Bill Text: NY S04342 | 2015-2016 | General Assembly | Introduced


Bill Title: Provides cost-of-living adjustments, including an adjusted benefit in monthly installments that is equal to the percentage of the change in consumer price index according to the included schedule.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 2-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-01-06 - REFERRED TO CIVIL SERVICE AND PENSIONS [S04342 Detail]

Download: New_York-2015-S04342-Introduced.html
                           S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                         4342
                              2015-2016 Regular Sessions
                                   I N  S E N A T E
                                    March 16, 2015
                                      ___________
       Introduced  by  Sen.  GOLDEN -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
         printed to be committed to the Committee on Civil Service and Pensions
       AN ACT to amend the retirement and social security  law,  the  education
         law  and  the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation
         to providing cost-of-living adjustments
         THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
    1    Section  1. Subdivision f of section 78-a of the retirement and social
    2  security law, as added by chapter 125 of the laws of 2000, is amended to
    3  read as follows:
    4    f. Commencing September first, two thousand, all retired  members  who
    5  have  retired  prior  to the calendar year nineteen hundred ninety-seven
    6  and who meet the eligibility criteria set forth in subdivision a of this
    7  section shall be paid an adjusted benefit in monthly installments on the
    8  basis provided for in this subdivision. Said adjusted benefit  shall  be
    9  equal  to  a percentage of the change in consumer price index (all urban
   10  consumers, CPI-U, U.S. city average, all items, 1982-84=100),  published
   11  by  the United States bureau of labor statistics, measured from the year
   12  of  retirement  through  calendar  year  nineteen  hundred  ninety-seven
   13  according to the following schedule:
   14        Year of retirement                     Percentage
   15        1968 through 1996                      50%
   16        1966 and 1967                          55%
   17        1965                                   60%
   18        1964                                   65%
   19        1963                                   70%
   20        1962                                   80%
   21        1961                                   90%
   22        prior to 1961                          100%
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD00495-02-5
       S. 4342                             2
    1  Said  adjusted benefit shall be computed on a base benefit amount not to
    2  exceed eighteen thousand dollars of the retirement  allowance  otherwise
    3  payable,  computed  without  optional modification. Any benefit received
    4  pursuant to this subdivision shall be in lieu of  any  benefit  received
    5  pursuant to section seventy-eight of this title.
