S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   8444
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                               May 16, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of A. PHEFFER AMATO -- read once and referred to the
   Committee on Governmental Employees
 
 AN ACT to amend the administrative code of the  city  of  New  York,  in
   relation  to  the  establishment  of  a  twenty-two  and one-half year
   retirement program for members of the New York city employees' retire-
   ment system employed as emergency  medical  technicians  and  advanced
   emergency  medical technicians; and to amend the retirement and social
   security law, in relation to the establishment of twenty-two and  one-
   half  year  retirement  programs  for  such members who are subject to
   articles 11 and 15 of such law
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1. The administrative code of the city of New York is amended
 by adding a new section 13-157.5 to read as follows:
   § 13-157.5 TWENTY-TWO AND ONE-HALF YEAR  RETIREMENT  PROGRAM  FOR  EMT
 MEMBERS.    A.  DEFINITIONS.  THE FOLLOWING WORDS AND PHRASES AS USED IN
 THIS SECTION SHALL HAVE THE FOLLOWING MEANINGS UNLESS A DIFFERENT  MEAN-
 ING IS PLAINLY REQUIRED BY THE CONTEXT.
   1.  "EMT  MEMBER" SHALL MEAN (I) A MEMBER OF THE RETIREMENT SYSTEM WHO
 IS EMPLOYED BY THE CITY OF NEW YORK OR BY THE NEW YORK CITY  HEALTH  AND
 HOSPITALS  CORPORATION IN A TITLE WHOSE DUTIES ARE THOSE OF AN EMERGENCY
 MEDICAL TECHNICIAN OR ADVANCED EMERGENCY MEDICAL  TECHNICIAN,  AS  THOSE
 TERMS  ARE  DEFINED  IN  SECTION THREE THOUSAND ONE OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH
 LAW, AND (II) A MEMBER OF THE RETIREMENT SYSTEM WHO,  ON  THE  EFFECTIVE
 DATE OF THIS SECTION OR THEREAFTER, WAS EMPLOYED BY THE CITY OF NEW YORK
 OR  BY  THE  NEW  YORK  CITY HEALTH AND HOSPITALS CORPORATION IN A TITLE
 WHOSE DUTIES ARE THOSE OF AN EMERGENCY MEDICAL  TECHNICIAN  OR  ADVANCED
 EMERGENCY  MEDICAL  TECHNICIAN,  AS  THOSE  TERMS ARE DEFINED IN SECTION
 THREE THOUSAND ONE OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH LAW AND WHO, SUBSEQUENT THERETO,
 BECAME EMPLOYED BY THE CITY OF NEW YORK OR BY THE NEW YORK  CITY  HEALTH
 AND  HOSPITALS  CORPORATION  IN  A TITLE WHOSE DUTIES REQUIRE THE SUPER-
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD00483-03-5
              

 A. 8444                             2
 
 VISION OF EMPLOYEES WHOSE DUTIES ARE THOSE OF AN EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECH-
 NICIAN OR ADVANCED EMERGENCY MEDICAL  TECHNICIAN,  AS  THOSE  TERMS  ARE
 DEFINED IN SECTION THREE THOUSAND ONE OF  THE PUBLIC HEALTH LAW.
   2.  "TWENTY-TWO  AND  ONE-HALF YEAR RETIREMENT PROGRAM" SHALL MEAN ALL
 THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THIS SECTION.
   3. "STARTING DATE OF  THE  TWENTY-TWO  AND  ONE-HALF  YEAR  RETIREMENT
 PROGRAM"  SHALL MEAN THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SECTION, AS SUCH DATE IS
 CERTIFIED PURSUANT TO SECTION FORTY-ONE OF THE LEGISLATIVE LAW.
   4.  "PARTICIPANT  IN  THE  TWENTY-TWO  AND  ONE-HALF  YEAR  RETIREMENT
 PROGRAM"  SHALL MEAN ANY EMT MEMBER WHO, UNDER THE APPLICABLE PROVISIONS
 OF SUBDIVISION B OF THIS SECTION, IS ENTITLED TO  THE  RIGHTS,  BENEFITS
 AND  PRIVILEGES  AND IS SUBJECT TO THE OBLIGATIONS OF THE TWENTY-TWO AND
 ONE-HALF YEAR RETIREMENT PROGRAM AS APPLICABLE TO SUCH MEMBER.
   5. "DISCONTINUED MEMBER" SHALL MEAN A PARTICIPANT  IN  THE  TWENTY-TWO
 ONE-HALF  YEAR  RETIREMENT  PROGRAM  WHO, WHILE THEY WERE AN EMT MEMBER,
 DISCONTINUED SERVICE AS SUCH A MEMBER AND HAS  A  RIGHT  TO  A  DEFERRED
 VESTED BENEFIT UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF SUBDIVISION D OF THIS SECTION.
   6.  "CREDITABLE  CITY SERVICE" FOR PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION SHALL MEAN
 (I) ALL SERVICE WHILE EMPLOYED BY THE CITY OF NEW YORK  OR  BY  THE  NEW
 YORK  CITY  HEALTH AND HOSPITALS CORPORATION IN A TITLE WHOSE DUTIES ARE
 THOSE OF AN EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIAN OR ADVANCED  EMERGENCY  MEDICAL
 TECHNICIAN,  AS THOSE TERMS ARE DEFINED IN SECTION THREE THOUSAND ONE OF
 THE PUBLIC HEALTH LAW; AND (II) WITH RESPECT TO AN  INDIVIDUAL  WHO  WAS
 EMPLOYED  ON  THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SECTION IN A TITLE WHOSE DUTIES
 ARE THOSE OF AN  EMERGENCY  MEDICAL  TECHNICIAN  OR  ADVANCED  EMERGENCY
 MEDICAL TECHNICIAN, AS THOSE TERMS ARE DEFINED IN SECTION THREE THOUSAND
 ONE  OF  THE PUBLIC HEALTH LAW, ALL SUCH SERVICE SUBSEQUENT THERETO IN A
 TITLE WHOSE DUTIES REQUIRE THE SUPERVISION OF EMPLOYEES WHOSE DUTIES ARE
 THOSE OF AN EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIAN OR ADVANCED  EMERGENCY  MEDICAL
 TECHNICIAN,  AS THOSE TERMS ARE DEFINED IN SECTION THREE THOUSAND ONE OF
 THE PUBLIC HEALTH LAW; AND (III) ALL SERVICE WHILE EMPLOYED BY THE  CITY
 OF  NEW YORK OR BY THE NEW YORK CITY HEALTH AND HOSPITALS CORPORATION IN
 THE TITLE MOTOR VEHICLE OPERATOR.
   B. PARTICIPATION IN TWENTY-TWO AND ONE-HALF YEAR  RETIREMENT  PROGRAM.
 1. SUBJECT TO THE PROVISIONS OF PARAGRAPHS FIVE AND SIX OF THIS SUBDIVI-
 SION,  ANY PERSON WHO IS AN EMT MEMBER ON THE STARTING DATE OF THE TWEN-
 TY-TWO AND ONE-HALF YEAR  RETIREMENT  PROGRAM  MAY  ELECT  TO  BECOME  A
 PARTICIPANT  IN  THE  TWENTY-TWO AND ONE-HALF YEAR RETIREMENT PROGRAM BY
 FILING, WITHIN ONE HUNDRED EIGHTY DAYS AFTER THE STARTING  DATE  OF  THE
 TWENTY-TWO  AND ONE-HALF YEAR RETIREMENT PROGRAM, A DULY EXECUTED APPLI-
 CATION FOR SUCH PARTICIPATION WITH THE RETIREMENT SYSTEM OF  WHICH  SUCH
 PERSON  IS  A  MEMBER, PROVIDED SUCH PERSON IS SUCH AN EMT MEMBER ON THE
 DATE SUCH APPLICATION IS FILED.
   2. SUBJECT TO THE PROVISIONS OF PARAGRAPHS FIVE AND SIX OF THIS SUBDI-
 VISION, ANY PERSON WHO BECOMES AN EMT MEMBER AFTER THE STARTING DATE  OF
 THE  TWENTY-TWO AND ONE-HALF YEAR RETIREMENT PROGRAM MAY ELECT TO BECOME
 A PARTICIPANT IN THE TWENTY-TWO AND ONE-HALF YEAR RETIREMENT PROGRAM  BY
 FILING,  WITHIN  ONE  HUNDRED  EIGHTY  DAYS  AFTER  BECOMING SUCH AN EMT
 MEMBER, A DULY EXECUTED APPLICATION  FOR  SUCH  PARTICIPATION  WITH  THE
 RETIREMENT SYSTEM OF WHICH SUCH PERSON IS A MEMBER, PROVIDED SUCH PERSON
 IS SUCH AN EMT MEMBER ON THE DATE SUCH APPLICATION IS FILED.
   3.  ANY  ELECTION  TO  BE A PARTICIPANT IN THE TWENTY-TWO AND ONE-HALF
 YEAR RETIREMENT PROGRAM SHALL BE IRREVOCABLE.
   4. WHERE ANY PARTICIPANT IN THE TWENTY-TWO AND ONE-HALF  YEAR  RETIRE-
 MENT  PROGRAM  SHALL  CEASE  TO BE EMPLOYED AS AN EMT MEMBER, THEY SHALL
 CEASE TO BE SUCH A PARTICIPANT AND, DURING  ANY  PERIOD  IN  WHICH  SUCH
 A. 8444                             3
 
