A. 10263--A 2
E. A MEMBER, CONTRIBUTING ON THE BASIS OF THIS SECTION AT THE TIME OF
RETIREMENT, SHALL RETIRE AFTER THE COMPLETION OF TWENTY-FIVE YEARS OF
TOTAL CREDITABLE SERVICE. APPLICATION THEREFOR MAY BE FILED IN A MANNER
SIMILAR TO THAT PROVIDED IN SECTION SEVENTY OF THIS ARTICLE. UPON
COMPLETION OF TWENTY-FIVE YEARS OF SUCH SERVICE AND UPON RETIREMENT,
EACH SUCH MEMBER SHALL RECEIVE A PENSION WHICH, TOGETHER WITH AN ANNUITY
WHICH SHALL BE THE ACTUARIAL EQUIVALENT OF SUCH MEMBER'S ACCUMULATED
CONTRIBUTIONS AT THE TIME OF THEIR RETIREMENT AND AN ADDITIONAL PENSION
WHICH IS THE ACTUARIAL EQUIVALENT OF THE RESERVE-FOR-INCREASED-TAKE-
HOME-PAY TO WHICH SUCH MEMBER MAY THEN BE ENTITLED SHALL BE SUFFICIENT
TO PROVIDE SUCH MEMBER WITH A RETIREMENT ALLOWANCE EQUAL TO FIFTY
PERCENT OF SUCH MEMBER'S FINAL AVERAGE SALARY.
F. IN COMPUTING THE TWENTY-FIVE YEARS OF TOTAL SERVICE OF A MEMBER
PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION FULL CREDIT SHALL BE GIVEN AND FULL ALLOWANCE
SHALL BE MADE FOR SERVICE OF SUCH MEMBER IN TIME OF WAR AFTER WORLD WAR
I AS DEFINED IN SECTION TWO OF THIS CHAPTER, PROVIDED SUCH MEMBER AT THE
TIME OF SUCH MEMBER'S ENTRANCE INTO THE ARMED FORCES WAS IN STATE
SERVICE.
G. NOTHING HEREIN SHALL BE CONSTRUED TO PREVENT A MEMBER, WHO DOES NOT
RETIRE PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION, FROM UTILIZING
SERVICE WHICH IS CREDITABLE SERVICE PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF THIS
SECTION FOR SERVICE CREDIT PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF ANY OTHER PLAN
OF THIS ARTICLE TO WHICH SUCH MEMBER IS SUBJECT.
H. THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION SHALL BE CONTROLLING NOTWITHSTANDING
ANY OTHER PROVISION IN THIS ARTICLE TO THE CONTRARY.
§ 2. Subdivision a of section 445 of the retirement and social securi-
ty law, as amended by section 2 of part TT of chapter 55 of the laws of
2025, is amended to read as follows:
a. No member of a retirement system who is subject to the provisions
of this article shall retire without regard to age, exclusive of retire-
ment for disability, unless they are a police officer, an investigator
member of the New York city employees' retirement system, firefighter,
correction officer, a qualifying member as defined in section eighty-
nine-t, as added by chapter six hundred fifty-seven of the laws of nine-
teen hundred ninety-eight, of this chapter, sanitation worker, a special
officer (including persons employed by the city of New York in the title
urban park ranger or associate urban park ranger), school safety agent,
campus peace officer or a taxi and limousine commission inspector member
of the New York city employees' retirement system or the New York city
board of education retirement system, a dispatcher member of the New
York city employees' retirement system, a police communications member
of the New York city employees' retirement system, an EMT member of the
New York city employees' retirement system, a deputy sheriff member of
the New York city employees' retirement system, a correction officer of
the Westchester county correction department as defined in section
eighty-nine-e of this chapter or employed in Suffolk county as a peace
officer, as defined in section eighty-nine-s, as added by chapter five
hundred eighty-eight of the laws of nineteen hundred ninety-seven, of
this chapter, employed in Suffolk county as a correction officer, as
defined in section eighty-nine-f of this chapter, or employed in Nassau
county as a correction officer, uniformed correction division personnel,
sheriff, undersheriff or deputy sheriff, as defined in section eighty-
nine-g of this chapter, or employed in Nassau county as an ambulance
medical technician, an ambulance medical technician/supervisor or a
member who performs ambulance medical technician related services, or a
police medic, police medic supervisor or a member who performs police
A. 10263--A 3
medic related services, as defined in section eighty-nine-s, as amended
by chapter five hundred seventy-eight of the laws of nineteen hundred