    6    COMMENCING  SEPTEMBER FIRST, TWO THOUSAND FIFTEEN, ALL RETIRED MEMBERS
    7  WHO HAVE RETIRED PRIOR TO THE CALENDAR YEAR NINETEEN HUNDRED NINETY-SEV-
    8  EN AND WHO MEET THE ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA SET FORTH IN SUBDIVISION  A  OF
    9  THIS  SECTION  SHALL BE PAID AN ADJUSTED BENEFIT IN MONTHLY INSTALLMENTS
   10  ON THE BASIS PROVIDED FOR IN THIS  SUBDIVISION.  SAID  ADJUSTED  BENEFIT
   11  SHALL  BE  EQUAL  TO  A PERCENTAGE OF THE CHANGE IN CONSUMER PRICE INDEX
   12  (ALL URBAN CONSUMERS, CPI-U, U.S. CITY AVERAGE, ALL ITEMS, 1982-84=100),
   13  PUBLISHED BY THE UNITED STATES BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS, MEASURED FROM
   14  THE  YEAR  OF  RETIREMENT  THROUGH  CALENDAR   YEAR   NINETEEN   HUNDRED
   15  NINETY-SEVEN ACCORDING TO THE FOLLOWING SCHEDULE:
   16        YEAR OF RETIREMENT                     PERCENTAGE
   17        1973 THROUGH 1996                      50%
   18        1971 AND 1972                          55%
   19        1970                                   60%
   20        1969                                   65%
   21        1968                                   70%
   22        1967                                   80%
   23        1966                                   90%
   24        PRIOR TO 1966                          100%
   25  SAID  ADJUSTED BENEFIT COMMENCING SEPTEMBER FIRST, TWO THOUSAND FIFTEEN,
   26  SHALL BE COMPUTED ON THE BASE BENEFIT AMOUNT OF THE RETIREMENT ALLOWANCE
   27  OTHERWISE PAYABLE, COMPUTED WITHOUT  OPTIONAL  MODIFICATION,  SET  FORTH
   28  HEREIN ABOVE. ANY BENEFIT RECEIVED PURSUANT TO THIS SUBDIVISION SHALL BE
   29  IN  LIEU  OF  ANY  BENEFIT RECEIVED PURSUANT TO SECTION SEVENTY-EIGHT OF
   30  THIS TITLE.
   31    S 2. Subdivision f of section 378-a of the retirement and social secu-
   32  rity law, as added by chapter 125 of the laws of  2000,  is  amended  to
   33  read as follows:
   34    f.  Commencing  September first, two thousand, all retired members who
   35  have retired prior to the calendar year  nineteen  hundred  ninety-seven
   36  and who meet the eligibility criteria set forth in subdivision a of this
   37  section shall be paid an adjusted benefit in monthly installments on the
   38  basis  provided  for in this subdivision. Said adjusted benefit shall be
   39  equal to a percentage of the change in consumer price index  (all  urban
   40  consumers,  CPI-U, U.S. city average, all items, 1982-84=100), published
   41  by the United States bureau of labor statistics, measured from the  year
   42  of  retirement  through  calendar  year  nineteen  hundred  ninety-seven
   43  according to the following schedule:
   44        Year of retirement                     Percentage
   45        1968 through 1996                      50%
   46        1966 and 1967                          55%
   47        1965                                   60%
   48        1964                                   65%
   49        1963                                   70%
   50        1962                                   80%
   51        1961                                   90%
   52        prior to 1961                          100%
   53  Said adjusted benefit shall be computed on a base benefit amount not  to
   54  exceed  eighteen  thousand dollars of the retirement allowance otherwise
       S. 4342                             3
    1  payable, computed without optional modification.  Any  benefit  received
    2  pursuant  to  this  subdivision shall be in lieu of any benefit received
    3  pursuant to section three hundred seventy-eight of this title.