 PERSON  IS NOT SO EMPLOYED, THEY SHALL NOT BE A PARTICIPANT IN THE TWEN-
 TY-TWO AND ONE-HALF YEAR RETIREMENT PROGRAM AND SHALL  NOT  BE  ELIGIBLE
 FOR THE BENEFITS OF SUBDIVISION C OF THIS SECTION.
   5.  WHERE  ANY PARTICIPANT IN THE TWENTY-TWO AND ONE-HALF YEAR RETIRE-
 MENT PROGRAM TERMINATES SERVICE AS AN EMT MEMBER  AND  RETURNS  TO  SUCH
 SERVICE AS AN EMT MEMBER AT A LATER DATE, THEY SHALL AGAIN BECOME SUCH A
 PARTICIPANT ON THAT DATE.
   6.  NOTWITHSTANDING  ANY  OTHER  PROVISION OF LAW TO THE CONTRARY, ANY
 PERSON WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO BECOME A PARTICIPANT  IN  THE  TWENTY-TWO  AND
 ONE-HALF  YEAR  RETIREMENT  PROGRAM  PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPH ONE OR TWO OF
 THIS SUBDIVISION FOR THE FULL ONE HUNDRED EIGHTY DAY PERIOD PROVIDED FOR
 IN SUCH APPLICABLE PARAGRAPH  AND  WHO  FAILS  TO  TIMELY  FILE  A  DULY
 EXECUTED  APPLICATION FOR SUCH PARTICIPATION WITH THE RETIREMENT SYSTEM,
 SHALL NOT THEREAFTER  BE  ELIGIBLE  TO  BECOME  A  PARTICIPANT  IN  SUCH
 PROGRAM.
   C. SERVICE RETIREMENT BENEFITS. 1. A PARTICIPANT IN THE TWENTY-TWO AND
 ONE-HALF YEAR RETIREMENT PROGRAM:
   (I) WHO HAS COMPLETED TWENTY-TWO AND ONE-HALF OR MORE YEARS OF CREDIT-
 ABLE CITY SERVICE; AND
   (II)  WHO  FILES WITH THE RETIREMENT SYSTEM AN APPLICATION FOR SERVICE
 RETIREMENT SETTING FORTH AT WHAT TIME, NOT LESS THAN THIRTY DAYS  SUBSE-
 QUENT  TO  THE EXECUTION AND FILING THEREOF, SUCH PARTICIPANT DESIRES TO
 BE RETIRED; AND
   (III) WHO SHALL BE A PARTICIPANT IN THE TWENTY-TWO AND  ONE-HALF  YEAR
 RETIREMENT  PROGRAM  AT  THE  TIME  SO  SPECIFIED FOR SUCH PARTICIPANT'S
 RETIREMENT; SHALL BE RETIRED PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF THIS  SECTION
 AFFORDING EARLY SERVICE RETIREMENT.
   2.  NOTWITHSTANDING  ANY  OTHER  PROVISION OF LAW TO THE CONTRARY, THE
 EARLY SERVICE RETIREMENT BENEFIT FOR A PARTICIPANT IN THE TWENTY-TWO AND
 ONE-HALF YEAR RETIREMENT PROGRAM WHO RETIRES PURSUANT TO  PARAGRAPH  ONE
 OF THIS SUBDIVISION SHALL BE A RETIREMENT ALLOWANCE CONSISTING OF:
   (I)  AN  AMOUNT, ON ACCOUNT OF THE REQUIRED MINIMUM PERIOD OF SERVICE,
 EQUAL TO THE SUMS OF (A) AN ANNUITY WHICH SHALL BE THE ACTUARIAL  EQUIV-
 ALENT  OF  THE ACCUMULATED DEDUCTIONS FROM SUCH PARTICIPANT'S PAY DURING
 SUCH PERIOD, (B) A PENSION FOR INCREASED-TAKE-HOME-PAY  WHICH  SHALL  BE
 THE  ACTUARIAL  EQUIVALENT OF THE RESERVE-FOR-INCREASED-TAKE-HOME-PAY TO
 WHICH SUCH PARTICIPANT MAY BE  ENTITLED  FOR  SUCH  PERIOD,  AND  (C)  A
 PENSION  WHICH,  WHEN  ADDED  TO  SUCH  ANNUITY  AND  SUCH  PENSION  FOR
 INCREASED-TAKE-HOME-PAY,  PRODUCES  A  RETIREMENT  ALLOWANCE  EQUAL   TO
 FIFTY-FIVE PERCENT OF THE SALARY EARNED OR EARNABLE IN THE YEAR PRIOR TO
 THEIR RETIREMENT; PLUS
   (II) AN AMOUNT FOR EACH ADDITIONAL YEAR OF CREDITABLE CITY SERVICE, OR
 FRACTION  THEREOF,  BEYOND SUCH REQUIRED MINIMUM PERIOD OF SERVICE EQUAL
 TO ONE AND SEVEN-TENTHS PERCENT OF THE FINAL  AVERAGE  SALARY  FOR  SUCH
 CREDITABLE  SERVICE  DURING THE PERIOD FROM THE COMPLETION OF TWENTY-TWO
 AND ONE-HALF YEARS OF CREDITABLE CITY SERVICE TO THE DATE OF RETIREMENT.
   D. VESTING. 1. A PARTICIPANT  IN  THE  TWENTY-TWO  AND  ONE-HALF  YEAR
 RETIREMENT PROGRAM WHO:
   (I)  DISCONTINUES  SERVICE  AS  AN  EMT MEMBER, OTHER THAN BY DEATH OR
 RETIREMENT; AND
   (II) PRIOR TO SUCH DISCONTINUANCE, COMPLETED FIVE BUT LESS THAN  TWEN-
 TY-TWO YEARS OF CREDITABLE CITY SERVICE; AND
   (III) DOES NOT WITHDRAW IN WHOLE OR IN PART SUCH PARTICIPANT'S ACCUMU-
 LATED  MEMBER  CONTRIBUTIONS PURSUANT TO SECTION 13-141 OF THIS CHAPTER,
 SHALL BE ENTITLED TO RECEIVE A DEFERRED VESTED BENEFIT  AS  PROVIDED  IN
 THIS SUBDIVISION.
 A. 8444                             4
 
