Bill Text: NY S05139 | 2013-2014 | General Assembly | Introduced


Bill Title: Grants up to 3 years service credit in the public retirement systems of the state for military service in hostilities from October 7, 2001 until the end of hostilities in Afghanistan.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2014-01-08 - REFERRED TO VETERANS, HOMELAND SECURITY AND MILITARY AFFAIRS [S05139 Detail]

Download: New_York-2013-S05139-Introduced.html
                           S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                         5139
                              2013-2014 Regular Sessions
                                   I N  S E N A T E
                                     May 10, 2013
                                      ___________
       Introduced  by  Sen.  LITTLE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
         printed to be committed to the Committee on Veterans, Homeland Securi-
         ty and Military Affairs
       AN ACT to amend the retirement and social security law, in  relation  to
         providing  service  credit  to members of public retirement systems of
         the state for certain military service in hostilities in Afghanistan
         THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
    1    Section  1. Paragraphs (c) and (d) of subdivision 2 of section 1000 of
    2  the retirement and social security law, as added by chapter 548  of  the
    3  laws  of  2000,  are amended and a new paragraph (e) is added to read as
    4  follows:
    5    (c) hostilities participated in by the military forces of  the  United
    6  States  in  Panama, from the twentieth day of December, nineteen hundred
    7  eighty-nine to the thirty-first day of January, nineteen hundred ninety,
    8  as established by receipt of the armed forces expeditionary  medal,  the
    9  navy expeditionary medal, or the marine corps expeditionary medal; [or]
   10    (d)  hostilities  participated in by the military forces of the United
   11  States, from the second day of August, nineteen hundred ninety,  to  the
   12  end  of  such hostilities in case of a veteran who served in the theater
   13  of operations including Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar,  the
   14  United  Arab  Emirates,  Oman,  the  Gulf of Aden, the Gulf of Oman, the
   15  Persian Gulf, the Red Sea, and the airspace above these locations[.]; OR
   16    (E) HOSTILITIES PARTICIPATED IN BY THE MILITARY FORCES OF  THE  UNITED
   17  STATES  IN  AFGHANISTAN,  FROM  THE SEVENTH DAY OF OCTOBER, TWO THOUSAND
   18  ONE, TO THE END OF SUCH HOSTILITIES, AS ESTABLISHED BY  RECEIPT  OF  THE
   19  ARMED  FORCES  EXPEDITIONARY  MEDAL, THE NAVY EXPEDITIONARY MEDAL OR THE
   20  MARINE CORPS EXPEDITIONARY MEDAL.
   21    S 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
         FISCAL NOTE.--This bill would extend the benefits of Chapter 548, Laws
       of 2000 to members of public retirement systems in New  York  State  who
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD10735-03-3
       S. 5139                             2
       rendered  military  service  in Afghanistan from 10/7/2001 to the end of
       hostilities and were assigned to the theater of  operations.  The  total
       service  credit  granted for any military service shall not exceed three
       (3)  years.  Members  must  have at least five years of credited service
       (not including military service). Tier 1-5 members would be required  to
       make  a  payment  of three percent of their most recent compensation per
       year of additional service credit granted by this bill. Tier  6  members
       would  be required to make a payment of six percent of their most recent
       compensation per year of additional service credit.
         If this bill is enacted, insofar as this proposal affects the New York
       State and Local Employees' Retirement System (ERS), it is estimated that
       the past service cost will average approximately 12% (9% for Tier 6)  of
       an  affected  members'  compensation for each year of additional service
       credit that is purchased.
         Insofar as this proposal affects the New York State and  Local  Police
       and Fire Retirement System (PFRS), it is estimated that the past service
       cost  will  average  approximately  17%  (14% for Tier 6) of an affected
       members' compensation for  each  year  of  additional  service  that  is
       purchased.
         The  exact  number  of  current  members as well as future members who
       could be affected by this legislation cannot be readily determined.
         ERS Costs: Pursuant to Section 25 of the Retirement and Social Securi-
       ty Law, the increased cost to the New York State  and  Local  Employees'
       Retirement  System  would be borne entirely by the State of New York and
       would require an itemized appropriation sufficient to pay  the  cost  of
       the  provision.  Since a member can apply for this service credit at any
       time prior to retirement, a precise cost can't be determined until  each
       member, as well as future members, applies for the service credit. Every
       year  a cost will be determined (and billed to the state) based on those
       benefiting from this provision.
         PFRS Costs: These costs would be shared by the State of New  York  and
       the participating employers in the PFRS.
         Summary of relevant resources:
         Data:  March  31,  2012  Actuarial Year End File with distributions of
       membership and other statistics displayed in  the  2012  Report  of  the
       Actuary and 2012 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report.
         Assumptions  and  Methods:  2010,  2011  and 2012 Annual Report to the
       Comptroller on Actuarial Assumptions, Codes Rules and Regulations of the
       State of New York: Audit and Control.
         Market Assets and GASB Disclosures: March 31, 2012 New York State  and
       Local  Retirement System Financial Statements and Supplementary Informa-
       tion.
         Valuations of Benefit Liabilities and Actuarial Assets: summarized  in
       the 2012 Actuarial Valuations report.
         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 May 9, 2013 and intended for use only during the
       2013 Legislative Session, is Fiscal Note No. 2013-147, 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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