
       disability retirement, it is estimated that there would  be  an  average
       per  person  cost  of approximately four (4) times final average salary.
       For those who contract such disease who would be eligible to  receive  a
       performance  of  duty  disability retirement, it is estimated that there
       would be an average per person cost of approximately two (2) times final
       average salary. For those who contract such disease who are eligible for
       service retirement, it is estimated that there would be an  average  per
       person cost of approximately 150% of final average salary.
         However,  we  anticipate  that  few  additional  accidental disability
       retirements will be granted, and thus, the resulting costs are  expected
       to be negligible.
         Summary of relevant resources:
         The  membership  data  used  in  measuring  the impact of the proposed
       change was the same as that used in the March 31, 2013  actuarial  valu-
       ation.    Distributions  and  other  statistics can be found in the 2013
       Report of the  Actuary  and  the  2013  Comprehensive  Annual  Financial
       Report.
         The  actuarial assumptions and methods used are described in the 2010,
       2011, 2012 and 2013  Annual  Report  to  the  Comptroller  on  Actuarial
       Assumptions,  and  the  Codes  Rules and Regulations of the State of New
       York: Audit and Control.
         The Market Assets and GASB Disclosures are found in the March 31, 2013
       New York State and Local  Retirement  System  Financial  Statements  and
       Supplementary Information.
         I am a member of the American Academy of Actuaries and meet the Quali-
       fication Standards to render the actuarial opinion contained herein.
         This estimate, dated January 24, 2014 and intended for use only during
       the  2014  Legislative  Session; is Fiscal Note No. 2014-59, prepared by
       the Actuary for the New York State and Local Police and Fire  Retirement
       System.
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