   2. (I) UPON SUCH DISCONTINUANCE UNDER THE CONDITIONS AND IN COMPLIANCE
 WITH  THE PROVISIONS OF PARAGRAPH ONE OF THIS SUBDIVISION, SUCH DEFERRED
 VESTED BENEFIT SHALL VEST AUTOMATICALLY.
   (II)  SUCH VESTED BENEFIT SHALL BECOME PAYABLE ON THE EARLIEST DATE ON
 WHICH SUCH DISCONTINUED MEMBER COULD HAVE RETIRED FOR  SERVICE  IF  SUCH
 DISCONTINUANCE HAD NOT OCCURRED.
   3.  SUCH  DEFERRED  VESTED  BENEFIT  SHALL  BE  A RETIREMENT ALLOWANCE
 CONSISTING OF AN AMOUNT EQUAL TO TWO  AND  TWO-TENTHS  PERCENT  OF  SUCH
 DISCONTINUED  MEMBER'S  SALARY  EARNED  OR EARNABLE IN THE YEAR PRIOR TO
 SUCH MEMBER'S DISCONTINUANCE, MULTIPLIED BY THE NUMBER OF YEARS OF CRED-
 ITABLE CITY SERVICE.
   E. MEMBER CONTRIBUTIONS. 1. ALL EMT  MEMBERS  OF  THE  TWENTY-TWO  AND
 ONE-HALF  YEAR  RETIREMENT  PROGRAM  SHALL  BE  REQUIRED  TO MAKE MEMBER
 CONTRIBUTIONS AND ADDITIONAL MEMBER CONTRIBUTIONS IN ACCORDANCE WITH AND
 SUBJECT TO THE SAME RIGHTS, PRIVILEGES, OBLIGATIONS  AND  PROCEDURES  AS
 GOVERN  THE  MEMBER  CONTRIBUTION  AND  ADDITIONAL  MEMBER CONTRIBUTIONS
 REQUIRED BY SUBDIVISION D OF SECTION FOUR HUNDRED  FORTY-FIVE-E  OF  THE
 RETIREMENT AND SOCIAL SECURITY LAW.
   2.  FOR  THE PURPOSE OF APPLYING UNDER THIS SUBDIVISION, SUCH SUBDIVI-
 SION D OF SECTION FOUR HUNDRED FORTY-FIVE-E OF THE RETIREMENT AND SOCIAL
 SECURITY LAW TO AN EMT  MEMBER  OF  THE  TWENTY-TWO  AND  ONE-HALF  YEAR
 RETIREMENT PROGRAM WHO IS SUBJECT TO THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION, AND
 IS NOT SUBJECT TO THE PROVISIONS OF ARTICLE ELEVEN OF THE RETIREMENT AND
 SOCIAL SECURITY LAW, THE TERM "CREDITED SERVICE", AS USED IN SUCH SUBDI-
 VISION, SHALL BE DEEMED TO MEAN CREDITABLE CITY SERVICE.
   F.  COST-OF-LIVING ADJUSTMENTS. NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER PROVISION OF
 LAW TO THE CONTRARY, A PERSON WHO  RETIRES  WITH  A  RETIREMENT  BENEFIT
 PROVIDED  FOR  IN  THE  TWENTY-TWO  AND ONE-HALF YEAR RETIREMENT PROGRAM
 PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION SHALL NOT BE ENTITLED TO  THE
 COST-OF-LIVING  ADJUSTMENTS  PROVIDED  PURSUANT TO SECTION 13-696 OF THE
 ADMINISTRATIVE CODE OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK.
   § 2. Subdivision a of section 444 of the retirement and social securi-
 ty law, as amended by section 141 of subpart B of part C of  chapter  62
 of the laws of 2011, is amended to read as follows:
   a.  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 as added by chapter four hundred seventy-
 two of the laws  of  nineteen  hundred  ninety-five,  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, AND SUBDIVISION C
 OF SECTION FOUR  HUNDRED  FORTY-FIVE-J  OF  THIS  ARTICLE,  the  maximum
 retirement  benefit computed without optional modification provided to a
 member of a retirement system who is subject to the provisions  of  this
 article,  other  than  a  police officer, a firefighter, an investigator
 member of the New York city employees' retirement system,  a  member  of
 the  uniformed  personnel  in institutions under the jurisdiction of the
 New York city department of correction who  receives  a  performance  of
 duty  disability retirement allowance, a member of the uniformed person-
 nel  in  institutions  under  the  jurisdiction  of  the  department  of
 corrections  and  community supervision or a security hospital treatment
 assistant, as those terms are defined in subdivision i of section eight-
 y-nine of this chapter, who receives a performance  of  duty  disability
 retirement  allowance,  a  member  of a teachers' retirement system, New
 A. 8444                             5
 
 York city employees' retirement system, New York city board of education
 retirement system or a member of the New York state and local employees'
 retirement system or a member of the New York city employees' retirement
 system or New York city board of education retirement system employed as
 a  special  officer,  parking  control  specialist, school safety agent,
 campus peace officer, taxi and limousine inspector or a police  communi-
 cations  member  and  who  receives  a  performance  of  duty disability
 pension, from funds  other  than  those  based  on  a  member's  own  or
 increased-take-home-pay  contributions,  shall, before any reduction for
 early retirement, be sixty per centum  of  the  first  fifteen  thousand
 three  hundred  dollars of final average salary, and fifty per centum of
 final average  salary  in  excess  of  fifteen  thousand  three  hundred
 dollars, and forty per centum of final average salary in excess of twen-
 ty-seven  thousand  three  hundred  dollars, provided, however, that the
 benefits provided by subdivision c of section four hundred  forty-five-d
 of this article as added by chapter four hundred seventy-two of the laws
 of  nineteen  hundred  ninety-five  based  upon  the  additional  member
 contributions required by subdivision d of  such  section  four  hundred
 forty-five-d shall be subject to the maximum retirement benefit computa-
 tions set forth in this section. The maximum retirement benefit computed
 without  optional  modification payable to a police officer, an investi-
 gator member of the New York city  employees'  retirement  system  or  a
 firefighter  shall equal that payable upon completion of thirty years of
 service, except that the maximum  service  retirement  benefit  computed
 without  optional  modification shall equal that payable upon completion
 of thirty-two years of service.
   § 3. Subdivision a of section 445 of the retirement and social securi-
 ty law, as amended by chapter 714 of the laws of  2023,  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 [he or she] SUCH MEMBER is 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 nineteen 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 ambu-
 lance medical technician/supervisor or a member who  performs  ambulance
 A. 8444                             6
 
 medical  technician  related  services,  or a police medic, police medic
 supervisor or a member who performs police 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 chapter
 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, 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
 A. 8444                             7
 
