The New York State Senate

 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  7626--A
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                               May 19, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. DeSTEFANO, DURSO -- read once and referred to the
   Committee on Governmental Employees -- recommitted to the Committee on
   Governmental  Employees  in accordance with Assembly Rule 3, sec. 2 --
   committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as  amended  and
   recommitted to said committee

 AN  ACT  relating  to  disability retirement benefits for deputy sheriff
   Richard Stueber, a participant in World Trade Center rescue, recovery,
   and cleanup operations
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Notwithstanding  any  other  law to the contrary, Richard
 Stueber, a deputy sheriff employed by Suffolk County  who  retired  from
 such  service  on March 1, 2019, and who participated in the World Trade
 Center rescue, recovery and cleanup operations as a member  of  the  New
 York City police department, shall be entitled to a 75% accidental disa-
 bility  retirement   benefit pursuant to paragraph 4 of subdivision d of
 section 605 of the retirement and social security  law  based  upon  the
 determination  by  the  New  York  state and local employees' retirement
 system on March 12, 2020 that Richard Stueber was permanently  incapaci-
 tated    for  the  performance  of his duties as a result of his partic-
 ipation in the World Trade Center rescue,  recovery,  or  cleanup  oper-
 ations. Such benefit shall be payable from the date of his retirement.
   § 2. All costs associated with implementing this act shall be borne by
 the state of New York.
   § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
   FISCAL NOTE.--Pursuant to Legislative Law, Section 50:
   This  bill  would  allow Richard Stueber, a service retiree of the New
 York State and Local Employees' Retirement System who previously  worked
 for  Suffolk  County, to be entitled to an accidental disability retire-
 ment benefit equal to 75% of final average salary, payable  pursuant  to
 §605(4)(d)  of  the  Retirement  and Social Security Law, as a result of

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD10825-06-2

 A. 7626--A                          2
 
 their participation in the World Trade Center (WTC) rescue, recovery and
 cleanup operations. The retirement benefit  would  be  recalculated  and
 payment would be made retroactive to the date of retirement.
   If  this  bill  is  enacted during the 2022 legislative session, there
 will be an immediate past service cost of approximately  $285,000  which
 will be borne by the State of New York as a one-time payment. This esti-
 mate  is  based  on the assumption that payment will be made on March 1,
 2023.
   Summary of relevant resources:
   Membership data as of March 31, 2021 was used in measuring the  impact
 of the proposed change, the same data used in the April 1, 2021 actuari-
 al  valuation.    Distributions and other statistics can be found in the
 2021 Report of the Actuary and the 2021 Comprehensive  Annual  Financial
 Report.
   The  actuarial  assumptions and methods used are described in the 2020
 and 2021 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, 2021
 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  May 12, 2022, and intended for use only during
 the 2022 Legislative Session, is Fiscal Note No. 2022-125,  prepared  by
 the Actuary for the New York State and Local Retirement System.