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- Referred to civil service and pensions
- Referred to rules
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Establishes a temporary task force on the variable supplements fund program
In Assembly Committee · Governmental Employees · Sponsor Andrew R. Garbarino
Full text
The text isn't available here yet. Check nysenate.gov.
Sponsor's memo
BILL NUMBER:S5909
Title of bill
An act establishing a temporary task force on variable supplements fund
Purpose or general idea of bill
The purpose of the bill is to establish a task force to make a final determination of whether or not disabled NYPD and FDNY retirees are entitled to receive VSF supplementation benefits.
Summary of provisions
Section 1: Legislative intent.
Section 2: Subsection 1: Creates the temporary task force to be known as the temporary task force on the variable supplements fund.
Subsection 2: Gives the task force the power to conduct public hearings, issue subpoenas for and to compel attendance of witnesses and the production of books, records, documents and other relevant evidence in order to recommend legislation consistent with the purposes of this section.
Subsection 3: The task force shall be consisted of 7 members appointed by the Governor as follows: one member appointed on the recommendation of: The Temporary President of the Senate; the Speaker of the Assembly; the Minority Leader of the Senate; the Minority Leader of the Assembly; the Mayor of the City of New York; and one member who shall represent the interest of the affected disability retirees, to be designated by the chair. The Governor shall designate the chair. In addition to these members, the comptroller of NYC & the president of the uniformed fire-fighters association of greater NY (or their designees) shall serve as non-voting members. Four members shall constitute a quorum. Members shall receive no compensation but members who are not governmental employees shall be reimbursed for their reasonable expenses incurred during the performance of their duties.
Subsection 4: Within one year of this act becoming law, the temporary task force shall issue its report containing its findings and recommendations.
Section 3: This act shall take effect immediately.
Justification
The variable supplements fund (VSF) program was enacted in 1970 to provide supplementation to the retirement allowances of New York city police and fire retirement system members. Since the enactment of the legislation establishing the VSF program, much controversy has been generated by the exclusion of disability retirees for eligibility of the benefit.
The lack of clarity in defining VSF eligibility and the exclusion of most disabled police and firefighters has been a cause of much frustration and confusion for disability petitioners. The existing documentation regarding VSF eligibility is inconclusive, prompting the need for a task force to make a final determination.
Prior legislative history
A.9842 of 1992 (Straniere) - referred to governmental employees, amended and recommitted to governmental employees
A.7476 of 2013 (Garbarino) - referred to governmental employees
Fiscal implications for state and local governments
Minimal.
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.