 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, AND SUBDIVISION C OF SECTION
 FOUR HUNDRED FORTY-FIVE-J 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, [he or she] SUCH  MEMBER  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 sala-
 ry per each year of credited service.
   § 3-a. Subdivision a of section 445 of the retirement and social secu-
 rity 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
 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
 A. 8444                             8
 
 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 and is
 in a plan which permits immediate retirement upon completion of a speci-
 fied  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  arti-
 A. 8444                             9
 
 cle,  AND  SUBDIVISION  C  OF  SECTION FOUR HUNDRED FORTY-FIVE-J 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.
   § 4. The retirement and social security law is amended by adding a new
 section 445-j to read as follows:
   § 445-J. OPTIONAL   TWENTY-TWO  AND  ONE-HALF  YEAR  IMPROVED  BENEFIT
 RETIREMENT PROGRAM FOR EMT MEMBERS.  A. DEFINITIONS. THE FOLLOWING WORDS
 AND PHRASES AS USED IN THIS SECTION SHALL HAVE  THE  FOLLOWING  MEANINGS
 UNLESS A DIFFERENT MEANING IS PLAINLY REQUIRED BY THE CONTEXT.
   1. "RETIREMENT SYSTEM" SHALL MEAN THE NEW YORK CITY EMPLOYEES' RETIRE-
 MENT SYSTEM.
   2.  "EMT  MEMBER"  SHALL MEAN A MEMBER OF THE RETIREMENT SYSTEM WHO IS
 SUBJECT TO THE PROVISIONS OF THIS ARTICLE, WHO IS EMPLOYED BY  THE  CITY
 OF  NEW YORK OR BY THE NEW YORK CITY HEALTH AND HOSPITALS CORPORATION IN
 A TITLE WHOSE DUTIES ARE THOSE OF AN  EMERGENCY  MEDICAL  TECHNICIAN  OR
 ADVANCED  EMERGENCY  MEDICAL  TECHNICIAN,  AS THOSE TERMS ARE DEFINED IN
 SECTION THREE THOUSAND ONE OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH LAW, OR IN A TITLE WHOSE
 DUTIES REQUIRE THE SUPERVISION OF EMPLOYEES WHOSE DUTIES ARE THOSE OF AN
 EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIAN OR ADVANCED EMERGENCY  MEDICAL  TECHNICIAN,
 AS  THOSE  TERMS ARE DEFINED IN SECTION THREE THOUSAND ONE OF THE PUBLIC
 HEALTH LAW.
   3. "TWENTY-TWO AND ONE-HALF YEAR IMPROVED BENEFIT RETIREMENT  PROGRAM"
 SHALL MEAN ALL THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THIS SECTION.
   4. "STARTING DATE OF THE TWENTY-TWO AND ONE-HALF YEAR IMPROVED BENEFIT
 RETIREMENT PROGRAM" SHALL MEAN THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SECTION.
   5.  "PARTICIPANT  IN THE TWENTY-TWO AND ONE-HALF YEAR IMPROVED BENEFIT
 RETIREMENT PROGRAM" SHALL MEAN ANY EMT MEMBER WHO, UNDER THE  APPLICABLE
 PROVISIONS  OF SUBDIVISION B OF THIS SECTION, IS ENTITLED TO THE RIGHTS,
 BENEFITS AND PRIVILEGES AND IS SUBJECT TO THE OBLIGATIONS OF  THE  TWEN-
 TY-TWO  AND ONE-HALF YEAR IMPROVED BENEFIT RETIREMENT PROGRAM, AS APPLI-
 CABLE TO SUCH MEMBER.
   6. "ADMINISTRATIVE CODE" SHALL MEAN THE  ADMINISTRATIVE  CODE  OF  THE
 CITY OF NEW YORK.
   7.  "ACCUMULATED  DEDUCTIONS"  SHALL  MEAN  ACCUMULATED  DEDUCTIONS AS
 DEFINED IN SUBDIVISION ELEVEN OF SECTION 13-101  OF  THE  ADMINISTRATIVE
 CODE.
   8. "OPTIONAL RETIREMENT PROVISIONS" SHALL MEAN THE RIGHT TO RETIRE AND
 RECEIVE A RETIREMENT ALLOWANCE UNDER THIS SECTION UPON THE COMPLETION OF
 TWENTY-TWO AND ONE-HALF YEARS OF CREDITABLE SERVICE AS AN EMT MEMBER.
   9. "CREDITABLE SERVICE AS AN EMT MEMBER" SHALL MEAN (I) ALL SERVICE AS
 AN  EMT  MEMBER;  AND (II) ALL SERVICE WHILE EMPLOYED BY THE CITY OF NEW
 YORK OR BY THE NEW YORK CITY HEALTH AND  HOSPITALS  CORPORATION  IN  THE
 TITLE MOTOR VEHICLE OPERATOR.
   B.  ELECTION  OF TWENTY-TWO AND ONE-HALF YEAR IMPROVED BENEFIT RETIRE-
 MENT PROGRAM.  1. SUBJECT TO THE PROVISIONS OF PARAGRAPHS FIVE  AND  SIX
 OF  THIS  SUBDIVISION,  ANY  PERSON WHO IS AN EMT MEMBER ON THE STARTING
 DATE OF THE TWENTY-TWO AND ONE-HALF  YEAR  IMPROVED  BENEFIT  RETIREMENT
 A. 8444                            10
 
