S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
4865
2015-2016 Regular Sessions
I N A S S E M B L Y
February 9, 2015
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Introduced by M. of A. FITZPATRICK, TENNEY, DiPIETRO, BORELLI, HAWLEY,
FINCH, CORWIN, GOODELL, McLAUGHLIN -- read once and referred to the
Committee on Governmental Employees
AN ACT to amend the civil service law, in relation to improper employer
practices relating to the continuation of pay, vacation and health
care benefits; to amend the education law, in relation to employer
contributions to certain retirement plans; and to amend the civil
service law, in relation to disputed agreements
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Paragraph (e) of subdivision 1 of section 209-a of the
civil service law, as amended by chapter 244 of the laws of 2007, is
amended to read as follows:
(e) to refuse to continue [all the] terms of an expired agreement THAT
RELATE TO LEAVES OF ABSENCE, ACTIVE EMPLOYEES HEALTH INSURANCE, HOLI-
DAYS, SALARIES EXCLUDING STEP INCREASES, AND ALL OTHER MANDATORY
SUBJECTS OF A BARGAINING AGREEMENT AS DEFINED BY THE PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT
RELATIONS BOARD CASE LAW PRIOR TO ITS CONVERSION DOCTRINE until a new
agreement is negotiated, unless the employee organization which is a
party to such agreement has, during such negotiations or prior to such
resolution of such negotiations, engaged in conduct violative of subdi-
vision one of section two hundred ten of this article;
S 2. Subdivision 1-a of section 392 of the education law, as added by
chapter 18 of the laws of 2012, is amended to read as follows:
1-a. Employer contributions. (A) In the case of any electing employee
excluded from or not encompassed within a negotiating unit within the
meaning of article fourteen of the civil service law initially hired on
or after July first, two thousand thirteen, the state and the electing
employer shall, during the continuance of his or her employment, make
contributions at the rate of eight per centum of his or her salary.
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD08173-02-5
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(B) IN THE CASE OF ANY ELECTING EMPLOYEE INITIALLY HIRED ON OR AFTER
JANUARY FIRST, TWO THOUSAND SIXTEEN, THE STATE AND THE ELECTING EMPLOYER
SHALL, DURING THE CONTINUANCE OF HIS OR HER EMPLOYMENT, MAKE CONTRIB-
UTIONS AT THE RATE OF EIGHT PER CENTUM OF HIS OR HER SALARY.
S 3. Subdivision 3-a of section 390 of the education law, as added by
chapter 18 of the laws of 2012, is amended to read as follows:
3-a. (A) Beginning July first, two thousand thirteen, the term "eligi-
ble employees" shall also mean any person excluded from or not encom-
passed within a negotiating unit within the meaning of article fourteen
of the civil service law who would otherwise be entitled to receive a
benefit under the retirement and social security law or the education
law initially hired on or after July first, two thousand thirteen with
estimated annual wages of seventy-five thousand per annum or greater.
Such estimate of annual wages to determine eligibility for the purposes
of this subdivision shall be provided by the employer. For the purposes
of this subdivision, a newly hired state employee whose immediate
preceding employment was with another department, division, or agency of
the state shall not be deemed to be an eligible employee.
(B) BEGINNING JANUARY FIRST, TWO THOUSAND SIXTEEN, THE TERM "ELIGIBLE
EMPLOYEES" SHALL ALSO MEAN ANY PERSON WHO WOULD OTHERWISE BE A MEMBER OF
THE NEW YORK STATE EMPLOYEES' RETIREMENT SYSTEM OR THE NEW YORK STATE
TEACHERS' RETIREMENT SYSTEM INITIALLY HIRED ON OR AFTER JANUARY FIRST,
TWO THOUSAND SIXTEEN OR CURRENT MEMBERS OF THE NEW YORK STATE EMPLOYEES'
RETIREMENT SYSTEM OR THE NEW YORK STATE TEACHERS' RETIREMENT SYSTEM WHO
ARE NOT YET VESTED.
