S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
11531
I N A S S E M B L Y
May 29, 2026
___________
Introduced by COMMITTEE ON RULES -- (at request of M. of A. Fall) --
read once and referred to the Committee on Governmental Employees
AN ACT to amend the retirement and social security law and the workers'
compensation law, in relation to extending the deadline for submission
of a notice that a member of a retirement system participated in World
Trade Center rescue, recovery or cleanup operations
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subdivision 36 of section 2 of the retire-
ment and social security law, as amended by chapter 561 of the laws of
2022, is amended to read as follows:
(a) "Qualifying World Trade Center condition" shall mean a qualifying
condition or impairment of health resulting in disability to a member
who participated in World Trade Center rescue, recovery or cleanup oper-
ations for a qualifying period, as those terms are defined below,
provided the following conditions have been met: (i) such member, or
eligible beneficiary in the case of the member's death, must have either
filed a written and sworn statement with the member's retirement system
on a form provided by such system, or as allowed by the member's retire-
ment system, electronically submitted a statement on a form provided by
such system through a secure online portal maintained by the member's
retirement system that has duly validated the member's identity, indi-
cating the underlying dates and locations of employment not later than
September eleventh, two thousand [twenty-six] THIRTY, and (ii) such
member has either successfully passed a physical examination for entry
into public service, or authorized release of all relevant medical
records, if the member did not undergo a physical examination for entry
into public service; and (iii) there is no evidence of the qualifying
condition or impairment of health that formed the basis for the disabil-
ity in such physical examination for entry into public service or in the
relevant medical records, prior to September eleventh, two thousand one
except for such member, or eligible beneficiary in the case of the
member's death, of a local retirement system of a city with a population
of one million or more that is covered by section 13-551 of the adminis-
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD15895-03-6
A. 11531 2
trative code of the city of New York, or by section twenty-five hundred
seventy-five of the education law and for such member who separated from
service with vested rights, or eligible beneficiary of such member who
separated from service with vested rights in the case of the member's
death, of a local retirement system of a city with a population of one
million or more who are covered by sections 13-168, 13-252.1 or 13-353.1
of the administrative code of the city of New York or sections five
hundred seven-c, six hundred five-b, six hundred five-c, or six hundred
seven-b of this chapter. The deadline for filing a written and sworn
statement required by subparagraph (i) of this paragraph shall be
September eleventh, two thousand [twenty-six] THIRTY for such member, or
eligible beneficiary in the case of the member's death, of a local
retirement system of a city with a population of one million or more
that is covered by section 13-551 of the administrative code of the city
of New York, or by section twenty-five hundred seventy-five of the
education law and for such member who separated from service with vested
rights, or eligible beneficiary of such member who separated from
service with vested rights in the case of the member's death, of a local
retirement system of a city with a population of one million or more who
are covered by sections 13-168, 13-252.1 or 13-353.1 of the administra-
tive code of the city of New York and sections five hundred seven-c, six
hundred five-b, six hundred five-c, or six hundred seven-b of this chap-
ter. Every retirement system shall keep a copy of every written and
sworn statement that is presented for filing not later than September
eleventh, two thousand [twenty-six] THIRTY, including those that are
rejected for filing as untimely.
§ 2. Section 162 of the workers' compensation law, as amended by chap-
ter 561 of the laws of 2022, is amended to read as follows:
§ 162. Registration of participation in World Trade Center rescue,
recovery and clean-up operations. In order for the claim of a partic-
ipant in World Trade Center rescue, recovery and clean-up operations to
come within the application of this article, such participant must file
a written and sworn statement with the board on a form promulgated by
the chair indicating the dates and locations of such participation and
the name of such participant's employer during the period of partic-
ipation. Such statement must be filed not later than September eleventh,
two thousand [twenty-six] THIRTY. The board shall transmit a copy of
such statement to the employer or carrier named therein. The filing of
such a statement shall not be considered the filing of a claim for bene-
fits under this chapter.
