S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  3676--A
 
                        2019-2020 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             February 12, 2019
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by Sen. GOUNARDES -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Civil Service and Pensions
   --  recommitted  to  the  Committee  on  Civil Service and Pensions in
   accordance with Senate Rule 6, sec. 8 --  committee  discharged,  bill
   amended,  ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said commit-
   tee
 
 AN ACT to amend the civil service law, the retirement and social securi-
   ty law and the criminal procedure law, in relation to transferring the
   regional state park police to the division of  state  police;  and  to
   repeal  certain provisions of the parks, recreation and historic pres-
   ervation law, relating thereto
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Transfer  of functions. Notwithstanding the provisions of
 any law to the contrary, all of the duties, functions and powers of  the
 office  of  parks,  recreation and historic preservation, in relation to
 the duties, functions and powers of the regional state park police,  are
 hereby  transferred,  assigned  to, and assumed by the division of state
 police and the superintendent thereof as may be applicable.
   § 2. Transfer of employees. Upon the effective date of this  act,  the
 commissioner  of  the office of parks, recreation and historic preserva-
 tion shall certify to the superintendent of state police a list  of  the
 names  and  titles of all individuals in the several permanent positions
 within the regional state park, and shall cause copies of such certified
 list, and copies of the text of this act, to be publicly  and  conspicu-
 ously  posted  in  the  headquarters  office  of the regional state park
 police. Eligible employees who successfully complete a background inves-
 tigation shall be appointed to the  division  of  state  police  by  the
 superintendent  within ninety days after the superintendent's receipt of
 the certified list. Those employees who fail to complete successfully  a
 background investigation will be excluded from employment with the divi-

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

                                                            LBD05054-07-0

 S. 3676--A                          2
 
 sion  of  state police and placed on a preferred re-employment list with
 the state. The superintendent of state police shall be charged generally
 with the duty and shall have the power to classify  and  reclassify  all
 member  positions  in  the  division  of  state  police,  subject to the
 approval of the director of the budget. Individuals who have successful-
 ly completed probation in the positions of regional  state  park  police
 sergeant,  lieutenant, captain and major shall be appointed to the posi-
 tion of technical sergeant in the division of state police. No  individ-
 ual  transferred  to  the  division of state police pursuant to this act
 shall suffer a reduction in salary.
   The superintendent of state police, shall be  charged  generally  with
 the  duty  and  shall  have  the  power to allocate and reallocate to an
 appropriate salary grade specified in section 215 of the executive  law,
 all  member  positions  in  the division of state police, subject to the
 approval of the director of the  budget.  The  superintendent  of  state
 police shall allow employees transferred pursuant to this act credit for
 all of the annual leave, sick leave, or personal leave standing to their
 credit  at  the  time  of the transfer, but not in excess of the maximum
 accumulation of such leave permitted by the division. Seniority for  the
 employees transferred pursuant to this act, for the purpose of determin-
 ing vacation usage and certain work assignments among all members of the
 division of state police, shall be from the effective date of the trans-
 fer  of  functions  effected by this act, and within such transfer group
 seniority shall be as among themselves from the original date of  perma-
 nent appointment as regional state park police officers. For the purpose
 of  qualifying as eligible for competitive examinations in the division,
 employees who transfer pursuant to this section shall meet the eligibil-
 ity requirements as specified in the rules and regulations of the  divi-
 sion  of  state police except that those employees who transfer pursuant
 to this section who, on the effective date of the transfer of  functions
 affected  by  this  act,  completed a minimum of four years of permanent
 service in one or more of said titles, shall be eligible to  compete  in
 the  next  scheduled  promotional examination for the title of sergeant,
 and shall not be required to meet the three-year member service require-
 ment or the one-year probationary training  term  as  required  by  such
 rules and regulations.
   §  3.  Transfer  of  facilities,  records, vehicles and equipment. The
 commissioner of the office of parks, recreation and  historic  preserva-
 tion  shall  transfer  and deliver to the superintendent of state police
 all facilities, vehicles, books, papers, records and  equipment  of  the
 regional  state  park  police,  to the division of state police so as to
 enable the division of state police to carry out the  transferred  func-
 tions set out in section one of this act.
   §  4.  Completion of unfinished business. Any business or other matter
 undertaken or commenced by the office of parks, recreation and  historic
 preservation  pertaining  to  or  connected  with the functions, powers,
 obligations and duties transferred and assigned pursuant to this act  to
 the  division  and  superintendent  of  state police, and pending on the
 effective date of this act, may be conducted and completed by the  divi-
 sion and superintendent of state police in the same manner and under the
 same  terms  and conditions and with the same effect as if conducted and
 completed by the office of parks, recreation and historic preservation.
   § 5. Continuation of rules and regulations.  All  rules,  regulations,
 acts,  orders,  determinations,  and  decisions  of the office of parks,
 recreation and historic preservation pertaining  to  the  functions  and
 powers  transferred  and  assigned pursuant to this act, in force at the