 PROGRAM MAY ELECT TO BECOME A PARTICIPANT IN THE TWENTY-TWO AND ONE-HALF
 YEAR  IMPROVED  BENEFIT RETIREMENT PROGRAM BY FILING, WITHIN ONE HUNDRED
 EIGHTY DAYS AFTER SUCH STARTING DATE, A DULY  EXECUTED  APPLICATION  FOR
 SUCH  PARTICIPATION  WITH THE RETIREMENT SYSTEM, PROVIDED SUCH PERSON IS
 SUCH AN EMT MEMBER ON THE DATE SUCH APPLICATION IS FILED.
   2. SUBJECT TO THE PROVISION OF PARAGRAPHS FIVE AND SIX OF THIS  SUBDI-
 VISION,  ANY PERSON WHO BECOMES AN EMT MEMBER AFTER THE STARTING DATE OF
 THE TWENTY-TWO AND ONE-HALF YEAR IMPROVED BENEFIT RETIREMENT PROGRAM MAY
 ELECT TO BECOME A  PARTICIPANT  IN  THE  TWENTY-TWO  AND  ONE-HALF  YEAR
 IMPROVED BENEFIT RETIREMENT PROGRAM BY FILING, WITHIN ONE HUNDRED EIGHTY
 DAYS  AFTER BECOMING SUCH AN EMT MEMBER, A DULY EXECUTED APPLICATION FOR
 SUCH PARTICIPATION WITH THE RETIREMENT SYSTEM, PROVIDED SUCH  PERSON  IS
 SUCH AN EMT MEMBER ON THE DATE SUCH APPLICATION IS FILED.
   3.  ANY  ELECTION  TO  BE A PARTICIPANT IN THE TWENTY-TWO AND ONE-HALF
 YEAR IMPROVED BENEFIT RETIREMENT PROGRAM SHALL BE IRREVOCABLE.
   4. WHERE ANY PARTICIPANT IN THE TWENTY-TWO AND ONE-HALF YEAR  IMPROVED
 BENEFIT  RETIREMENT  PROGRAM  SHALL  CEASE  TO HOLD A POSITION AS AN EMT
 MEMBER, THEY SHALL CEASE TO BE SUCH A PARTICIPANT AND, DURING ANY PERIOD
 IN WHICH SUCH A PERSON DOES NOT HOLD SUCH AN EMT  POSITION,  THEY  SHALL
 NOT  BE A PARTICIPANT IN THE TWENTY-TWO AND ONE-HALF YEAR IMPROVED BENE-
 FIT RETIREMENT PROGRAM AND SHALL NOT BE ELIGIBLE  FOR  THE  BENEFITS  OF
 SUBDIVISION C OF THIS SECTION.
   5.  WHERE ANY PARTICIPANT IN THE TWENTY-TWO AND ONE-HALF YEAR IMPROVED
 BENEFIT RETIREMENT PROGRAM TERMINATES  SERVICE  AS  AN  EMT  MEMBER  AND
 RETURNS  TO  SUCH  SERVICE  AS AN EMT MEMBER AT A LATER DATE, THEY SHALL
 AGAIN BECOME SUCH A PARTICIPANT ON THAT DATE.
   6. NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER PROVISION OF LAW  TO  THE  CONTRARY,  ANY
 PERSON  WHO  IS  ELIGIBLE  TO BECOME A PARTICIPANT IN THE TWENTY-TWO AND
 ONE-HALF YEAR IMPROVED BENEFIT RETIREMENT PROGRAM PURSUANT TO  PARAGRAPH
 ONE OR TWO OF THIS SUBDIVISION FOR THE FULL ONE HUNDRED EIGHTY DAY PERI-
 OD  PROVIDED  FOR  IN  SUCH APPLICABLE PARAGRAPH AND WHO FAILS TO TIMELY
 FILE A DULY EXECUTED APPLICATION FOR SUCH PARTICIPATION WITH THE RETIRE-
 MENT SYSTEM, SHALL NOT THEREAFTER BE ELIGIBLE TO BECOME A PARTICIPANT IN
 SUCH PROGRAM.
   C. SERVICE RETIREMENT BENEFITS. NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER PROVISION OF
 LAW TO THE CONTRARY, WHERE A PARTICIPANT IN THE TWENTY-TWO AND  ONE-HALF
 YEAR IMPROVED BENEFIT RETIREMENT PROGRAM, WHO IS OTHERWISE QUALIFIED FOR
 A RETIREMENT ALLOWANCE PURSUANT TO THE OPTIONAL RETIREMENT PROVISION SET
 FORTH IN SUBDIVISION A OF THIS SECTION, HAS MADE AND/OR PAID, WHILE SUCH
 PARTICIPANT  IS  AN  EMT MEMBER, ALL ADDITIONAL MEMBER CONTRIBUTIONS AND
 INTEREST, IF ANY, REQUIRED BY SUBDIVISION D OF THIS SECTION, THEN:
   1. THAT PARTICIPANT, WHILE THEY REMAIN A  PARTICIPANT,  SHALL  NOT  BE
 SUBJECT  TO  THE  PROVISIONS  OF  SUBDIVISION  A OF SECTION FOUR HUNDRED
 FORTY-FIVE OF THIS ARTICLE; AND
   2. IF  THAT  PARTICIPANT,  WHILE  SUCH  A  PARTICIPANT,  RETIRES  FROM
 SERVICE,  THEY  SHALL  NOT  BE SUBJECT TO THE PROVISIONS OF SECTION FOUR
 HUNDRED FORTY-FOUR OF THIS ARTICLE; AND
   3. THEIR RETIREMENT ALLOWANCE SHALL BE AN AMOUNT, ON ACCOUNT  OF  THIS
 REQUIRED  MINIMUM  PERIOD OF SERVICE, EQUAL TO THE SUM OF (I) AN ANNUITY
 WHICH SHALL BE THE ACTUARIAL EQUIVALENT OF  THE  ACCUMULATED  DEDUCTIONS
 FROM  THEIR  PAY  DURING SUCH PERIOD, (II) A PENSION FOR INCREASED-TAKE-
 HOME-PAY WHICH SHALL BE THE ACTUARIAL  EQUIVALENT  OF  THE  RESERVE  FOR
 INCREASED-TAKE-HOME-PAY  TO  WHICH SUCH PARTICIPANT MAY BE ENTITLED, FOR
 SUCH PERIOD, AND (III) A PENSION WHICH, WHEN ADDED TO SUCH  ANNUITY  AND
 SUCH  PENSION  FOR INCREASED-TAKE-HOME-PAY, PRODUCES A RETIREMENT ALLOW-
 ANCE EQUAL TO FIFTY PERCENT OF SUCH PARTICIPANT'S FINAL AVERAGE  SALARY,
 A. 8444                            11
 