ninety-eight, of this chapter, or employed in Nassau county as a peace
officer, as defined in section eighty-nine-s, as added by chapter five
hundred ninety-five of the laws of nineteen hundred ninety-seven, of
this chapter, or employed in Albany county as a sheriff, undersheriff,
deputy sheriff, correction officer or identification officer, as defined
in section eighty-nine-h of this chapter or is employed in St. Lawrence
county as a sheriff, undersheriff, deputy sheriff or correction officer,
as defined in section eighty-nine-i of this chapter or is employed in
Orleans county as a sheriff, undersheriff, deputy sheriff or correction
officer, as defined in section eighty-nine-l of this chapter or is
employed in Jefferson county as a sheriff, undersheriff, deputy sheriff
or correction officer, as defined in section eighty-nine-j of this chap-
ter or is employed in Onondaga county as a deputy sheriff-jail division
competitively appointed or as a correction officer, as defined in
section eighty-nine-k of this chapter or is employed in a county which
makes an election under subdivision j of section eighty-nine-p of this
chapter as a sheriff, undersheriff, deputy sheriff or correction officer
as defined in such section eighty-nine-p or is employed in Broome County
as a sheriff, undersheriff, deputy sheriff or correction officer, as
defined in section eighty-nine-m of this chapter or is a Monroe county
deputy sheriff-court security, or deputy sheriff-jailor as defined in
section eighty-nine-n, as added by chapter five hundred ninety-seven of
the laws of nineteen hundred ninety-one, of this chapter or is employed
in Greene county as a sheriff, undersheriff, deputy sheriff or
correction officer, as defined in section eighty-nine-o of this chapter
or is a traffic officer with the town of Elmira as defined in section
eighty-nine-q of this chapter or is employed by Suffolk county as a park
police officer, as defined in section eighty-nine-r of this chapter or
is a peace officer employed by a county probation department as defined
in section eighty-nine-t, as added by chapter six hundred three of the
laws of nineteen hundred ninety-eight, of this chapter or is employed in
Rockland county as a deputy sheriff-civil as defined in section eighty-
nine-v of this chapter as added by chapter four hundred forty-one of the
laws of two thousand one, or is employed in Rockland county as a superi-
or correction officer as defined in section eighty-nine-v of this chap-
ter as added by chapter five hundred fifty-six of the laws of two thou-
sand one or is a paramedic employed by the police department in the town
of Tonawanda and retires under the provisions of section eighty-nine-v
of this chapter, as added by chapter four hundred seventy-two of the
laws of two thousand one, or is a county fire marshal, supervising fire
marshal, fire marshal, assistant fire marshal, assistant chief fire
marshal, chief fire marshal, division supervising fire marshal or fire
marshal trainee employed by the county of Nassau as defined in section
eighty-nine-w of this chapter or is employed in Monroe county as a depu-
ty sheriff-civil as defined in section eighty-nine-x of this chapter,
employed as an emergency medical technician, critical care technician,
advanced emergency medical technician, paramedic or supervisor of such
titles in a participating Suffolk county fire district as defined in
section eighty-nine-ss of this chapter, or is a firefighter apprentice,
airport firefighter I, airport firefighter II, airport firefighter III,
or training and safety officer employed by the division of military and
naval affairs as defined in section eighty-nine-y of this chapter, OR IS
EMPLOYED BY THE NEW YORK POWER AUTHORITY WITH THE JOB TITLE OF MECHANIC,
TECHNICIAN, ELECTRICIAN, EQUIPMENT OPERATOR, POWER PLANT OPERATOR, UTIL-
A. 10263--A 4
ITY SECURITY OFFICER, OR LINEPERSON AS DEFINED IN SECTION EIGHTY-NINE-Z
OF THIS CHAPTER, and is in a plan which permits immediate retirement
upon completion of a specified period of service without regard to age.
