What's happening
This bill provides a one-time parity payment to certain retired New York state managerial or confidential employees whose salary increases were withheld between 2009 and 2017.
Why it matters
Addresses a historical pay inequity. The bill seeks to compensate retired managerial/confidential state employees who missed out on authorized salary increases between 2009 and 2017, acknowledging a long-standing disparity compared to their unionized counterparts.
Provides a formula-based payment. For those who retired before April 1, 2015, the payment is $70 for each month the increase was withheld (up to $5,000), while those retiring later receive up to $5,000 minus any increases they eventually received, ensuring the payment is closely tied to the actual loss suffered.
Targets a specific group often excluded. Managerial and confidential employees are typically ineligible for collective bargaining and may be overlooked in statewide pay adjustments, so this bill directly addresses a gap in compensation justice for this cohort.
Potential impact on state budget and precedent. By mandating these one-time payments, the bill could have budgetary implications and set a precedent for addressing similar pay inequities for other non-unionized public employees in the future.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Equal Pension for Retirees
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
History
- Reported and committed to finance
- Referred to civil service and pensions
- Returned to senate
- Died in assembly
- Referred to governmental employees
- Delivered to assembly
- Passed senateVote 60–1
- Ordered to third reading cal.1246
- Committee discharged and committed to rules
- Reported and committed to finance
- 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.
Pension Boost for Retirees
In Assembly Committee · Governmental Employees · Sponsor Patricia Fahy
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
4079
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
February 27, 2019
Introduced by Sens. GOUNARDES, YOUNG -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Civil Service and Pensions
AN ACT to amend the civil service law, in relation to establishing a retiree parity payment for certain employees who served in a position or positions in the classified service of the state designated managerial or confidential
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The civil service law is amended by adding a new section 137 to read as follows:
§ 137. Management/confidential retiree parity payment. 1. Notwithstanding any provision of law, rule or regulation to the contrary, any retiree who served in a position or positions in the classified service of the state designated managerial or confidential pursuant to article fourteen of this chapter and who retired between April first, two thousand nine and March thirty-first, two thousand fifteen, and had a salary increase authorized under chapter ten of the laws of two thousand eight which was withheld for state fiscal years two thousand nine and/or two thousand ten shall receive a seventy dollar rebate payment for every month of withholding from April first, two thousand nine until such retiree's date of retirement or March thirty-first, two thousand fifteen, whichever is earlier, not to exceed a total of five thousand dollars. The comptroller shall certify to the division of the budget a listing of all such retirees deemed eligible pursuant to this subdivision.
2. Notwithstanding any provision of law, rule or regulation to the contrary, any retiree who served in a position or positions in the classified service of the state designated managerial or confidential pursuant to article fourteen of this chapter and who retired between April first, two thousand fifteen and June thirtieth, two thousand seventeen
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02310-01-9
S. 4079 2
and had a salary increase authorized under chapter ten of the laws of two thousand eight which was withheld for state fiscal years two thousand nine and/or two thousand ten shall receive five thousand dollars less the parity salary increases received during the specified time period. The comptroller shall certify to the division of the budget a listing of all such retirees deemed eligible pursuant to this subdivision.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the civil service law, in relation to establishing a retiree parity payment for certain employees who served in a position or positions in the classified service of the state desig- nated managerial or confidential
Purpose
This bill provides certain employees designated managerial or confiden- tial to receive a rebate payment for salary increases that were author- ized, yet ultimately withheld by New York State.
Summary of provisions
This bill amends the civil service law by adding a new section 137 to provide a rebate payment to certain employees designated managerial or confidential and retired between April 1, 2009 and March 31, 2017.
For those employees that retired between April 1, 2009 and March 31, 2015 and had an authorized salary increase that was withheld, the employee shall receive a monthly rebate of $70 for each month such increase was withheld, which shall not exceed $5,000 per employee.
For those employees that retired between April 1, 2015 and March 31, 2017 and had an authorized salary increase that was withheld, the employee shall receive a rebate of $5,000 less any salary increases received during that time period.
Justification
During the 2008 recession, management confidential employees (M/Cs) had their authorized salary increases withheld by the state in an effort to reduce expenditures.
While many M/Cs ultimately received their withheld pay raises, thousands of M/Cs retired during the withheld period" and thus were denied this rightful benefit. This measure provides a rebate to those management confidential employees that retired after having salary increases with- held for 2009 and/or 2010. New York saved over $450,000 million in sala- ries and fringe benefits from the withholding of salary increases for 2019 and 2010. No more than 4,000 eligible retirees are expected to take advantage of this rebate.
While this measure does not wholly recover those lost wages, it is only fair to restore some of the lost value of the withheld salaries.
Legislative history
2018: S.7771-A - 3rd Reading Calendar
Fiscal implications
For the 4/1/2009-3/31/2015 period the NYS Division of the Budget utilized an average M/C annual salary of $72,000. Using data and service records from New York State and Local Employees Retirement System there were 2608 M/C retirees whose salary restoration through this proposal
would cost approximately $6.5 million. The total cost for this proposal is estimated at $9 million.
Effective date
This bill shall take effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.