What's happening
This bill allows certain New York State Teachers' Retirement System members to receive retirement credit for past graduate or teaching assistant work.
Why it matters
Could increase retirement benefits for long-serving educators. By allowing members who joined the system before July 1, 1992, to claim credit for graduate/teaching assistant work done between 1982 and 1991, some educators could boost their total years of credited service, potentially increasing their pension amounts and enabling earlier retirement eligibility.
Recognizes previously undervalued early-career academic work. The bill retroactively acknowledges the professional value of work performed as a graduate or teaching assistant at state-operated institutions and community colleges, potentially making academic career paths more attractive and equitable.
Requires member payments with interest for retroactive credit. Members seeking this service credit must pay for it, including 5% annual interest from when the service was performed to the payment date, ensuring the retirement system remains financially stable while providing the new benefit.
May have modest but unpredictable cost impacts for employers. Although the annual cost per year of credited service is estimated ($23,200 for most tiers, $18,000 for Tier 6), the total fiscal impact is uncertain because the number of eligible members who will purchase credit is unknown; however, these costs are partially offset by the required member payments.
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Who cares
Teachers’ Retirement System members with SUNY assistant service
Members who joined by July 1, 1992 could receive credit for graduate assistant, teacher assistant or teaching assistant work performed from July 1, 1982 through September 30, 1991 at participating SUNY institutions or community colleges.
Members covered by Article 14 or 15
They would have to pay for the credit, with two years of credited service required for pre-membership work and five percent annual interest on payments for work performed after joining.
New York State Teachers’ Retirement System
The system would administer the additional service credits and associated member payments.
Employers participating in the Teachers’ Retirement System
The fiscal note projects additional costs for each year of service credited, partially offset by required member payments, but says total annual costs cannot be estimated.
Headline styles
Credit for Assistant Teaching Years
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
2 Co-sponsors
History
- Referred to rules
- Delivered to senate
- Passed assembly
- Ordered to third reading rules cal.45
- Rules report cal.45
- Reported
- Reported referred to rules
- Reported referred to ways and means
- Print number 7598a
- Amend and recommit to governmental employees
- Referred to governmental employees
- Referred to governmental employees
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.
Credit for Past Teaching Service
In Senate Committee · Rules · Sponsor Robert Ortt
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
7598--A
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
May 3, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. ABBATE -- read once and referred to the Committee on Governmental Employees -- recommitted to the Committee on Governmental Employees in accordance with Assembly Rule 3, sec. 2 -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT in relation to credit for certain graduate assistant, teacher assistant or teaching assistant work for the purposes of the New York state teachers' retirement system
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Notwithstanding any other provisions of law to the contrary, a member of the New York state teachers' retirement system who joined such system on or prior to July 1, 1992, shall be eligible for credit for service, if service was rendered as a graduate assistant, teacher assistant or teaching assistant during the period July 1, 1982 to September 30, 1991 for a state-operated institution or community college under the jurisdiction of the board of trustees of the state university which participates in such system. Payments for such service shall be made by members subject to article 14 or 15 of the retirement and social security law in accordance with section 609 of such law, in the case of such service rendered prior to such member joining such system, provided the member must be credited with two years of service credit at the time credit for such service is granted. Payments for such service shall be made by members subject to article 14 or 15 of the retirement and social security law in accordance with section 613 of such law, in the case of such service rendered after such member joined such system, together with interest at the rate of five percent per annum from the date such service was rendered to the date of payment.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately; provided, however, that if this act shall become a law after June 30, 2018 it shall take effect immediately and be deemed to have been in full force and effect on and
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD06475-06-8
A. 7598--A 2
after June 30, 2018. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rules or regulations necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made on or before such date.
FISCAL NOTE.-- Pursuant to Legislative Law, Section 50:
This bill would allow active members of the New York State Teachers'
Retirement System with a date of membership on or prior to July 1, 1992
to receive service credit for service rendered as a graduate assistant,
teacher assistant or teaching assistant during the period July 1, 1982
to September 30, 1991 for a state-operated institution or community
college under the jurisdiction of the board of trustees of the state
university which is a participating employer of the New York State
Teachers' Retirement System. Payments for such credit must be made by
those members subject to Article 14 or 15 of the Retirement and Social
Security Law in accordance with section 609 of such law in the case such
service was rendered prior to such member joining the New York State
Teachers' Retirement System provided the member is credited with two
years of service credit at the time credit for such service is granted.
Payments for such credit must be made by those members subject to Arti-
cle 14 or 15 of the Retirement and Social Security Law in accordance
with section 613 of such law in the case such service was rendered after
such member joined the New York State Teachers' Retirement System
together with interest at the rate of five percent per annum from the
date such service was rendered to the date of payment.
It is not possible to determine the total annual cost to the employers
of members of the New York State Teachers' Retirement System since the
total amount of service credit which would be claimed under this bill
cannot be estimated. However, the cost to the employers of members of
the New York State Teachers' Retirement System is estimated to be
$23,200 per year of service credited for Tier 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 members
and $18,000 per year of service credited for Tier 6 members if this bill
is enacted. These costs would be offset by member payments as required
under this bill if enacted.
Member data is from the System's most recent actuarial valuation
files, consisting of data provided by the employers to the Retirement
System. Data distributions and statistics can be found in the System's
Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR). System assets are as
reported in the System's financial statements, and can also be found in
the CAFR. Actuarial assumptions and methods are provided in the System's
Actuarial Valuation Report.
The source of this estimate is Fiscal Note 2018-8 dated January 22,
2018 prepared by the Actuary of the New York State Teachers' Retirement
System and is intended for use only during the 2018 Legislative Session.
I, Richard A. Young, am the Actuary for the New York State Teachers'
Retirement System. I am a member of the American Academy of Actuaries
and I meet the Qualification Standards of the American Academy of Actu-
aries to render the actuarial opinion contained herein.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.