What's happening
This bill increases the maximum annual contribution for certain municipal service award programs from $700 to $1,200 per year.
Why it matters
Raises the financial incentive for volunteer firefighters and ambulance workers. , which could help local governments recruit and retain these essential personnel at a time when many volunteer departments face staffing shortages.
Increases potential retirement savings for participants in service award programs. , potentially making long-term volunteer service more attractive and rewarding, especially for younger or mid-career volunteers.
May impact municipal budgets. , as local governments sponsoring these programs could face higher annual costs if they choose to offer the new maximum contribution, requiring careful financial planning or prioritization.
Applies only to future service years. , ensuring that the increased benefit does not retroactively affect past service, which provides clarity for municipal budgeting and program participants.
Albany, before your first meeting.
Every bill that moved yesterday, summarized in a sentence and ranked by impact. The Albany Scorecard follows on Sundays.
Free. Unsubscribe in one click. Want alerts on specific bills? Create an account.
Who cares
Defined contribution service award plan participants
The bill would raise the maximum sponsor contribution from $700 to $1,200 per credited year of service.
Ambulance service award program participants
The bill would raise the maximum contribution for each credited year of ambulance service from $700 to $1,200.
Service award program sponsors
Sponsors could choose higher contributions within the new limit, with program changes applying prospectively starting January 1 after completion of the required adoption proceedings.
Headline styles
Raise Service Award Limits
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Signed chap.474
- Delivered to governor
- Returned to senate
- Passed assembly
- Ordered to third reading rules cal.601
- Substituted for A7552
- Referred to ways and means
- Delivered to assembly
- Passed senateVote 62–0
- Advanced to third reading
- 2nd report cal.
- 1st report cal.933
Show 3 earlier actions
- Print number 4207a
- Amend (t) and recommit to local government
- Referred to local government
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.
Raise Service Award Limits
Assembly Floor Calendar · Sponsor Fred Thiele
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
4207--A
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
March 4, 2019
Introduced by Sen. METZGER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Local Government -committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the general municipal law, in relation to the maximum contribution for certain service award programs
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision (b) of section 218 of the general municipal law, as amended by chapter 452 of the laws of 2004, is amended to read as follows:
(b) The sponsor of a defined contribution plan shall contribute to the plan a fixed amount of money, as determined by the sponsor, on behalf of each participant who is credited with a year of service. The minimum and maximum contribution requirements for a defined contribution service award program shall be as follows. The minimum contribution shall be one hundred twenty dollars per year of service. The maximum contribution shall be [seven] twelve hundred dollars per year of service. The maximum number of years of service for which a participant may receive a contribution shall be forty years. The sponsor shall appropriate annually an amount sufficient to pay the contributions.
§ 2. Subdivision 1 of section 219-f of the general municipal law, as amended by chapter 452 of the laws of 2004, is amended to read as follows:
1. The sponsor of a service award program shall contribute to the program a fixed amount of money, as determined by the sponsor, on behalf of each participant who is credited with a year of ambulance service. The minimum contribution shall be one hundred twenty dollars per year of ambulance service. The maximum contribution shall be [seven] twelve hundred dollars per year of ambulance service.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD10432-02-9
S. 4207--A 2
§ 3. This act shall take effect immediately; provided, however, any change or amendment to a service award program made by this act shall only take effect as of the first of January next succeeding completion of the proceedings required for adoption of such change or amendment and shall only apply prospectively.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the general municipal law, in relation to the maximum contribution for certain service award programs
Purpose
To increase from seven hundred dollars, to twelve hundred dollars, the maximum contribution that may be made per year of service to a defined contribution plan service award for volunteer firefighters and volunteer ambulance squad members.
Summary of provisions
Section 1: Amends subdivision (b) of section 218 of the General Munici- pal Law to increase from seven hundred dollars, to twelve hundred dollars, the maximum contribution that may be made per year of service to a defined contribution plan service award for volunteer firefighters and volunteer ambulance squad members.
Section 2: Effective date.
Justification
Section 218 of the General Municipal Law which provides for the defined contribution plan service award for volunteer firefighters and ambulance squad members was enacted as Chapter 775 of 1988. Since that time the maximum award allowed has not kept up with inflation and has been increased only once, in 2004, from $480 per year to the current cap of $700 per year. It is becoming more and more difficult to recruit volun- teer firefighters and ambularice squad members, by increasing the maxi- mum allowed to be awarded under the defined contribution plan, this will make it easier to attract individuals to become volunteers.
Legislative history
S9163 of 2017/18 : REFERRED TO RULES S.2110 of 2015/16: Referred to Local Government
Fiscal implications
None to the state.
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.