Bill Text: NY S05162 | 2013-2014 | General Assembly | Amended

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Allows a change in retirement options for certain retired members of the New York state teachers' retirement system or the New York city teachers' retirement system with the consent of the nominated survivor beneficiary.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2014-06-02 - referred to governmental employees [S05162 Detail]

Download: New_York-2013-S05162-Amended.html
                           S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                        5162--A
                              2013-2014 Regular Sessions
                                   I N  S E N A T E
                                     May 13, 2013
                                      ___________
       Introduced  by  Sen.  SAVINO -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
         printed to be committed to the Committee on Civil Service and Pensions
         -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered  reprinted  as  amended
         and recommitted to said committee
       AN ACT to amend the retirement and social security law and the education
         law, in relation to permitting certain retired members of the New York
         State  Teachers'  Retirement  System  or  the  New York City Teachers'
         Retirement System to change their retirement options with the  consent
         of the nominated survivor beneficiary
         THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
    1    Section 1. Section 514 of the retirement and social  security  law  is
    2  amended by adding a new subdivision e to read as follows:
    3    E.  NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER PROVISION OF LAW, WHERE A RETIRED MEMBER
    4  OF THE NEW YORK CITY TEACHERS' RETIREMENT SYSTEM HAS  NOMINATED  HIS  OR
    5  HER  SPOUSE  AS  THE  SURVIVOR BENEFICIARY UNDER OPTION ONE, TWO OR FIVE
    6  PROVIDED FOR IN SUBDIVISION A OF THIS SECTION, AND SUCH PERSON SO  NOMI-
    7  NATED  CEASES  BY  CAUSES OTHER THAN DEATH TO BE HIS OR HER SPOUSE OR IS
    8  SEPARATED FROM HIM OR HER, OR IF SUCH OPTION  WAS  SELECTED  IN  CONTEM-
    9  PLATION  OF  MARRIAGE WHICH HAS NOT TAKEN PLACE, THEN THE BOARD OF TRUS-
   10  TEES OF SUCH RETIREMENT SYSTEM SHALL HAVE THE AUTHORITY  TO  PERMIT  THE
   11  CHANGE  OF  SUCH  OPTION  TO  THE  MAXIMUM BENEFIT THAT IS THE ACTUARIAL
   12  EQUIVALENT BY AND WITH THE CONSENT OF ALL PARTIES.
   13    S 2. Section 610 of the retirement and social security law is  amended
   14  by adding a new subdivision g to read as follows:
   15    G.  NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER PROVISION OF LAW, WHERE A RETIRED MEMBER
   16  OF THE NEW YORK CITY TEACHERS' RETIREMENT SYSTEM HAS  NOMINATED  HIS  OR
   17  HER  SPOUSE  AS  THE  SURVIVOR BENEFICIARY UNDER OPTION ONE, TWO OR FIVE
   18  PROVIDED FOR IN SUBDIVISION A OF THIS SECTION, AND SUCH PERSON SO  NOMI-
   19  NATED  CEASES  BY  CAUSES OTHER THAN DEATH TO BE HIS OR HER SPOUSE OR IS
   20  SEPARATED FROM HIM OR HER, OR IF SUCH OPTION  WAS  SELECTED  IN  CONTEM-
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD10230-05-3
       S. 5162--A                          2
    1  PLATION  OF  MARRIAGE WHICH HAS NOT TAKEN PLACE, THEN THE BOARD OF TRUS-
    2  TEES OF SUCH RETIREMENT SYSTEM SHALL HAVE THE AUTHORITY  TO  PERMIT  THE
    3  CHANGE  OF  SUCH  OPTION  TO  THE  MAXIMUM BENEFIT THAT IS THE ACTUARIAL
    4  EQUIVALENT BY AND WITH THE CONSENT OF ALL PARTIES.
    5    S  3.  Section  539  of  the  education law is amended by adding a new
    6  subdivision 8 to read as follows:
    7    8. NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER PROVISION OF LAW, A  RETIREE  SUBJECT  TO
    8  THIS ARTICLE OR ARTICLE FOURTEEN OR FIFTEEN OF THE RETIREMENT AND SOCIAL
    9  SECURITY  LAW  WHO  AT  RETIREMENT  HAD  DULY SELECTED AN OPTION FORM OF
   10  RETIREMENT PROVIDING FOR THE PAYMENT OF A  LESSER  RETIREMENT  ALLOWANCE
   11  OVER  THE LIFE OF THE RETIREE WITH THE PROVISION THAT UPON THE RETIREE'S
   12  DEATH ALL OR A PORTION OF SUCH ALLOWANCE SHALL BE CONTINUED FOR THE LIFE
   13  OF AND PAID TO A BENEFICIARY DULY NOMINATED BY THE  RETIREE  AT  RETIRE-
   14  MENT, SHALL BE PERMITTED TO RESCIND SUCH SELECTION WITHIN ONE YEAR AFTER
   15  SUCH  BENEFICIARY  HAS  CEASED TO BE THE RETIREE'S SPOUSE BY REASON OF A
   16  FINAL JUDGMENT OR DECREE OF DIVORCE  ISSUED  BY  A  COURT  OF  COMPETENT
   17  JURISDICTION.  IN ORDER TO RESCIND SUCH SELECTION, THE RETIREE AND BENE-
   18  FICIARY MUST EACH FILE A WRITTEN CONSENT TO SUCH CHANGE WITH THE  SYSTEM
   19  ON  A  FORM PRESCRIBED BY THE SYSTEM. UPON SATISFACTORILY RECEIVING SUCH
   20  JUDGMENT OR DECREE OF DIVORCE AND SUCH CONSENTS, ANY AND ALL OBLIGATIONS
   21  OF THE SYSTEM TO THE BENEFICIARY UNDER THE  RETIREE'S  OPTION  SELECTION
   22  SHALL BE TOTALLY DISCHARGED AND THE RETIREE SHALL THEREAFTER BE PAID FOR
   23  THE  REMAINDER  OF  SUCH  RETIREE'S LIFE THE MAXIMUM SINGLE LIFE BENEFIT
   24  WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN PAYABLE, HAD THE RETIREE MADE NO OPTION  SELECTION
   25  AT  THE  TIME OF RETIREMENT. THE RETIREMENT BOARD IS AUTHORIZED TO ADOPT
   26  SUCH RULES AND REGULATIONS AS MAY BE NECESSARY TO IMPLEMENT THIS  SUBDI-
   27  VISION.
   28    S  4.  This  act  shall take effect immediately and shall be deemed to
   29  have been in full force and effect on or after June 30, 2013.
         FISCAL NOTE.--Pursuant to Legislative Law, Section 50:
         This proposed legislation would amend Retirement and  Social  Security
       Law  ("RSSL") Sections 514 and 610 to allow certain Tier III and Tier IV
       retirees of the New York City Teachers' Retirement  System  ("TRS")  the
       opportunity to change certain optional forms of benefit after retirement
       similar  to  the provisions set forth in Administrative Code of the City
       of New York ("ACNY") Section 565(c).
         ACNY Section 565(c) covers only Tier I and Tier II members of TRS.
         In addition, for purposes of this Fiscal Note, the  references  herein
       to Tier IV include those TRS members whose dates of membership are on or
       after April 1, 2013 (a.k.a., Tier VI members).
         Specifically,  this  proposed  legislation  would permit a Tier III or
       Tier IV retiree of TRS who has nominated his or her spouse as the survi-
       vor beneficiary to change, under certain optional forms of  benefit  and
       with the consent of his or her spouse and the TRS Retirement Board, from
       the  optional  form  of benefit originally chosen to the maximum benefit
       that is the actuarial equivalent, if such person:
         (1) ceases by causes other than death to be his or her spouse, or
         (2) is separated from him or her, or
         (3) if such option was selected in contemplation of marriage which has
       not taken place.
         The Effective Date of the proposed legislation would be  the  date  of
       enactment.
         FINANCIAL  IMPACT  -  ACTUARIAL PRESENT VALUE OF BENEFITS AND EMPLOYER
       CONTRIBUTIONS: To the extent that the probabilities of survival  of  the
       retiree  and the beneficiary designated under the optional form of bene-
       fit have not changed significantly since such optional form  of  benefit
       S. 5162--A                          3
       was  instituted,  then  the  enactment  of  this proposed legislation is
       expected to result in little or no change in the Actuarial Present Value
       of Benefits,  Employer  Normal  Cost,  Actuarial  Accrued  Liability  or
       employer contributions to TRS.
         OTHER  COSTS:  The enactment of this proposed legislation would result
       in some administrative expenses for TRS.
         STATEMENT OF ACTUARIAL OPINION:  I, Robert C. North, Jr., am the Chief
       Actuary for the New York City Retirement Systems.  I am a Fellow of  the
       Society  of Actuaries and a Member of the American Academy of Actuaries.
       I meet the Qualification  Standards  to  render  the  actuarial  opinion
       contained herein.
         FISCAL  NOTE  IDENTIFICATION:   This estimate is intended for use only
       during the 2013 Legislative Session. It  is  Fiscal  Note  No.  2013-03,
       dated  February  28,  2013 prepared by the Chief Actuary of the New York
       City Teachers' Retirement System.
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