Except as provided in subdivision c of section four hundred forty-five-a
of this article, subdivision c of section four hundred forty-five-b of
this article, subdivision c of section four hundred forty-five-c of this
article, subdivision c of section four hundred forty-five-d of this
article, subdivision c of section four hundred forty-five-e of this
article, subdivision c of section four hundred forty-five-f of this
article and subdivision c of section four hundred forty-five-h of this
article, a member in such a plan and such an occupation, other than a
police officer or investigator member of the New York city employees'
retirement system or a firefighter, shall not be permitted to retire
prior to the completion of twenty-five years of credited service;
provided, however, if such a member in such an occupation is in a plan
which permits retirement upon completion of twenty years of service
regardless of age, they may retire upon completion of twenty years of
credited service and prior to the completion of twenty-five years of
service, but in such event the benefit provided from funds other than
those based on such a member's own contributions shall not exceed two
per centum of final average salary per each year of credited service.
§ 3. Section 603 of the retirement and social security law is amended
by adding a new subdivision x to read as follows:
X. THE SERVICE RETIREMENT BENEFIT SPECIFIED IN SECTION SIX HUNDRED
FOUR OF THIS ARTICLE SHALL BE PAYABLE TO MEMBERS WITH TWENTY-FIVE OR
MORE YEARS OF CREDITABLE SERVICE, WITHOUT REGARD TO AGE, WHO ARE
EMPLOYED BY THE NEW YORK POWER AUTHORITY WITH THE JOB TITLE OF MECHANIC,
TECHNICIAN, ELECTRICIAN, EQUIPMENT OPERATOR, POWER PLANT OPERATOR, UTIL-
ITY SECURITY OFFICER, OR LINEPERSON, AS DEFINED IN SECTION EIGHTY-NINE-Z
OF THIS CHAPTER IF: (I) SUCH MEMBERS HAVE MET THE MINIMUM SERVICE
REQUIREMENTS UPON RETIREMENT, AND (II) IN THE CASE OF A MEMBER SUBJECT
TO THE PROVISIONS OF ARTICLE FOURTEEN OF THIS CHAPTER, SUCH MEMBER FILES
AN ELECTION THEREFOR WHICH PROVIDES THAT SUCH MEMBER WILL BE SUBJECT TO
THE PROVISIONS OF THIS ARTICLE AND TO NONE OF THE PROVISIONS OF SUCH
ARTICLE FOURTEEN. SUCH ELECTION, WHICH SHALL BE IRREVOCABLE, SHALL BE IN
WRITING, DULY EXECUTED AND SHALL BE FILED WITH THE COMPTROLLER WITHIN
ONE YEAR OF THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SUBDIVISION OR WITHIN ONE YEAR OF
ENTERING INTO SERVICE AS AN EMPLOYEE OF THE NEW YORK POWER AUTHORITY.
THE TERM "CREDITABLE SERVICE" SHALL HAVE THE MEANING AS SO DEFINED IN
SECTION EIGHTY-NINE-Z OF THIS CHAPTER AND SUBDIVISION C OF SECTION SIX
HUNDRED ONE OF THIS ARTICLE.
§ 4. Subdivision a of section 503 of the retirement and social securi-
ty law, as amended by chapter 18 of the laws of 2012, is amended to read
as follows:
a. The normal service retirement benefit specified in section five
hundred four of this article shall be payable to general members, other
than elective members, who have met the minimum service requirements
upon retirement and attainment of age sixty-two, provided, however, a
general member who is a peace officer employed by the unified court
system or a member of a teachers' retirement system may retire without
reduction of [his or her] SUCH MEMBER'S retirement benefit upon attain-
ment of at least fifty-five years of age and completion of thirty or
more years of service. For members who become members of the New York
state and local employees' retirement system on or after April first,
two thousand twelve, the normal service retirement benefits specified in
section five hundred four of this article shall be payable to general
A. 10263--A 5
members, other than elective members, who have met the minimum service
requirements upon retirement and attainment of age sixty-three; PROVIDED
THAT, A MEMBER WHO IS AN EMPLOYEE OF THE NEW YORK POWER AUTHORITY WITH
THE JOB TITLE OF MECHANIC, TECHNICIAN, ELECTRICIAN, EQUIPMENT OPERATOR,
POWER PLANT OPERATOR, UTILITY SECURITY OFFICER, OR LINEPERSON MAY RETIRE
WITHOUT REDUCTION OF SUCH MEMBER'S RETIREMENT BENEFIT UPON ATTAINMENT OF
TWENTY-FIVE OR MORE YEARS OF SERVICE IF THEY HAVE ELECTED THE SPECIAL
RETIREMENT PLAN FOUND IN SECTION EIGHTY-NINE-Z OF THIS CHAPTER.