§ 3. Section 168 of the workers' compensation law is amended by adding
a new subdivision 6 to read as follows:
6. A CLAIM BY A PARTICIPANT IN THE WORLD TRADE CENTER RESCUE, RECOVERY
OR CLEANUP OPERATIONS WHOSE DISABLEMENT OCCURRED BETWEEN SEPTEMBER ELEV-
ENTH, TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-ONE, AND SEPTEMBER ELEVENTH, TWO THOUSAND
TWENTY-FIVE, SHALL NOT BE DISALLOWED AS BARRED BY SECTION EIGHTEEN OR
SECTION TWENTY-EIGHT OF THIS CHAPTER IF SUCH CLAIM IS FILED ON OR BEFORE
SEPTEMBER ELEVENTH, TWO THOUSAND THIRTY. ANY SUCH CLAIM BY A PARTICIPANT
IN THE WORLD TRADE CENTER RESCUE, RECOVERY OR CLEANUP OPERATIONS WHOSE
DISABLEMENT OCCURRED BETWEEN SEPTEMBER ELEVENTH, TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-
ONE, AND SEPTEMBER ELEVENTH, TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-FIVE, AND WAS DISAL-
LOWED BY SECTION EIGHTEEN OR TWENTY-EIGHT OF THIS CHAPTER SHALL BE
RECONSIDERED BY THE BOARD.
§ 4. Notwithstanding any other provision to the contrary, none of the
provisions of this act shall be subject to section 25 of the retirement
and social security law.
A. 11531 3
§ 5. This act shall take effect immediately and shall be deemed to
have been in full force and effect on and after September 11, 2001;
provided, however, that the amendments to sections 162 and 168 of the
workers' compensation law made by sections two and three of this act,
respectively, shall apply to all open and closed claims coming within
the purview of the workers' compensation board.
FISCAL NOTE.--Pursuant to Legislative Law, Section 50:
This bill would extend the deadline to submit a World Trade Center
(WTC) Notice from September 11, 2026 to September 11, 2030.
The provisions of section 25 of the RSSL shall not apply.
Insofar as this bill affects the New York State and Local Retirement
System (NYSLRS), more retirement benefits would be reclassified as acci-
dental disability benefits. The cost of the revised benefit will depend
upon the applicant's age, service, salary, plan, and any benefit other-
wise payable, but is expected to average:
Benefit prior None Ordinary Perf. of Service
to enactment: Disab. Duty Retirement
NYSLRS cost 10.5 times 5.5 times 3 times 2.5 times
of proposal: salary salary salary salary
This bill would also increase the number of accidental death benefits
granted. The additional cost for each death is expected to average 4.5
times final average salary in NYSLERS and 14 times in NYSLPFRS.
Further, we anticipate some administrative costs to implement the
provisions of this legislation.
The number of current and future members and retirees who could be
affected by this legislation cannot be readily determined.
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.
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 May 20, 2026, and intended for use only during
the 2026 Legislative Session, is Fiscal Note Number 2026-229. 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.
FISCAL NOTE.--Pursuant to Legislative Law, Section 50:
Bill Description:
A. 11531 4
This fiscal note is prepared for legislative bill draft #15895-02-6.
This bill would amend subdivision 36 of Section 2 of the Retirement and
Social Security Law to extend the deadline for filing notice of partic-
ipation in the World Trade Center rescue, recover or cleanup operations
during the qualifying period to September 11, 2030. Members who become
disabled or deceased because of a qualifying World Trade Center condi-
tion are presumed to have been because of an accidental or on-the-job
disability or death. The current deadline for filing is September 11,
2026.
Cost:
The annual cost to the participating employers of the New York State
Teachers' Retirement System is estimated to be negligible if this bill
is enacted because it is anticipated there would be few members eligible
for an accidental disability or death benefit.
Data:
Member data as of June 30, 2025, prepared for the most recent actuari-
al valuation was used in determining this cost. The most recent data
distributions and statistics can be found in the System's Annual Report
for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025. System assets are as reported
in the System's financial statements which can be found in the System's
Annual Report. This data will also be provided in the System's Actuarial
Valuation Report as of June 30, 2025.
Methods and Assumptions:
A summary of actuarial assumptions and methods will be provided in the
System's Actuarial Valuation Report as of June 30, 2025. Further details
can be found in the most recent Recommended Actuarial Assumptions 2025
Report.
Actuarial Certification:
We, the undersigned actuaries for the New York State Teachers' Retire-
ment System, certify the following:
1. The actuarial assumptions, methods, and data used are reasonable
for the purposes of this fiscal note, internally consistent and are in
accordance with standards of practice prescribed by the Actuarial Stand-
ards Board and generally accepted actuarial principles and procedures.