 PLUS  AN AMOUNT FOR EACH ADDITIONAL YEAR OF CREDITABLE SERVICE AS AN EMT
 MEMBER, OR FRACTION THEREOF, BEYOND  SUCH  REQUIRED  MINIMUM  PERIOD  OF
 SERVICE  EQUAL  TO  TWO  PERCENT  OF THEIR FINAL AVERAGE SALARY FOR SUCH
 CREDITABLE SERVICE AS AN EMT MEMBER DURING THE PERIOD FROM COMPLETION OF
 TWENTY-TWO  AND  ONE-HALF  OR MORE YEARS OF CREDITABLE SERVICE AS AN EMT
 MEMBER TO THE DATE OF RETIREMENT BUT NOT TO EXCEED MORE THAN FIVE  YEARS
 OF ADDITIONAL SERVICE AS AN EMT MEMBER.
   D.  ADDITIONAL  MEMBER  CONTRIBUTIONS.  1.  IN  ADDITION TO THE MEMBER
 CONTRIBUTIONS REQUIRED PURSUANT TO SECTION 13-125 OR SECTION  13-162  OF
 THE ADMINISTRATIVE CODE, EACH PARTICIPANT IN THE TWENTY-TWO AND ONE-HALF
 YEAR  IMPROVED  BENEFIT  RETIREMENT PROGRAM SHALL CONTRIBUTE, SUBJECT TO
 THE APPLICABLE PROVISIONS OF  SECTION  13-125.2  OF  THE  ADMINISTRATIVE
 CODE,  AN  ADDITIONAL  SIX  AND  ONE-HALF  PERCENT OF THEIR COMPENSATION
 EARNED FROM ALL CREDITED SERVICE, AS A PARTICIPANT IN THE TWENTY-TWO AND
 ONE-HALF YEAR IMPROVED BENEFIT RETIREMENT PROGRAM, RENDERED ON AND AFTER
 THE STARTING DATE OF THE IMPROVED BENEFIT RETIREMENT  PROGRAM,  AND  ALL
 CREDITABLE  SERVICE  AS  AN  EMT MEMBER AFTER SUCH PERSON CEASES TO BE A
 PARTICIPANT, BUT BEFORE THEY AGAIN  BECOME  A  PARTICIPANT  PURSUANT  TO
 PARAGRAPH  FIVE  OF  SUBDIVISION B OF THIS SECTION. A PARTICIPANT IN THE
 TWENTY-TWO AND ONE-HALF YEAR IMPROVED BENEFIT RETIREMENT  PROGRAM  SHALL
 CONTRIBUTE  ADDITIONAL  MEMBER CONTRIBUTIONS UNTIL THE LATER OF THE DATE
 AS OF WHICH SUCH PARTICIPANT IS ELIGIBLE TO RETIRE WITH AT  LEAST  TWEN-
 TY-TWO AND ONE-HALF OR MORE YEARS OF CREDITABLE SERVICE AS AN EMT MEMBER
 UNDER  SUCH RETIREMENT PROGRAM, OR THE FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF THE STARTING
 DATE OF THE TWENTY-TWO AND ONE-HALF  YEAR  IMPROVED  BENEFIT  RETIREMENT
 PROGRAM.  THE ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS REQUIRED BY THIS SECTION SHALL BE
 IN LIEU OF ADDITIONAL MEMBER  CONTRIBUTIONS  REQUIRED  BY  SECTION  FOUR
 HUNDRED  FORTY-FIVE-D OF THIS ARTICLE, AS ADDED BY CHAPTER NINETY-SIX OF
 THE LAWS OF NINETEEN HUNDRED NINETY-FIVE, AND SHALL BE IN LIEU OF  ADDI-
 TIONAL   MEMBER   CONTRIBUTIONS   REQUIRED   BY   SECTION  FOUR  HUNDRED
 FORTY-FIVE-E OF THIS ARTICLE, AS ADDED BY CHAPTER FIVE HUNDRED  SEVENTY-
 SEVEN  OF  THE  LAWS  OF  TWO  THOUSAND, AND NO MEMBER PAYING ADDITIONAL
 CONTRIBUTIONS PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION SHALL BE REQUIRED  TO  PAY  ADDI-
 TIONAL  CONTRIBUTIONS  PURSUANT  TO  SUCH  SUBDIVISION D OF SECTION FOUR
 HUNDRED FORTY-FIVE-D OF THIS ARTICLE OR PURSUANT TO SUCH  SUBDIVISION  D
 OF SECTION FOUR HUNDRED FORTY-FIVE-E OF THIS ARTICLE.
   2.  COMMENCING  WITH  THE  FIRST FULL PAYROLL PERIOD AFTER EACH PERSON
 BECOMES A PARTICIPANT IN THE TWENTY-TWO AND ONE-HALF YEAR IMPROVED BENE-
 FIT RETIREMENT PROGRAM, ADDITIONAL  MEMBER  CONTRIBUTIONS  AT  THE  RATE
 SPECIFIED  IN  PARAGRAPH  ONE  OF  THIS  SUBDIVISION  SHALL BE DEDUCTED,
 SUBJECT TO THE APPLICABLE PROVISIONS OF SECTION 13-125.2 OF THE ADMINIS-
 TRATIVE CODE, FROM THE COMPENSATION OF  SUCH  PARTICIPANT  ON  EACH  AND
 EVERY  PAYROLL OF SUCH PARTICIPANT FOR EACH AND EVERY PAYROLL PERIOD FOR
 WHICH THEY ARE SUCH A PARTICIPANT.
   3. (I) SUBJECT TO THE PROVISIONS OF SUBPARAGRAPH (II)  OF  THIS  PARA-
 GRAPH,  WHERE  ANY ADDITIONAL MEMBER CONTRIBUTIONS REQUIRED BY PARAGRAPH
 ONE OF THIS SUBDIVISION ARE NOT PAID BY DEDUCTIONS FROM A  PARTICIPANT'S
 COMPENSATION PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPH TWO OF THIS SUBDIVISION:
   (A)  THAT  PARTICIPANT SHALL BE CHARGED WITH A CONTRIBUTION DEFICIENCY
 CONSISTING OF SUCH  UNPAID  AMOUNTS,  TOGETHER  WITH  INTEREST  THEREON,
 COMPOUNDED ANNUALLY; AND
   (B)  SUCH  INTEREST  ON  EACH AMOUNT OF UNDEDUCTED CONTRIBUTIONS SHALL
 ACCRUE FROM THE END OF THE PAYROLL PERIOD FOR WHICH  SUCH  AMOUNT  WOULD
 HAVE  BEEN  DEDUCTED  FROM  COMPENSATION  IF SUCH PARTICIPANT HAD BEEN A
 PARTICIPANT AT THE BEGINNING OF THAT PAYROLL PERIOD AND SUCH  DEDUCTIONS
 A. 8444                            12
 
 HAD  BEEN  REQUIRED FOR SUCH PAYROLL PERIOD UNTIL SUCH AMOUNT IS PAID TO
 THE RETIREMENT SYSTEM; AND
   (C)  (1)  INTEREST  ON EACH SUCH AMOUNT INCLUDED IN SUCH PARTICIPANT'S
 CONTRIBUTION DEFICIENCY PURSUANT TO THIS SUBPARAGRAPH  SHALL  BE  CALCU-
 LATED  AS IF SUCH ADDITIONAL MEMBER CONTRIBUTIONS NEVER HAD BEEN PAID BY
 SUCH PARTICIPANT, AND SUCH INTEREST SHALL ACCRUE FROM  THE  END  OF  THE
 PAYROLL PERIOD TO WHICH AN AMOUNT OF SUCH ADDITIONAL MEMBER CONTRIBUTION
 IS  ATTRIBUTABLE,  COMPOUNDED ANNUALLY, UNTIL SUCH AMOUNT IS PAID TO THE
 RETIREMENT SYSTEM;
   (2) THE RATE OF INTEREST TO BE APPLIED TO EACH SUCH AMOUNT DURING  THE
 PERIOD  FOR  WHICH INTEREST ACCRUES ON THAT AMOUNT SHALL BE EQUAL TO THE
 RATE OR RATES OF INTEREST REQUIRED BY LAW TO BE USED  DURING  THAT  SAME
 PERIOD  TO  CREDIT  INTEREST ON THE ACCUMULATED DEDUCTIONS OF RETIREMENT
 SYSTEM MEMBERS.
   (II) EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN SUBPARAGRAPH (III) OF  THIS  PARAGRAPH,  NO
 INTEREST  SHALL  BE DUE ON ANY UNPAID ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS WHICH ARE
 NOT ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE PERIOD PRIOR TO THE FIRST  FULL  PAYROLL  PERIOD
 REFERRED TO IN PARAGRAPH TWO OF THIS SUBDIVISION.
   (III)  SHOULD  ANY  PERSON  WHO,  PURSUANT  TO PARAGRAPH SEVEN OF THIS
 SUBDIVISION, HAS WITHDRAWN ANY ADDITIONAL MEMBER CONTRIBUTIONS  AND  ANY
 INTEREST  PAID THEREON, AGAIN BECOME A PARTICIPANT IN THE TWENTY-TWO AND
 ONE-HALF YEAR IMPROVED BENEFIT RETIREMENT PROGRAM PURSUANT TO  PARAGRAPH
 FIVE  OF  SUBDIVISION  B OF THIS SECTION, AN APPROPRIATE AMOUNT SHALL BE
 INCLUDED IN SUCH PARTICIPANT'S CONTRIBUTION DEFICIENCY, INCLUDING INTER-
 EST THEREON AS CALCULATED PURSUANT TO SUBPARAGRAPH (II)  OF  THIS  PARA-
 GRAPH,  FOR  ANY  CREDITED  SERVICE  WITH  RESPECT  TO WHICH SUCH PERSON
 RECEIVED A REFUND OF  ADDITIONAL  MEMBER  CONTRIBUTIONS,  INCLUDING  ANY
 AMOUNT  OF  AN  UNPAID LOAN BALANCE DEEMED TO HAVE BEEN RETURNED TO SUCH
 PERSON PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPH SEVEN OF THIS SUBDIVISION, AS IF SUCH ADDI-
 TIONAL MEMBER CONTRIBUTIONS NEVER HAD BEEN PAID.
   4. THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE RETIREMENT SYSTEM MAY, CONSISTENT WITH
 THE PROVISIONS OF  THIS  SUBDIVISION,  PROMULGATE  REGULATIONS  FOR  THE
 PAYMENT OF THE ADDITIONAL MEMBER CONTRIBUTIONS REQUIRED BY THIS SUBDIVI-
 SION,  AND  ANY INTEREST THEREON, BY A PARTICIPANT IN THE TWENTY-TWO AND
 ONE-HALF  YEAR  IMPROVED  BENEFIT  RETIREMENT  PROGRAM,  INCLUDING   THE
 DEDUCTION  OF  SUCH  CONTRIBUTIONS,  AND ANY INTEREST THEREON, FROM SUCH
 PARTICIPANT'S COMPENSATION.
   5. WHERE A PARTICIPANT WHO IS OTHERWISE ELIGIBLE FOR  SERVICE  RETIRE-
 MENT  PURSUANT  TO  SUBDIVISION  C OF THIS SECTION DID NOT, PRIOR TO THE
 EFFECTIVE DATE OF RETIREMENT, PAY THE ENTIRE AMOUNT  OF  A  CONTRIBUTION
 DEFICIENCY CHARGEABLE TO SUCH PARTICIPANT PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPH THREE OF
 THIS  SUBDIVISION,  OR REPAY THE ENTIRE AMOUNT OF A LOAN OF SUCH PARTIC-
 IPANT'S ADDITIONAL MEMBER CONTRIBUTIONS PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPH  EIGHT  OF
 THIS  SUBDIVISION, INCLUDING ACCRUED INTEREST ON SUCH LOAN, THAT PARTIC-
 IPANT, NEVERTHELESS, SHALL BE ELIGIBLE TO RETIRE PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION
 C OF THIS SECTION, PROVIDED, HOWEVER, THAT WHERE SUCH PARTICIPANT IS NOT
 ENTITLED TO A REFUND OF  ADDITIONAL  MEMBER  CONTRIBUTIONS  PURSUANT  TO
 PARAGRAPH  SEVEN OF THIS SUBDIVISION, SUCH PARTICIPANT'S SERVICE RETIRE-
 MENT BENEFIT CALCULATED PURSUANT TO THE APPLICABLE PROVISIONS OF  SUBDI-
 VISION  C OF THIS SECTION SHALL BE REDUCED BY A LIFE ANNUITY, CALCULATED
 IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE METHOD SET FORTH IN SUBDIVISION I OF SECTION  SIX
 HUNDRED THIRTEEN-B OF THIS CHAPTER, WHICH IS ACTUARIALLY EQUIVALENT TO:
   (I)  THE  AMOUNT  OF  ANY UNPAID CONTRIBUTION DEFICIENCY CHARGEABLE TO
 SUCH MEMBER PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPH THREE OF THIS SUBDIVISION; PLUS
 A. 8444                            13
 
