S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                  6316

                            I N  S E N A T E

                            January 14, 2014
                               ___________

Introduced  by  Sens. ZELDIN, MAZIARZ -- 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 service  award
  programs

  THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section 1. Paragraph (b) of subdivision 8  of  section  219-d  of  the
general municipal law, as amended by chapter 514 of the laws of 1998, is
amended to read as follows:
  (b)  The  entitlement  age,  the  number of years of ambulance service
required to obtain a nonforfeitable right to a service  award,  and  the
activities  for which points shall be granted toward a year of ambulance
service may be changed by resolution adopted by the affirmative vote  of
at  least  sixty  percent  of the governing board of the sponsor without
referendum; PROVIDED, THAT, CONSISTENT WITH THE PROVISIONS  OF  SUBDIVI-
SION  THREE  OF  SECTION  TWO HUNDRED NINETEEN-M OF THIS CHAPTER, IF THE
EFFECT OF THE AMENDMENT IS TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF POINTS GRANTED  FOR
THE  PERFORMANCE  OF  THE  ACTIVITY,  DECREASE THE AMOUNT OF AN ACTIVITY
REQUIRED TO EARN THE POINTS GRANTED FOR THE PERFORMANCE OF THE ACTIVITY,
OR BOTH, SUCH AMENDMENT SHALL BE SUBJECT TO A MANDATORY REFERENDUM.  ANY
AMENDMENT  TO  A  SERVICE AWARD PROGRAM SHALL ONLY TAKE EFFECT AS OF THE
FIRST OF JANUARY NEXT SUCCEEDING COMPLETION OF THE PROCEEDINGS  REQUIRED
FOR ADOPTION OF THE AMENDMENT AND SHALL ONLY APPLY PROSPECTIVELY.
  S  2.  Subdivision 3 of section 219-k of the general municipal law, as
added by chapter 558 of the laws of 1998, is amended to read as follows:
  3. ["Entitlement age" means age sixty-five and, except in the case  of
disability  or  death,  shall be the earliest age at which a participant
who has a nonforfeitable right to a service award is entitled  to  apply
for  and  begin  receiving a service award.] "ENTITLEMENT AGE" MEANS THE
AGE DESIGNATED BY THE SPONSOR AT WHICH A PROGRAM PARTICIPANT IS ENTITLED
TO BEGIN RECEIVING AN UNREDUCED SERVICE AWARD. IN  NO  EVENT  SHALL  THE
ENTITLEMENT AGE UNDER A PROGRAM BE EARLIER THAN AGE FIFTY-FIVE NOR LATER
THAN  THE  AGE AT WHICH THE PARTICIPANT CAN RECEIVE AN UNREDUCED BENEFIT
UNDER TITLE II OF THE SOCIAL SECURITY ACT (PUBLIC LAW 74-271 U.S.C.  306

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                           LBD13393-01-3

S. 6316                             2

ET  SEQ.). NO SERVICE AWARD PROGRAM MAY PROVIDE FOR THE PAYMENT OF BENE-
FITS (EXCEPT IN THE CASE OF DEATH OR DISABILITY) BEFORE AGE FIFTY-FIVE.
  S  3.  Paragraph  (h) of subdivision 5 of section 219-l of the general
municipal law, as added by chapter 558 of the laws of 1998,  is  amended
and a new paragraph (i) is added to read as follows:
  (h)  the date on which the proposition authorizing the adoption of the
program shall be submitted to referendum[.]; AND
  (I) ENTITLEMENT AGE- THE AGE AT WHICH VOLUNTEERS ARE ELIGIBLE TO BEGIN
RECEIVING SERVICE AWARDS.
  S 4. Paragraph (b) of subdivision 9 of section 219-l  of  the  general
municipal  law,  as added by chapter 558 of the laws of 1998, is amended
to read as follows:
  (b) The activities for which points shall be granted toward a year  of
ambulance  service  may be changed by resolution adopted by the affirma-
tive vote of at least sixty percent of the governing board of the  spon-
sor  without  referendum; PROVIDED, THAT, CONSISTENT WITH THE PROVISIONS
OF SUBDIVISION THREE OF SECTION TWO HUNDRED NINETEEN-M OF THIS  ARTICLE,
IF  THE  EFFECT  OF  THE  AMENDMENT  IS TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF POINTS
GRANTED FOR THE PERFORMANCE OF THE ACTIVITY, DECREASE THE AMOUNT  OF  AN
ACTIVITY  REQUIRED TO EARN THE POINTS GRANTED FOR THE PERFORMANCE OF THE
ACTIVITY, OR BOTH, SUCH AMENDMENT SHALL BE SUBJECT TO A MANDATORY REFER-
ENDUM. ANY AMENDMENT TO A SERVICE AWARD PROGRAM SHALL ONLY  TAKE  EFFECT
AS OF THE FIRST OF JANUARY NEXT SUCCEEDING COMPLETION OF THE PROCEEDINGS
REQUIRED FOR ADOPTION OF THE AMENDMENT AND SHALL ONLY APPLY PROSPECTIVE-
LY.
  S  5. This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeed-
ing the date on which it shall have become  a  law;  provided,  however,
that effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any
rule  or  regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on its
effective date are authorized and directed to be made and  completed  by
the state comptroller on or before such date.