§ 5. Section 604 of the retirement and social security law is amended
by adding a new subdivision x to read as follows:
X. THE EARLY SERVICE RETIREMENT FOR A MEMBER WHO IS AN EMPLOYEE OF THE
NEW YORK POWER AUTHORITY WITH THE JOB TITLE OF MECHANIC, TECHNICIAN,
ELECTRICIAN, EQUIPMENT OPERATOR, POWER PLANT OPERATOR, UTILITY SECURITY
OFFICER, OR LINEPERSON AS DEFINED IN SECTION EIGHTY-NINE-Z OF THIS CHAP-
TER, SHALL BE A PENSION EQUAL TO ONE-FIFTIETH OF FINAL AVERAGE SALARY
TIMES YEARS OF SERVICE AS AN EMPLOYEE OF THE NEW YORK POWER AUTHORITY,
BUT NOT EXCEEDING ONE-HALF OF SUCH MEMBER'S FINAL AVERAGE SALARY.
§ 6. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, none of the
provisions of this act shall be subject to the appropriation requirement
of section 25 of the retirement and social security law.
§ 7. All past service costs associated with implementing the
provisions of this act shall be borne by the New York Power Authority.
§ 8. This act shall take effect immediately.
FISCAL NOTE.--Pursuant to Legislative Law, Section 50:
This bill would permit members of the New York State and Local Employ-
ees' Retirement System employed by the New York power authority as a
mechanic, technician, electrician, equipment operator, power plant oper-
ator, utility security officer, or linesperson to retire upon completion
of twenty-five years of creditable service with a benefit of one-half
final average salary. Members covered under Article 14 would be permit-
ted one year to make an irrevocable election to switch to the twenty-
five-year plan. Membership in any labor organization certified or recog-
nized to represent the employees of the New York power authority is not
required.
We estimate that the New York power authority's annual contributions
will increase $1.4 beginning FYE 2027. Annual costs will vary as the
billing rates and salary of the affected members change.
In addition, there will be an immediate past service cost of $12.1
million borne by the New York power authority as a one-time payment.
This cost assumes that payment will be made on February 1, 2027.
These estimated costs are based on 435 affected members employed by
the New York power authority, with annual salary of approximately $52
million as of March 31, 2025. The affected members were identified using
job title codes provided by the office of Senator Griffo.
Summary of relevant resources:
Membership data as of March 31, 2025 was used to measure the impact of
the bill, the same data used in the Actuarial Valuations dated April 1,
2025. Distributions and other statistics can be found in the 2025 Report
of the Actuary and the 2025 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report. The
actuarial assumptions and methods used are described in the 2025 Annual
Report to the Comptroller on Actuarial Assumptions, and the Codes, Rules
and Regulations of the State of New York: Audit and Control. The fair
value of assets and GASB disclosures can be found in the 2025 Financial
Statements and Supplementary Information.
A. 10263--A 6
Assumptions, demographics, and other considerations may have been
modified to better reflect specific provisions of any proposed benefit
change(s).
This fiscal note does not constitute a legal opinion on the viability
of the bill, nor is it intended to serve as a substitute for the profes-
sional judgment of an attorney.
This estimate, dated March 27, 2026, and intended for use only during
the 2026 Legislative Session, is Fiscal Note Number 2026-158. As Chief
Actuary of the New York State and Local Retirement System (NYSLRS), I,
Aaron Schottin Young, hereby certify that this analysis complies with
applicable Actuarial Standards of Practice as well as the Code of
Professional Conduct and Qualification Standards for Actuaries Issuing
Statements of Actuarial Opinion of the American Academy of Actuaries, of
which I am a member. I am a member of NYSLRS but do not believe it
impairs my objectivity.