What's happening
This bill allows four Arlington Fire District firefighters to join the twenty-year retirement plan despite missing the original deadline.
Why it matters
Addresses missed administrative deadlines. The bill recognizes that the four firefighters failed to enroll in the twenty-year retirement plan for reasons not due to their own negligence, acknowledging the role of administrative or procedural errors rather than personal fault.
Potential impact on local finances. The Arlington Fire District will be responsible for both increased annual pension contributions (about $42,000/year initially) and a significant one-time past service cost (about $399,000, which can be spread over 10 years), potentially affecting local budgets and taxpayer obligations.
Sets a precedent for exceptions. By allowing these specific individuals to join the plan after missing the deadline, the bill may set an example or precedent for similar exceptions in other cases, potentially influencing future pension policy and administrative flexibility.
Requires local approval before becoming law. The bill is contingent on the Arlington Fire District Board passing a resolution to request this special legislation, ensuring local governance and accountability in the decision to absorb the associated costs.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Allow 4 Firefighters Early Retirement
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Substituted by A8227A
- Advanced to third reading
- 2nd report cal.
- 1st report cal.1162
- Print number 6333b
- Amend and recommit to civil service and pensions
- Referred to civil service and pensions
- Print number 6333a
- Amend and recommit to civil service and pensions
- Referred to civil service and pensions
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.
Let Four Firefighters Retire Early
Signed by Governor · Sponsor Didi Barrett
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
6333--B
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
May 11, 2017
Introduced by Sen. SERINO -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Civil Service and Pensions -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee -- recommitted to the Committee on Civil Service and Pensions in accordance with Senate Rule 6, sec. 8 -committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to authorize Johel E. Dongo, Carl P. Cacace Jr., Douglas J. Parrish and Christopher Saya, to elect to participate in the optional twenty year retirement plan for firefighters employed by the Arlington Fire District in the county of Dutchess
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, the Arlington Fire District, in the county of Dutchess, a participating employer in the New York state and local police and fire retirement system, which previously elected to offer the optional twenty year retirement plan, established pursuant to section 384-d of the retirement and social security law, to firefighters employed by such fire district, is hereby authorized to make participation in such plan available to Johel E. Dongo, Carl P. Cacace Jr., Douglas J. Parrish and Christopher Saya; firefighters employed by such fire district, who, for reasons not ascribable to their own negligence, failed to make a timely application to participate in such optional twenty year retirement plan. Thereafter, Johel E. Dongo, Carl P. Cacace Jr., Douglas J. Parrish and Christopher Saya may elect to be covered by the provisions of section 384-d of the retirement and social security law, and shall be entitled to the full rights and benefits associated with coverage under such section as well as section 384-e of such law, by filing a request to that effect with the state comptroller on or before December 31, 2018.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07032-09-7
S. 6333--B 2
§ 2. All past service costs associated with implementing the provisions of this act shall be borne by the Arlington Fire District and may be amortized over a period of ten years.
§ 3. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, this act shall be contingent upon the Arlington Fire District Board of Fire Commissioners passing a resolution requesting the enactment of this legislation and providing copies of such resolution to each house of the legislature.
§ 4. This act shall take effect immediately.
FISCAL NOTE.--Pursuant to Legislative Law, Section 50:
This bill will allow the Arlington Fire District to elect to reopen
the provisions of Section 384-d together with Section 384-e of the
Retirement and Social Security Law for fire fighters Johel E. Dongo,
Carl P. Cacace Jr., Douglas J. Parrish and Christopher Saya.
If this bill is enacted and these firefighters become covered under
the provisions of Section 384-d together with Section 384-e, we antic-
ipate that there will be an increase of approximately $42,000 in the
annual contributions of the Arlington Fire District for the fiscal year
ending March 31, 2019. In future years, this cost will vary as the bill-
ing rates and salaries of these firefighters change.
In addition to the annual contributions discussed above, there will be
an immediate past service cost of approximately $399,000 which would be
borne by the Arlington Fire District as a one-time payment. This esti-
mate is based on the assumption that payment will be made on February 1,
2019. If the Arlington Fire District elects to amortize this cost over a
10 year period, the cost of the first year would be $53,100.
Summary of relevant resources:
The membership data used in measuring the impact of the proposed
change was the same as that used in the March 31, 2017 actuarial valu-
ation. Distributions and other statistics can be found in the 2017
Report of the Actuary and the 2017 Comprehensive Annual Financial
Report.
The actuarial assumptions and methods used are described in the 2015,
2016 and 2017 Annual Report to the Comptroller on Actuarial Assumptions,
and the Codes Rules and Regulations of the State of New York: Audit and
Control.
The Market Assets and GASB Disclosures are found in the March 31, 2017
New York State and Local Retirement System Financial Statements and
Supplementary Information.
I am a member of the American Academy of Actuaries and meet the Quali-
fication Standards to render the actuarial opinion contained herein.
This estimate, dated December 1, 2017, and intended for use only
during the 2018 Legislative Session, is Fiscal Note No. 2018-13,
prepared by the Actuary for the New York State and Local Retirement
System.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to authorize Johel E. Dongo, Carl P. Cacace Jr., Douglas J. Parrish and Christopher Saya, to elect to participate in the optional twenty year retirement plan for firefighters employed by the Arlington Fire District in the county of Dutchess
Purpose
To reopen the provisions of section 384-d together with section 384-e of the retirement and social security law for four firefighters in the Arlington Fire District.
Summary of provisions
Section 1: Authorizes Arlington Fire District firefighters Johel E. Dongo, Carl P. Cacace Jr., Douglas J. Parrish and Christopher Saya to elect to be covered by the provisions of section 384-d together with 384-e of the retirement and social security law.
Section 2: Requires that all past service costs associated with this legislation be borne by the Arlington Fire District.
Section 3: Requires that the Arlington Fire District Board of Fire Commissioners pass a resolution requesting this legislation and provide a copy of such resolution to each house of the legislature.
Section 4: Establishes the effective date.
Justification
Through no fault of their own, four members of the Arlington Fire District did not complete the appropriate forms to enroll under the 384-d retirement plan together with the 384-e retirement plan. This legislation would grant these firefighters until December 31, 2018 to file a request with the state comptroller to be enrolled and covered under such plans.
Legislative history
New Bill.
Fiscal implications
According to the fiscal note, if this bill is enacted, the New York State Local Retirement System anticipates there will be an approximately $42,000 increase in annual contributions of the Arlington Fire District for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2018, with costs varying in future years.
Additionally, there will be an immediate past service cost of approxi- mately $399,000 which would also be borne by the Arlington Fire District. If the fire district opts to amortize the cost over a 10-year period, the cost for the first year would be $53,100.
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.