   (II) THE AMOUNT OF ANY UNPAID BALANCE OF A LOAN  OF  THEIR  ADDITIONAL
 MEMBER  CONTRIBUTIONS  PURSUANT  TO PARAGRAPH EIGHT OF THIS SUBDIVISION,
 INCLUDING ACCRUED INTEREST ON SUCH LOAN.
   6.  SUBJECT  TO  THE PROVISIONS OF PARAGRAPH FIVE OF THIS SUBDIVISION,
 WHERE A PARTICIPANT HAS NOT PAID IN  FULL  ANY  CONTRIBUTION  DEFICIENCY
 CHARGEABLE  TO  SUCH  PARTICIPANT  PURSUANT  TO  PARAGRAPH THREE OF THIS
 SUBDIVISION, AND A BENEFIT, OTHER THAN A REFUND OF  A  MEMBER'S  ACCUMU-
 LATED DEDUCTIONS OR A REFUND OF ADDITIONAL MEMBER CONTRIBUTIONS PURSUANT
 TO  PARAGRAPH  SEVEN OF THIS SUBDIVISION, BECOMES PAYABLE BY THE RETIRE-
 MENT SYSTEM TO THE PARTICIPANT OR TO  THEIR  DESIGNATED  BENEFICIARY  OR
 ESTATE,  THE  ACTUARIAL  EQUIVALENT  OF  ANY SUCH UNPAID AMOUNT SHALL BE
 DEDUCTED FROM THE BENEFIT OTHERWISE PAYABLE.
   7. (I) ALL ADDITIONAL MEMBER CONTRIBUTIONS REQUIRED BY  THIS  SUBDIVI-
 SION,  AND  ANY  INTEREST  THEREON, WHICH ARE RECEIVED BY THE RETIREMENT
 SYSTEM SHALL BE PAID INTO ITS CONTINGENT RESERVE FUND AND SHALL  BE  THE
 PROPERTY OF THE RETIREMENT SYSTEM. SUCH ADDITIONAL MEMBER CONTRIBUTIONS,
 AND  ANY  INTEREST  THEREON,  SHALL  NOT FOR ANY PURPOSE BE DEEMED TO BE
 MEMBER CONTRIBUTIONS OR  ACCUMULATED  DEDUCTIONS  OF  A  MEMBER  OF  THE
 RETIREMENT SYSTEM UNDER SECTION 13-125 OR SECTION 13-162 OF THE ADMINIS-
 TRATIVE CODE WHILE THEY ARE A PARTICIPANT IN THE TWENTY-TWO AND ONE-HALF
 YEAR IMPROVED BENEFIT RETIREMENT PROGRAM OR OTHERWISE.
   (II) SHOULD A PARTICIPANT IN THE TWENTY-TWO AND ONE-HALF YEAR IMPROVED
 BENEFIT  RETIREMENT PROGRAM, WHO HAS RENDERED LESS THAN FIFTEEN YEARS OF
 CREDITED SERVICE CEASE TO HOLD A POSITION  AS  AN  EMT  MEMBER  FOR  ANY
 REASON  WHATSOEVER,  SUCH  PARTICIPANT'S  ACCUMULATED  ADDITIONAL MEMBER
 CONTRIBUTIONS MADE PURSUANT  TO  THIS  SUBDIVISION,  TOGETHER  WITH  ANY
 INTEREST THEREON PAID TO THE RETIREMENT SYSTEM, WHICH REMAIN CREDITED TO
 SUCH PARTICIPANT'S ACCOUNT MAY BE WITHDRAWN BY SUCH PARTICIPANT PURSUANT
 TO PROCEDURES PROMULGATED IN REGULATIONS OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE
 RETIREMENT  SYSTEM, TOGETHER WITH INTEREST THEREON AT THE RATE OF INTER-
 EST REQUIRED BY LAW TO BE USED TO CREDIT  INTEREST  ON  THE  ACCUMULATED
 DEDUCTIONS OF RETIREMENT SYSTEM MEMBERS COMPOUNDED ANNUALLY.
   (III)  NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER PROVISION OF LAW TO THE CONTRARY, (A)
 NO PERSON SHALL BE PERMITTED TO WITHDRAW FROM THE RETIREMENT SYSTEM  ANY
 ADDITIONAL MEMBER CONTRIBUTIONS PAID PURSUANT TO THIS SUBDIVISION OR ANY
 INTEREST  PAID  THEREON,  EXCEPT  PURSUANT TO AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE
 PRECEDING SUBPARAGRAPHS OF THIS PARAGRAPH; AND (B) NO PERSON, WHILE THEY
 ARE A PARTICIPANT IN THE TWENTY-TWO AND ONE-HALF YEAR  IMPROVED  BENEFIT
 RETIREMENT  PROGRAM,  SHALL BE PERMITTED TO WITHDRAW ANY SUCH ADDITIONAL
 MEMBER CONTRIBUTIONS OR ANY INTEREST PAID THEREON PURSUANT TO ANY OF THE
 PRECEDING SUBPARAGRAPHS OF THIS PARAGRAPH OR OTHERWISE.
   8. A PARTICIPANT IN THE TWENTY-TWO AND ONE-HALF YEAR IMPROVED  BENEFIT
 RETIREMENT  PROGRAM  SHALL  BE PERMITTED TO BORROW FROM THEIR ADDITIONAL
 MEMBER CONTRIBUTIONS, INCLUDING ANY INTEREST  PAID  THEREON,  WHICH  ARE
 CREDITED  TO  THE  ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS ACCOUNT ESTABLISHED FOR SUCH
 PARTICIPANT IN THE CONTINGENT RESERVE FUND OF THE RETIREMENT SYSTEM. THE
 BORROWING FROM SUCH ADDITIONAL MEMBER  CONTRIBUTIONS  PURSUANT  TO  THIS
 PARAGRAPH  SHALL BE GOVERNED BY THE SAME RIGHTS, PRIVILEGES, OBLIGATIONS
 AND PROCEDURES SET FORTH IN SECTION SIX HUNDRED THIRTEEN-B OF THIS CHAP-
 TER WHICH GOVERN THE BORROWING BY MEMBERS SUBJECT TO ARTICLE FIFTEEN  OF
 THIS  CHAPTER  OF  MEMBER  CONTRIBUTIONS  MADE  PURSUANT  TO SECTION SIX
 HUNDRED THIRTEEN OF THIS CHAPTER. THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF  THE  RETIRE-
 MENT  SYSTEM  MAY,  CONSISTENT  WITH THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SUBDIVISION,
 PROMULGATE REGULATIONS GOVERNING THE BORROWING OF SUCH ADDITIONAL MEMBER
 CONTRIBUTIONS.
 A. 8444                            14