 S. 3676--A                          3

 time of such transfer and assumption, shall continue in force and effect
 as rules, regulations, acts, orders, determinations and decisions of the
 division of state police until duly modified or abrogated by the  super-
 intendent of state police.
   § 6. Terms occurring in laws, contracts and other documents.  Whenever
 the office of parks, recreation and historic preservation is referred to
 or  designated  in  any law contract or document pertaining to the func-
 tions, powers, obligations and duties transferred and assigned  pursuant
 to  this  act, such reference or designation shall be deemed to refer to
 the regional state park police as continued in  the  division  of  state
 police.
   §  7.  Pending actions or proceedings. No action or proceeding pending
 at the time when this act shall take effect, brought by or  against  the
 office  of parks, recreation and historic preservation pertaining to the
 regional state park police shall be affected by this act, but  the  same
 may be prosecuted or defended in the name of the superintendent or divi-
 sion  of state police. In all such actions and proceedings, the division
 of state police or the superintendent upon  application  to  the  court,
 shall be substituted as a party.
   § 8. Transfer of appropriations. All appropriations made to the office
 of  parks, recreation and historic preservation relating to the regional
 state park police, to the extent of remaining unexpended balances, shall
 be transferred by the comptroller to and made available for use  by  the
 division of state police, subject to the approval of the director of the
 budget,  for the payment of liabilities previously incurred by the func-
 tions transferred pursuant to this act.  Payments  for  liabilities  for
 expenses  of  personal  service,  maintenance  and  operation previously
 incurred by the transfer of functions and for liabilities  incurred  and
 to be incurred shall be made on vouchers or certificates approved by the
 superintendent of state police on audit and warrant of the comptroller.
   § 9. Transfer of assets and liabilities. All assets and liabilities of
 the  regional  state  park police shall be transferred to and assumed by
 the division of state police.
   § 10. Subdivision 3 of section 58 of the civil service law, as amended
 by chapter 561 of the laws of 2015, is amended to read as follows:
   3. As used in this section, the term "police officer" means  a  police
 officer  in  the  department  of  environmental  conservation, the state
 university police, [a member of the regional state  park  police]  or  a
 police  force,  police  department,  or  other organization of a county,
 city, town, village, housing  authority,  transit  authority  or  police
 district,  who  is responsible for the prevention and detection of crime
 and the enforcement of the general criminal laws of the state, but shall
 not include any person serving as such solely by virtue of  his  or  her
 occupying  any  other  office or position, nor shall such term include a
 sheriff, under-sheriff, commissioner  of  police,  deputy  or  assistant
 commissioner  of  police,  chief of police, deputy or assistant chief of
 police or any person having an equivalent  title  who  is  appointed  or
 employed to exercise equivalent supervisory authority.
   §  11.  Paragraphs  (a)  and (b) of subdivision 4 of section 58 of the
 civil service law, as amended by chapter 561 of the laws  of  2015,  are
 amended to read as follows:
   (a)  Any  person who has received provisional or permanent appointment
 in the competitive class of the civil service as  a  police  officer  of
 [the  regional  state  park  police,]  the  state university of New York
 police, the department of environmental conservation or any police force
 or police department of any county, city, town, village, housing author-