    4    COMMENCING  SEPTEMBER FIRST, TWO THOUSAND FIFTEEN, ALL RETIRED MEMBERS
    5  WHO HAVE RETIRED PRIOR TO THE CALENDAR YEAR NINETEEN HUNDRED NINETY-SEV-
    6  EN AND WHO MEET THE ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA SET FORTH IN SUBDIVISION  A  OF
    7  THIS  SECTION  SHALL BE PAID AN ADJUSTED BENEFIT IN MONTHLY INSTALLMENTS
    8  ON THE BASIS PROVIDED FOR IN THIS  SUBDIVISION.  SAID  ADJUSTED  BENEFIT
    9  SHALL  BE  EQUAL  TO  A PERCENTAGE OF THE CHANGE IN CONSUMER PRICE INDEX
   10  (ALL URBAN CONSUMERS, CPI-U, U.S. CITY AVERAGE, ALL ITEMS, 1982-84=100),
   11  PUBLISHED BY THE UNITED STATES BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS, MEASURED FROM
   12  THE  YEAR  OF  RETIREMENT  THROUGH  CALENDAR   YEAR   NINETEEN   HUNDRED
   13  NINETY-SEVEN ACCORDING TO THE FOLLOWING SCHEDULE:
   14        YEAR OF RETIREMENT                     PERCENTAGE
   15        1973 THROUGH 1996                          50%
   16        1971 AND 1972                              55%
   17        1970                                       60%
   18        1969                                       65%
   19        1968                                       70%
   20        1967                                       80%
   21        1966                                       90%
   22        PRIOR TO 1966                             100%
   23  SAID  ADJUSTED BENEFIT COMMENCING SEPTEMBER FIRST, TWO THOUSAND FIFTEEN,
   24  SHALL BE COMPUTED ON THE BASE BENEFIT AMOUNT OF THE RETIREMENT ALLOWANCE
   25  OTHERWISE PAYABLE, COMPUTED WITHOUT  OPTIONAL  MODIFICATION,  SET  FORTH
   26  HEREIN ABOVE. ANY BENEFIT RECEIVED PURSUANT TO THIS SUBDIVISION SHALL BE
   27  IN LIEU OF ANY BENEFIT RECEIVED PURSUANT TO SECTION THREE HUNDRED SEVEN-
   28  TY-EIGHT OF THIS TITLE.
   29    S  3. Subdivision f of section 532-a of the education law, as added by
   30  chapter 125 of the laws of 2000, is amended to read as follows:
   31    f. Commencing September first, two thousand, all retired  members  who
   32  have  retired  prior  to the calendar year nineteen hundred ninety-seven
   33  and who meet the eligibility criteria set forth in subdivision a of this
   34  section shall be paid an adjusted benefit in monthly installments on the
   35  basis provided for in this subdivision. Said adjusted benefit  shall  be
   36  equal  to  a percentage of the change in consumer price index (all urban
   37  consumers, CPI-U, U.S. city average, all items, 1982-84=100),  published
   38  by  the United States bureau of labor statistics, measured from the year
   39  of  retirement  through  calendar  year  nineteen  hundred  ninety-seven
   40  according to the following schedule:
   41        Year of retirement                     Percentage
   42        1968 through 1996                      50%
   43        1966 and 1967                          55%
   44        1965                                   60%
   45        1964                                   65%
   46        1963                                   70%
   47        1962                                   80%
   48        1961                                   90%
   49        prior to 1961                          100%
   50  Said  adjusted benefit shall be computed on a base benefit amount not to
   51  exceed eighteen thousand dollars of the retirement  allowance  otherwise
   52  payable,  computed  without  optional modification excluding any annuity
   53  derived from voluntary contributions made by members, except those  made
   54  pursuant  to  elections  under  subdivision  one of section five hundred
   55  eleven-a or paragraph c of subdivision three  of  section  five  hundred
       S. 4342                             4
    1  sixteen of this article. Any benefits received pursuant to this subdivi-
    2  sion  shall be in lieu of any benefits received pursuant to section five
    3  hundred thirty-two of this article, unless such benefits are  in  excess
    4  of  those provided by this section, in which case such benefits shall be
    5  paid by the retirement system pursuant to such provision.
    6    COMMENCING SEPTEMBER FIRST, TWO THOUSAND FIFTEEN, ALL RETIRED  MEMBERS
    7  WHO HAVE RETIRED PRIOR TO THE CALENDAR YEAR NINETEEN HUNDRED NINETY-SEV-
    8  EN  AND  WHO MEET THE ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA SET FORTH IN SUBDIVISION A OF
    9  THIS SECTION SHALL BE PAID AN ADJUSTED BENEFIT IN  MONTHLY  INSTALLMENTS
   10  ON  THE  BASIS  PROVIDED  FOR IN THIS SUBDIVISION. SAID ADJUSTED BENEFIT
   11  SHALL BE EQUAL TO A PERCENTAGE OF THE CHANGE  IN  CONSUMER  PRICE  INDEX
   12  (ALL URBAN CONSUMERS, CPI-U, U.S. CITY AVERAGE, ALL ITEMS, 1982-84=100),
   13  PUBLISHED BY THE UNITED STATES BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS, MEASURED FROM
   14  THE   YEAR   OF   RETIREMENT  THROUGH  CALENDAR  YEAR  NINETEEN  HUNDRED
   15  NINETY-SEVEN ACCORDING TO THE FOLLOWING SCHEDULE:
   16        YEAR OF RETIREMENT                     PERCENTAGE
   17        1973 THROUGH 1996                          50%
   18        1971 AND 1972                              55%
   19        1970                                       60%
   20        1969                                       65%
   21        1968                                       70%
   22        1967                                       80%
   23        1966                                       90%
   24        PRIOR TO 1966                             100%
   25  SAID ADJUSTED BENEFIT, COMMENCING SEPTEMBER FIRST, TWO THOUSAND FIFTEEN,
   26  SHALL BE COMPUTED ON THE BASE BENEFIT AMOUNT OF THE RETIREMENT ALLOWANCE
   27  OTHERWISE PAYABLE, COMPUTED WITHOUT  OPTIONAL  MODIFICATION,  SET  FORTH
   28  HEREIN ABOVE. ANY BENEFIT RECEIVED PURSUANT TO THIS SUBDIVISION SHALL BE
   29  IN  LIEU  OF ANY BENEFIT RECEIVED PURSUANT TO SECTION FIVE HUNDRED THIR-
   30  TY-TWO OF THIS ARTICLE.
   31    S 4. Subdivision f of section 13-696 of the administrative code of the
   32  city of New York, as added by chapter  125  of  the  laws  of  2000,  is
   33  amended to read as follows:
   34    f.  Commencing  September first, two thousand, all retired members who
   35  have retired prior to the calendar year  nineteen  hundred  ninety-seven
   36  and who meet the eligibility criteria set forth in subdivision a of this
   37  section shall be paid an adjusted benefit in monthly installments on the
   38  basis  provided  for in this subdivision. Said adjusted benefit shall be
   39  equal to a percentage of the change in consumer price index  (all  urban
   40  consumers,  CPI-U, U.S. city average, all items, 1982-84=100), published
   41  by the United States bureau of labor statistics, measured from the  year
   42  of  retirement  through  calendar  year  nineteen  hundred  ninety-seven
   43  according to the following schedule:
   44        Year of retirement                     Percentage
   45        1968 through 1996                      50%
   46        1966 and 1967                          55%
   47        1965                                   60%
   48        1964                                   65%
   49        1963                                   70%
   50        1962                                   80%
   51        1961                                   90%
   52        prior to 1961                          100%
   53  Said adjusted benefit shall be computed on a base benefit amount not  to
   54  exceed  eighteen  thousand dollars of the annual fixed retirement allow-
   55  ance otherwise payable,  computed  without  optional  modification.  Any
       S. 4342                             5
    1  benefit  received  pursuant  to this subdivision shall be in lieu of any
    2  benefit received pursuant to chapter three hundred ninety of the laws of
    3  nineteen hundred  ninety-eight,  and  any  preceding  provision  of  law
    4  providing for supplementation.
