What's happening
This bill allows Karen Sosinski to retroactively apply for disability retirement benefits from the New York State Teachers' Retirement System.
Why it matters
Addresses an individual hardship. This bill acknowledges that Karen Sosinski missed the standard deadline for disability retirement due to circumstances beyond her control, setting a precedent for legislative intervention in unique cases of missed deadlines.
Financial implications for public employers. The estimated additional cost of $144,000 will be distributed across all employers participating in the New York State Teachers' Retirement System, potentially affecting school district budgets statewide, not just the Dunkirk district.
Highlights limitations of current retirement policy. By allowing retroactive application, the bill exposes the rigidity of the 12-month deadline for disability retirement claims, possibly raising questions about whether broader policy changes are needed for similar cases in the future.
Conditional on medical approval. The granting of benefits under this bill still requires approval from the Medical Board, ensuring that eligibility standards for disability retirement are upheld despite the legislative exception.
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Who cares
Karen Sosinski
The bill would deem the former Dunkirk teacher’s late disability retirement application timely, allowing it to be considered for benefits.
New York State Teachers’ Retirement System
The system would treat Sosinski’s application as filed within 30 days of her leaving employment, with benefits contingent on Medical Board approval.
Employers of NYSTRS members
These employers would bear all implementation costs, with the fiscal note estimating $144,000 in increased liabilities if Sosinski’s application is approved.
Headline styles
Let Teacher Apply for Disability
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to governmental employees
- Referred to governmental employees
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
7145
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
April 10, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. GOODELL -- read once and referred to the Committee on Governmental Employees
AN ACT to authorize the New York state teachers' retirement system to accept an application for disability retirement benefits from Karen Sosinski
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 application for disability retirement benefits of Karen Sosinski, who was employed as a teacher by the Dunkirk city school district and a member of the New York state teachers' retirement system, who ceased her employment with the Dunkirk city school district on April 3, 2014, and who, for reasons not ascribable to her own negligence, did not apply to the New York state teachers' retirement system for disability retirement benefits until October 26, 2015, shall be deemed to have applied to the New York state teachers' retirement system for disability retirement benefits within 30 days of her ceasing to be employed on April 3, 2014.
§ 2. All costs associated with the implementation of this act shall be borne by the employers of the members of the New York state teachers' retirement system.
§ 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
FISCAL NOTE.--Pursuant to Legislative Law, Section 50:
This bill concerns Karen Sosinski, a vested member of the New York
State Teachers' Retirement System who ceased her employment as a teacher
with the Dunkirk City School District on April 3, 2014, and did not
apply for disability retirement benefits until October 26, 2015, after
the 12-month deadline to apply for disability retirement had lapsed. She
shall be deemed to have applied for disability retirement benefits with-
in 30 days of ceasing her employment on April 3, 2014. Currently Ms.
Sosinski is eligible for a service retirement benefit commencing at age
55.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD09359-02-9
A. 7145 2
The cost of this benefit is equal to the increase in the present value
of liabilities, which is estimated to be $144,000. This cost is to be
borne by the employers of members of the New York State Teachers'
Retirement System and is contingent upon the approval of Karen
Sosinski's application for disability retirement by the Medical Board of
the New York State Teachers' Retirement System.
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 2019-19 dated March 27,
2019 prepared by the Actuary of the New York State Teachers' Retirement
System and is intended for use only during the 2019 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.