S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   3513
 
                        2017-2018 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 27, 2017
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. MURRAY -- read once and referred to the Committee
   on Local Governments
 
 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.
   § 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
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD00977-01-7

 A. 3513                             2
 
 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
 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.
   § 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.
   §  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.
   § 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.