2. We relied on member data supplied by the participating employers of
the New York State Teachers' Retirement System and assets as supplied in
the annual Financial Statements by NYSTRS' Finance Department.
3. Results were prepared based on our current understanding of the
proposal as of the date of this fiscal note. If the language or our
understanding of the proposal changes, the results could change and
require the issuance of a new fiscal note. The next annual update of the
actuarial valuation could also produce different results. Results should
not be relied upon for any other purpose.
4. This fiscal note was prepared in accordance with New York State
Retirement and Social Security Law, New York State Education Law, appli-
cable Internal Revenue Code, and accepted actuarial standards of prac-
tice as of the date of this fiscal note. This fiscal note does not
constitute a legal opinion on the viability of this legislative
proposal.
5. We are members of the American Academy of Actuaries and the Society
of Actuaries, and we meet the Qualification Standards of the American
Academy of Actuaries to render the actuarial opinion contained herein.
We are currently compliant with the Continuing Professional Development
Requirement of the Society of Actuaries.
Fiscal Note Identification:
A. 11531 5
This Fiscal Note, 2026-61, dated May 26, 2026, was prepared by the
Office of the Actuary of the New York State Teachers' Retirement System
and is intended for use only during the 2026 Legislative Session.
FISCAL NOTE.--Pursuant to Legislative Law, Section 50:
SUMMARY: This proposed legislation, as it relates to the New York City
Retirement Systems and Pension Funds (NYCRS) would extend the deadline
for filing a Notice of Participation under the World Trade Center (WTC)
Disability Law for certain members who participated in the Rescue,
Recovery, or Cleanup operations related to the WTC attack on September
11, 2001.
EXPECTED INCREASE (DECREASE) IN EMPLOYER CONTRIBUTIONS: The increase
in employer contributions resulting from the proposed legislation would
depend on the number of additional members who timely file the required
form, meet the requirements of the WTC Disability Law, and ultimately
benefit from such Law.
Most members eligible for the benefits provided under the WTC Disabil-
ity Law have already filed the required form to register for partic-
ipation. Therefore, for the purpose of this Fiscal Note it has been
assumed that only a minimal number of NYCRS members would benefit from
the proposed legislation and that the increase in employer contributions
would likely be de minimis.
IMPACT ON FILING DEADLINE: Currently, the deadline to file a Notice of
Participation for NYCRS members is September 11, 2026.
Under the proposed legislation, the deadline to file a Notice of
Participation under the WTC Disability Law would be September 11, 2030.
ASSUMPTIONS AND METHODS: The estimates presented herein have been
calculated based on the Revised 2021 Actuarial Assumptions and Methods
of the impacted retirement systems.
Potential savings related to additional Workers' Compensation offsets
under the proposed legislation were not considered for purposes of this
Fiscal Note.
RISK AND UNCERTAINTY: The costs presented in this Fiscal Note depend
highly on the actuarial assumptions, methods, and models used, demo-
graphics of the impacted population, and other factors such as invest-
ment, contribution, and other risks. If actual experience deviates from
actuarial assumptions, the actual costs could differ from those
presented herein. Quantifying these risks is beyond the scope of this
Fiscal Note.
This Fiscal Note is intended to measure pension-related impacts and
does not include other potential costs (e.g., administrative and Other
Postemployment Benefits). This Fiscal Note does not reflect any chapter
laws that may have been enacted during the current legislative session.
STATEMENT OF ACTUARIAL OPINION: Marek Tyszkiewicz and Gregory Zelikov-
sky are members of the Society of Actuaries and the American Academy of
Actuaries. We are members of NYCERS, but do not believe it impairs our
objectivity, and we meet the Qualification Standards of the American
Academy of Actuaries to render the actuarial opinion contained herein.
To the best of our knowledge, the results contained herein have been
prepared in accordance with generally accepted actuarial principles and
procedures and with the Actuarial Standards of Practice issued by the
Actuarial Standards Board.
FISCAL NOTE IDENTIFICATION: This Fiscal Note 2026-94 dated May 29,
2026 was prepared by the Chief Actuary for the New York City Retirement
Systems and Pension Funds and is intended for use only during the 2026
Legislative Session.