(C) BEGINNING JANUARY FIRST, TWO THOUSAND SIXTEEN, THE TERM "ELIGIBLE
EMPLOYEES" SHALL ALSO MEAN ALL NON-CIVIL SERVICE APPOINTED EMPLOYEES AND
ELECTED OFFICIALS EMPLOYED BY THE STATE OR ANY OTHER PUBLIC EMPLOYER,
EXCEPT FOR THOSE NON-CIVIL SERVICE EMPLOYEES AND ELECTED OFFICIALS WHO
HAD PRIOR MEMBERSHIP IN A STATE OR LOCAL RETIREMENT PLAN.
S 4. Section 209 of the civil service law is amended by adding a new
subdivision 7 to read as follows:
7. NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER PROVISION OF LAW TO THE CONTRARY, FOR
ANY DISPUTE THAT IS SUBJECT TO THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION, THE
DETERMINATION OF THE PUBLIC ARBITRATION PANEL ON A DISPUTED AGREEMENT
SHALL NOT CONTAIN AN INCREASE IN ALL COMPENSATION ITEMS SUBJECT TO NEGO-
TIATION WHICH IS GREATER THAN TWO PERCENT MORE THAN ALL COMPENSATION
ITEMS SUBJECT TO NEGOTIATION RECEIVED BY THE EMPLOYEE ORGANIZATION IN
THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE PUBLIC EMPLOYER AND THE EMPLOYEE ORGANIZATION
IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING THE AGREEMENT BEING ARBITRATED.
S 5. This act shall take effect immediately. Effective immediately,
the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation neces-
sary for the implementation of this act on its effective date are
authorized and directed to be made and completed on or before such
effective date.
FISCAL NOTE. -- Pursuant to Legislative Law, Section 50:
This bill would:
1) amend section 209-a of the civil service law (Triborough act) to no
longer continue the terms of certain expired agreements.
2) amend the Education law to allow any person who would have become a
member of either the New York State and Local Employees' Retirement
System (NYS&LERS) or the New York State Teachers Retirement System
(NYSTRS) as well as current members who are not yet vested employees of
either NYS&LERS or the NYSTRS to join the SUNY optional retirement
system on or after January 1, 2016. In addition this bill will allow
non-civil service employees and elected officials who have no prior
A. 4865 3
membership in a state or local retirement plan join the SUNY optional
retirement system on or after January 1, 2016.
Pursuant to Chapter 18 of the Laws of 2012, participation currently is
optional in a defined contribution plan for non-union employees hired on
or after July 1, 2013 whose salary is $75,000 or higher.
3) limit binding arbitration awards to a maximum of 2% for all compen-
sation items subject to negotiation.
There would be additional NYSLRS administrative expenses to inform
employers and new members of joining the SUNY optional retirement
system. These expenses are expected to be small.
Summary of relevant resources:
The membership data used in measuring the impact of the proposed
change was the same as that used in the March 31, 2014 Actuarial Valu-
ation. Distributions and other statistics can be found in the 2014
Report of the Actuary and the 2014 Comprehensive Annual Financial
Report.
The actuarial assumptions and methods used are described in the 2010,
2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 Annual Report to the Comptroller on Actuarial
Assumptions, and the Codes, Rules and Regulations of the State of New
York: Audit and Control.
The Market Assets and GASB Disclosures are found in the March 31, 2014
New York State and Local Retirement System Financial Statements and
Supplementary Information.
I am a member of the American Academy of Actuaries and meet the Quali-
fication Standards to render the actuarial opinion contained herein.
This estimate, dated January 28, 2015, and intended for use only
during the 2015 Legislative Session, is Fiscal Note No. 2015-44 prepared
by the Actuary for the New York State and Local Employees' Retirement
System and the New York State and Local Police and Fire Retirement
System.