Authorizes George Armstrong to be reclassified as a Tier 1 member of the New York state and local employees' retirement system

Title of bill

An act to allow George Armstrong to be reclassified as a Tier I member of the New York state and local employees' retirement system

Purpose

To reclassify George Armstrong as a Tier I retiree, directly reflecting the status he appropriately should have been classified as, according to his time of employment, dating from June 11, 1973.

Summary of provisions

Section 1. Deems George Armstrong, a member of the New York state and local employees' retirement system, who began his employment with the town of Henrietta on June 11, 1973, and who for reasons not ascribable to his own negligence was not offered the opportunity to join such system as a Tier I member, shall be reclassified as a Tier I member and shall be entitled to every right, benefit, and privilege which would have been available to him in accordance with Tier I status if, on or before the thirty-first day of December next succeeding the date on which this act shall have become a law, he shall file with the state comptroller a written request to that effect.

Section 2. All costs attributable to the implementation of this act shall be borne by New York state.

Section 3. Effective date.

Justification

George Armstrong was hired by the town of Henrietta on July 11, 1973. His paperwork to opt into the New York State Retirement System was not filed until April 12, 1975, registering him as a Tier II member. Subse- quently, upon the request of Mr. Armstrong, New York State researched his actual time and determined that he should have been entered as a Tier I member. Unfortunately, however, as an optional member of the New York state retirement system, there is nothing that can be done to change his status except to introduce personal legislation on his behalf.

Legislative history

2005-2006: S.4996-B, Civil Service and Pensions

Fiscal implications

This bill would deem George Armstrong, an inactive vested member of the New York State and Local Employees' Retirement System to have become a member of such system on June 11, 1973, thereby granting him Tier 1 status.

If this bill is enacted, there will be an immediate service cost of approximately $40,900 which will be borne by the State of New York as a one-time payment, assuming a payment date of March 1, 2011.

Effective date

This act shall take effect immediately.