 S. 3676--A                          4
 
 ity, transit authority or police district shall be  eligible  to  resign
 from  any  police  force  or police department, and to be appointed as a
 police officer in the same or any other police force or  police  depart-
 ment  without satisfying the age requirements set forth in paragraph (a)
 of subdivision one of this section at the time of such second or  subse-
 quent appointment, provided such second or subsequent appointment occurs
 within thirty days of the date of resignation.
   (b)  Any  person who has received permanent appointment in the compet-
 itive class of the civil service as a police officer  of  [the  regional
 state park police,] the state university of New York police, the depart-
 ment of environmental conservation or any police force or police depart-
 ment  of  any  county,  city,  town, village, housing authority, transit
 authority or police district shall be eligible to resign from any police
 force or police department and, subject to such civil service  rules  as
 may  be  applicable,  shall  be  eligible  for reinstatement in the same
 police force or police department or in any other police force or police
 department to which he or she was eligible for transfer, without  satis-
 fying the age requirements set forth in paragraph (a) of subdivision one
 of  this  section at the time of such reinstatement, provided such rein-
 statement occurs within one year of the date of resignation.
   § 12. Paragraph 1 of subdivision c of section 381-b of the  retirement
 and  social security law, as amended by chapter 581 of the laws of 2001,
 is amended to read as follows:
   (1) Police service. In computing the years of total creditable service
 in such division, full credit shall be given and full allowance shall be
 made for service rendered as a police officer  or  member  of  a  police
 force or department of a state park authority or commission or an organ-
 ized police force or department of a county, city, town, village, police
 district,  authority  or  other  participating employer or member of the
 capital police force in the office of general services while a member of
 the New York state and local police and fire retirement system,  of  the
 New York state and local employees' retirement system or of the New York
 city  police  pension fund and for all service for which full credit has
 been given and full allowance made pursuant to the provisions of section
 three hundred seventy-five-h of this [chapter] ARTICLE provided,  howev-
 er,  that  full  credit pursuant to the provisions of such section shall
 mean only such service as would be creditable service  pursuant  to  the
 provisions  of  section  three  hundred  eighty-three  or  section three
 hundred eighty-three-a or three hundred eighty-three-b enacted by  chap-
 ter six hundred seventy-seven of the laws of nineteen hundred eighty-six
 of  this [chapter] TITLE or pursuant to the provisions of title thirteen
 of the administrative code of the  city  of  New  York  for  any  member
 contributing pursuant to this section who transferred to the division of
 state police OR WHO TRANSFERRED TO THE DIVISION OF STATE POLICE PURSUANT
 TO  THE  CHAPTER  OF  THE  LAWS OF TWO THOUSAND TWENTY THAT AMENDED THIS
 PARAGRAPH AND WHO RETIRED  ON  OR  AFTER  THE  EFFECTIVE  DATE  OF  SUCH
 CHAPTER.
   §  13. Paragraph 5 of subdivision b of section 381-b of the retirement
 and social security law, as added by chapter 435 of the laws of 1997, is
 amended to read as follows:
   (5) Notwithstanding the provisions of this subdivision, members trans-
 ferred to the division of state police  pursuant  to  [a]  chapter  FOUR
 HUNDRED  THIRTY-FIVE of the laws of nineteen hundred ninety-seven OR THE
 CHAPTER OF THE LAWS OF TWO THOUSAND TWENTY THAT AMENDED THIS  PARAGRAPH,
 upon  retirement  shall  receive  either the allowances provided by this
 subdivision or those provided under the retirement system to which  they

