STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 6873 2017-2018 Regular Sessions IN ASSEMBLY March 22, 2017 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. THIELE, MURRAY -- read once and referred to the Committee on Local Governments AN ACT to amend the general municipal law, in relation to service award programs The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Paragraph (b) of subdivision 8 of section 219-d of the 2 general municipal law, as amended by chapter 514 of the laws of 1998, is 3 amended to read as follows: 4 (b) The entitlement age, the number of years of ambulance service 5 required to obtain a nonforfeitable right to a service award, and the 6 activities for which points shall be granted toward a year of ambulance 7 service may be changed by resolution adopted by the affirmative vote of 8 at least sixty percent of the governing board of the sponsor without 9 referendum; provided, that, consistent with the provisions of subdivi- 10 sion three of section two hundred nineteen-m of this chapter, if the 11 effect of the amendment is to increase the number of points granted for 12 the performance of the activity, decrease the amount of an activity 13 required to earn the points granted for the performance of the activity, 14 or both, such amendment shall be subject to a mandatory referendum. Any 15 amendment to a service award program shall only take effect as of the 16 first of January next succeeding completion of the proceedings required 17 for adoption of the amendment and shall only apply prospectively. 18 § 2. Subdivision 3 of section 219-k of the general municipal law, as 19 added by chapter 558 of the laws of 1998, is amended to read as follows: 20 3. [~~"Entitlement age" means age sixty-five and, except in the case of~~ 21 ~~disability or death, shall be the earliest age at which a participant~~ 22 ~~who has a nonforfeitable right to a service award is entitled to apply~~ 23 ~~for and begin receiving a service award.~~] "Entitlement age" means the 24 age designated by the sponsor at which a program participant is entitled 25 to begin receiving an unreduced service award. In no event shall the EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD00977-01-7

A. 6873 2 1 entitlement age under a program be earlier than age fifty-five nor later 2 than the age at which the participant can receive an unreduced benefit 3 under Title II of the Social Security Act (Public Law 74-271 U.S.C. 306 4 et seq.). No service award program may provide for the payment of bene- 5 fits (except in the case of death or disability) before age fifty-five. 6 § 3. Paragraph (h) of subdivision 5 of section 219-l of the general 7 municipal law, as added by chapter 558 of the laws of 1998, is amended 8 and a new paragraph (i) is added to read as follows: 9 (h) the date on which the proposition authorizing the adoption of the 10 program shall be submitted to referendum[.]; and 11 (i) entitlement age- the age at which volunteers are eligible to begin 12 receiving service awards. 13 § 4. Paragraph (b) of subdivision 9 of section 219-l of the general 14 municipal law, as added by chapter 558 of the laws of 1998, is amended 15 to read as follows: 16 (b) The activities for which points shall be granted toward a year of 17 ambulance service may be changed by resolution adopted by the affirma- 18 tive vote of at least sixty percent of the governing board of the spon- 19 sor without referendum; provided, that, consistent with the provisions 20 of subdivision three of section two hundred nineteen-m of this article, 21 if the effect of the amendment is to increase the number of points 22 granted for the performance of the activity, decrease the amount of an 23 activity required to earn the points granted for the performance of the 24 activity, or both, such amendment shall be subject to a mandatory refer- 25 endum. Any amendment to a service award program shall only take effect 26 as of the first of January next succeeding completion of the proceedings 27 required for adoption of the amendment and shall only apply prospective- 28 ly. 29 § 5. This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeed- 30 ing the date on which it shall have become a law; provided, however, 31 that effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any 32 rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on its 33 effective date are authorized and directed to be made and completed by 34 the state comptroller on or before such date.

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