    5    COMMENCING  SEPTEMBER FIRST, TWO THOUSAND FIFTEEN, ALL RETIRED MEMBERS
    6  WHO HAVE RETIRED PRIOR TO THE CALENDAR YEAR NINETEEN HUNDRED NINETY-SEV-
    7  EN AND WHO MEET THE ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA SET FORTH IN SUBDIVISION  A  OF
    8  THIS  SECTION  SHALL BE PAID AN ADJUSTED BENEFIT IN MONTHLY INSTALLMENTS
    9  ON THE BASIS PROVIDED FOR IN THIS  SUBDIVISION.  SAID  ADJUSTED  BENEFIT
   10  SHALL  BE  EQUAL  TO  A PERCENTAGE OF THE CHANGE IN CONSUMER PRICE INDEX
   11  (ALL URBAN CONSUMERS, CPI-U, U.S. CITY AVERAGE, ALL ITEMS, 1982-84=100),
   12  PUBLISHED BY THE UNITED STATES BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS, MEASURED FROM
   13  THE  YEAR  OF  RETIREMENT  THROUGH  CALENDAR   YEAR   NINETEEN   HUNDRED
   14  NINETY-SEVEN ACCORDING TO THE FOLLOWING SCHEDULE:
   15        YEAR OF RETIREMENT                     PERCENTAGE
   16        1973 THROUGH 1996                      50%
   17        1971 AND 1972                          55%
   18        1970                                   60%
   19        1969                                   65%
   20        1968                                   70%
   21        1967                                   80%
   22        1966                                   90%
   23        PRIOR TO 1966                          100%
   24  SAID ADJUSTED BENEFIT, COMMENCING SEPTEMBER FIRST, TWO THOUSAND FIFTEEN,
   25  SHALL BE COMPUTED ON THE BASE BENEFIT AMOUNT OF THE RETIREMENT ALLOWANCE
   26  OTHERWISE  PAYABLE,  COMPUTED  WITHOUT  OPTIONAL MODIFICATION, SET FORTH
   27  HEREIN ABOVE. ANY BENEFIT RECEIVED PURSUANT TO THIS SUBDIVISION SHALL BE
   28  IN LIEU OF ANY BENEFIT RECEIVED PURSUANT TO SECTION 13-695 OF THIS ARTI-
   29  CLE.
   30    S 5. This act shall take effect immediately.
         FISCAL NOTE.--Pursuant to Legislative Law, Section 50:
         This bill would provide an increase in the  defined  benefit  cost-of-
       living adjustment (COLA) for New York public retirement systems.  Start-
       ing  with  a payment in September 2015, additional payments will be made
       for those members who retired after 1960 and prior to 1973.
         Insofar as this bill affects the New York State and  Local  Employees'
       Retirement  System,  pursuant to Section 25 of the Retirement and Social
       Security Law, the increased costs would be borne entirely by  the  State
       of  New  York  and would require an itemized appropriation sufficient to
       pay the cost of the provisions. If this bill were enacted, the  increase
       in the present value of benefits would be approximately $1.57 million.
         Insofar  as  this bill affects the New York State and Local Police and
       Fire Retirement System (PFRS), the increased costs would  be  shared  by
       the  State  of  New York and the participating employers in the PFRS. If
       this bill were enacted, the increase in the present  value  of  benefits
       would  be  approximately  $2.42  million.  The estimated first year cost
       would be approximately $51,600 to the State of New York and approximate-
       ly $238,000 to the participating employers in the PFRS.
         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, 2014 actuarial valu-
       ation.  Distributions and other statistics can  be  found  in  the  2014
       Report  of  the  Actuary  and  the  2014  Comprehensive Annual Financial
       Report.
         The actuarial assumptions and methods used are described in the  2010,
       2011,  2012, 2013 and 2014 Annual Report to the Comptroller on Actuarial
       S. 4342                             6
       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, 2014
       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 February 12,  2015  and  intended  for  use  only
       during  the  2015  Legislative  Session,  is  Fiscal  Note  No. 2015-63,
       prepared by the Actuary for the New  York  State  and  Local  Employees'
       Retirement  System  and  the  New  York  State and Local Police and Fire
       Retirement System.
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