 S. 3676--A                          5
 
 participated  prior  to  such  transfer whichever allowance shall be the
 higher.
   §  14. Paragraph 3 of subdivision e of section 363-b of the retirement
 and social security law, as added by chapter 435 of the laws of 1997, is
 amended to read as follows:
   3. Notwithstanding the provisions of this subdivision, a member trans-
 ferred to the division of state police  pursuant  to  [a]  chapter  FOUR
 HUNDRED  THIRTY-FIVE of the laws of nineteen hundred ninety-seven OR THE
 CHAPTER OF THE LAWS OF TWO THOUSAND TWENTY THAT AMENDED  THIS  PARAGRAPH
 who  files for a disability retirement under this section for a physical
 or mental  incapacity  attributable  to  an  injury  or  incident  which
 occurred prior to such transfer, shall be eligible to file for the disa-
 bility  retirement  benefits attributable to the plan applicable to such
 member before the transfer. In the case of a member transferred  to  the
 division  pursuant to said chapter who files for a disability retirement
 under this section for a physical or mental incapacity  attributable  to
 an injury or incident which occurs after such transfer, for the purposes
 of  calculating service credit required by subparagraph (b) of paragraph
 two of subdivision b of this section,  service  in  the  capital  police
 force  OR  THE  REGIONAL  STATE  PARK  POLICE  in  the office of general
 services shall be considered service in the division.
   § 15. Existing rights and remedies preserved.  No  existing  right  or
 remedy of any character shall be lost, impaired or affected by reason of
 this act.
   §  16.  Construction with other laws. The provisions of this act shall
 supersede any inconsistent provisions of any other law.
   § 17. Subdivision 4 of section  9.05  of  the  parks,  recreation  and
 historic preservation law is REPEALED.
   § 18. Section 13.17 of the parks, recreation and historic preservation
 law is REPEALED.
   §  19. Paragraph (e) of subdivision 34 of section 1.20 of the criminal
 procedure law, as amended by chapter 662 of the laws of 1972, is amended
 to read as follows:
   (e) A sworn officer of an authorized police department of an authority
 [or a sworn officer of the state regional park police in the  office  of
 parks and recreation];
   §  20.  Severability.  If  any  part, section, subdivision, paragraph,
 subparagraph, clause, item, sentence or other part of this act,  or  the
 application  thereof,  to any individual person or set of circumstances,
 shall be held to be invalid, such holding shall not  affect,  impair  or
 invalidate the remainder of this act, or the application of such section
 or part of a section held invalid, to any other person or circumstances,
 but  shall  be  confined  in  its operation to the section, subdivision,
 paragraph, subparagraph, clause, item, sentence or other  part  of  this
 act  directly involved in such holding, or to the specific person and/or
 set of circumstances involved therein.
   § 21. This act shall take effect immediately.
   FISCAL NOTE.--Pursuant to Legislative Law, Section 50:
   This bill would transfer members of the Regional State Park Police  to
 the  division of State Police. In conjunction with the transfer, members
 would be entitled to all the rights, benefits, and  privileges  afforded
 State Troopers under section 381-b of the Retirement and Social Security
 Law  (RSSL),  as if all service credited as a Regional State Park Police
 Officer was earned as a State Police Officer. Transferred members  would
 be entitled to service retirement benefits of 1/2 of final average sala-
 ry  (FAS)  upon  completion of 20 years of creditable service along with

 S. 3676--A                          6
 
 1/60 of FAS for each year of creditable service beyond 20 years, not  to
 exceed 12 such years. Currently, Regional State Park Police are entitled
 to service retirement benefits of 1/2 of FAS upon completion of 25 years
 of creditable service along with 1/60 of FAS for each year of creditable
 service beyond 25 years, not to exceed 7 such years.
   If this bill is enacted during the 2020 legislative session, we antic-
 ipate  that  there  will be an increase of approximately $1.3 million in
 the annual contributions of the State of New York for  the  fiscal  year
 ending March 31, 2021. In future years, this cost will vary as the bill-
 ing rates and salaries of affected members change.
   In  addition  to the annual contributions discussed above, we estimate
 there will be an immediate past  service  cost  of  approximately  $16.7
 million,  which  would  be  borne by the State of New York as a one-time
 payment. This estimate is based on the assumption that payment  will  be
 made on March 1, 2021.
   This proposal is expected to affect 284 active members earning a sala-
 ry of approximately $21.6 million as of March 31, 2019.
   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, 2019  actuarial  valu-
 ation.    Distributions  and  other  statistics can be found in the 2019
 Report of the  Actuary  and  the  2019  Comprehensive  Annual  Financial
 Report.
   The  actuarial assumptions and methods used are described in the 2015,
 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019 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, 2019
 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 fiscal note does not constitute a legal opinion on the  viability
 of  the  proposed change nor is it intended to serve as a substitute for
 the professional judgment of an attorney.
   This estimate, dated March 12, 2020, and intended for use only  during
 the  2020  Legislative  Session, is Fiscal Note No. 2020-84, prepared by
 the Actuary for the New York State and Local Retirement System.