S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    899
 
                        2017-2018 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              January 5, 2017
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  CROCI  -- 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.
   §  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

 S. 899                              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.