Relates to supplemental military retirement allowances for members of public retirement systems of the state

BILL NUMBER:S6820

Title of bill

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 supplemental military retirement allowances for members of public retirement systems of the state

Purpose

This bill intends to provide veterans who have retired from public service in the state with a veterans pension benefit similar to that which active veteran public employees are entitled to receive.

Summary of provisions

This bill would: 1. Provide that a member of a public retirement system of the State of New York who retired prior to December twenty-first, nineteen hundred ninety-eight may make application to the retirement system for a supplemental military allowance;

2. Apply to persons who meet the eligibility requirements of the veteran's service credit buy back law;

3. Provide a supplemental military allowance equal to .25% for each month of military service of such person, to a maximum of 36 months;

4. Provide that the supplemental military allowance shall apply to the first $15,000, prior to optional modification, of the retired person; and

5. Require the application for the supplemental military allowance be made no later than December 31, 2014.

Existing law

Chapter 548 of the Laws of 2000 permits veterans in active public service to have up to three years of military service credit added to their retirement service. There is no provision to allow public retirees to receive a commensurate benefit. This legislation provides that benefit.

Justification

The Veterans Service Credit of 2000 permitted active military public employees who served in the military during specific military conflict to purchase up to three years retirement credit for that military service. This was the first opportunity veterans had to include their military service in their public retirement plan since 1976.

Many Korean veterans were not eligible for that 1976 buy back law. Vietnam veterans were just entering public service at that time. In the ensuring years, many of these veterans provided years of dedicated public service arid retired without the ability to add military credit to their retirement. Current employees now have that ability.

It is unfair to ignore the service provided by veterans to our state and country now that active employees can receive this benefit. This bill overcomes that injustice by providing retired veterans with a comparable supplemental military allowance.

Legislative history

2008: A.6805-A Towns Amended and recommit to Governmental Employees Committee 2007: A6695 Towns Governmental

Employees Committee 2006: A5472-A Towns Governmental Employees Committee 2005: A5472 Towns Governmental Employees Committee 2004: A8374A Tocci Governmental Employees Committee 2003: A8374 Tocci Reported to Ways and Means Committee 2002: A9839 Tocci Passed Assembly 2001: A4246 Vitaliano Passed Assembly 2000: A11501 Vitaliano Passed Assembly

Fiscal implications

See fiscal notes attached

Effective date

Immediately.