What's happening
This bill increases the maximum years of service eligible for contributions or benefits in firefighter service award programs from forty to fifty years.
Why it matters
Extending the service cap incentivizes longer volunteerism. By allowing up to fifty years of credited service, the bill encourages experienced firefighters to remain active, which could help address volunteer shortages and retain institutional knowledge within fire departments.
Potential for increased retirement benefits. Firefighters who serve more than forty years can now accrue larger retirement benefits or contributions, providing a more substantial financial incentive for extended service.
Possible fiscal impacts for local governments. Municipal sponsors may face higher costs as more years of service are eligible for contributions or benefits, which could require increased budget allocations or adjustments to current funding structures for fire departments.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Extend Pension Service Years
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to local governments
- Delivered to assembly
- Passed senateVote 62–0
- Advanced to third reading
- 2nd report cal.
- 1st report cal.444
- Referred to local government
- Returned to senate
- Died in assembly
- Referred to local governments
- Delivered to assembly
- Passed senateVote 62–0
Show 4 earlier actions
- Advanced to third reading
- 2nd report cal.
- 1st report cal.946
- 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.
Increase Service Award Years
In Assembly Committee · Local Governments · Sponsor Steve Stern
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
5895
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
May 16, 2019
Introduced by Sen. GAUGHRAN -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Local Government
AN ACT to amend the general municipal law, in relation to increasing the number of years of service that a participant in a defined contribution plan service award program or a defined benefit plan service award program may receive a contribution
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 hundred dollars per year of service. The maximum number of years of service for which a participant may receive a contribution shall be [forty] fifty years. The sponsor shall appropriate annually an amount sufficient to pay the contributions.
§ 2. Subdivision (b) of section 219 of the general municipal law, as amended by chapter 452 of the laws of 2004, is amended to read as follows:
(b) The minimum and maximum retirement benefit requirements for a service award program that is a defined benefit plan shall be defined as follows. Each participating active volunteer firefighter shall be entitled to a minimum service award benefit of five dollars per month for each year of firefighting service completed after satisfying the program's eligibility requirement and after establishment of the program. The maximum benefit amount payable to a participating active
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD10562-02-9
S. 5895 2
volunteer firefighter entitled to a benefit shall be determined on the basis of an actuarial valuation. The valuation shall take into account the age, and such other factors as the actuary deems appropriate, of the eligible participating active volunteer firefighters and the amount of available financing available per active covered volunteer firefighter. The maximum service award under a service award program shall be a monthly payment, payable for life, that does not exceed an amount equal to thirty dollars for each year of firefighting service credited under the terms of the program to a maximum of [forty] fifty years of firefighting service.
§ 3. 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 general municipal law, in relation to increasing the number of years of service that a participant in a defined contribution plan service award program or a defined benefit plan service award program may receive a contribution
Purpose or general idea of bill
Increases the number of years of service that a participant in a defined benefit contribution plan or defined benefit plan service award program may receive a contribution.
Summary of provisions
Section 1: Amends subdivision (b) of section 218 of the general munici- pal law to increase maximum years of service from 40 years to 50 years.
Section 2: Amends subdivision (b) of section 219 of the general munici- pal law to increase the maximum years of service from 40 years to 50 years.
Section 3: Sets the effective date.
Justification
Total service time for Length of Service Award Program (LOSAP) partic- ipants often exceeds the current forty year maximum timeframe. This bill will permit the many volunteer firefighters and ambulance workers who are still actively participating after forty years of service to continue receiving LOSAP credits.
Prior legislative history
New Bill
Fiscal implications for state and local governments
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.