   9. WHEREVER A PERSON HAS AN UNPAID BALANCE OF A LOAN OF SUCH  PERSON'S
 ADDITIONAL  MEMBER  CONTRIBUTIONS  PURSUANT  TO  PARAGRAPH EIGHT OF THIS
 SUBDIVISION AT THE TIME SUCH PERSON BECOMES  ENTITLED  TO  A  REFUND  OF
 THEIR  ADDITIONAL  MEMBER CONTRIBUTIONS PURSUANT TO SUBPARAGRAPH (II) OF
 PARAGRAPH  SEVEN  OF  THIS  SUBDIVISION,  THE AMOUNT OF SUCH UNPAID LOAN
 BALANCE, INCLUDING ACCRUED  INTEREST,  SHALL  BE  DEEMED  TO  HAVE  BEEN
 RETURNED TO SUCH MEMBER, AND THE REFUND OF SUCH ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS
 SHALL  BE  THE  NET AMOUNT OF SUCH CONTRIBUTIONS, TOGETHER WITH INTEREST
 THEREON IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS OF SUCH SUBPARAGRAPH.
   10. NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER PROVISION OF LAW TO  THE  CONTRARY,  THE
 PROVISIONS  OF  SECTION ONE HUNDRED THIRTY-EIGHT-B OF THIS CHAPTER SHALL
 NOT BE APPLICABLE TO  THE  ADDITIONAL  MEMBER  CONTRIBUTIONS  WHICH  ARE
 REQUIRED BY THIS SUBDIVISION.
   11.  NOTWITHSTANDING  ANY  OTHER PROVISION OF LAW TO THE CONTRARY, THE
 ADDITIONAL MEMBER CONTRIBUTIONS WHICH ARE REQUIRED BY  THIS  SUBDIVISION
 SHALL NOT BE REDUCED UNDER ANY PROGRAM FOR INCREASED-TAKE-HOME-PAY.
   E.  THE  PROVISIONS  OF THIS SECTION SHALL NOT BE CONSTRUED TO PROVIDE
 BENEFITS TO ANY PARTICIPANT IN THE TWENTY-TWO AND ONE-HALF YEAR IMPROVED
 BENEFIT RETIREMENT PROGRAM WHICH ARE GREATER THAN THOSE WHICH  WOULD  BE
 RECEIVED  BY  A  SIMILARLY  SITUATED  MEMBER WHO IS ENTITLED TO BENEFITS
 UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF SECTION 13-157.5 OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE CODE, BUT
 WHO IS NOT GOVERNED BY THE PROVISIONS OF THIS ARTICLE.
   F. COST-OF-LIVING ADJUSTMENTS. NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER PROVISION  OF
 LAW  TO  THE  CONTRARY,  A  PERSON WHO RETIRES WITH A RETIREMENT BENEFIT
 PROVIDED FOR IN THE TWENTY-TWO  AND  ONE-HALF  YEAR  RETIREMENT  PROGRAM
 PURSUANT  TO THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION SHALL NOT BE ENTITLED TO THE
 COST-OF-LIVING ADJUSTMENTS PROVIDED PURSUANT TO SECTION  13-696  OF  THE
 ADMINISTRATIVE CODE OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK.
   §  5.  Paragraph 3 of subdivision b of section 604-e of the retirement
 and social security law, as added by chapter 577 of the laws of 2000, is
 amended to read as follows:
   3. Each EMT member, other than an EMT member subject to paragraph  one
 or  two  of  this  subdivision,  who  [becomes]  BECAME  subject  to the
 provisions of this article on or after the starting date of the  twenty-
 five year retirement program AND PRIOR TO THE STARTING DATE OF THE TWEN-
 TY-TWO  AND ONE-HALF YEAR RETIREMENT PROGRAM PROVIDED FOR IN SECTION SIX
 HUNDRED FOUR-K OF THIS ARTICLE shall [become] CONTINUE TO BE  a  partic-
 ipant  in the twenty-five year retirement program [on the date he or she
 becomes such an EMT member], UNLESS  SUCH  PERSON  ELECTS  TO  BECOME  A
 MEMBER OF THE TWENTY-TWO AND ONE-HALF YEAR RETIREMENT PROGRAM IN ACCORD-
 ANCE  WITH  THE CONDITIONS AND TERMS OF SUCH SECTION SIX HUNDRED FOUR-K.
 Provided, however, a person subject  to  this  paragraph,  and  who  has
 exceeded  age  twenty-five  upon  employment  as an EMT member, shall be
 exempt from participation in the improved  twenty-five  year  retirement
 program  if  such  person  elects  not  to  participate by filing a duly
 executed form with the retirement system within one hundred eighty  days
 of becoming an EMT member.
   § 6. The retirement and social security law is amended by adding a new
 section 604-k to read as follows:
   §  604-K.  TWENTY-TWO  AND  ONE-HALF  YEAR  RETIREMENT PROGRAM FOR EMT
 MEMBERS. A. DEFINITIONS. THE FOLLOWING WORDS AND PHRASES AS USED IN THIS
 SECTION SHALL HAVE THE FOLLOWING MEANINGS UNLESS A DIFFERENT MEANING  IS
 PLAINLY REQUIRED BY THE CONTEXT.
   1.  "EMT  MEMBER"  SHALL MEAN A MEMBER OF THE NEW YORK CITY EMPLOYEES'
 RETIREMENT SYSTEM WHO IS EMPLOYED BY THE CITY OF NEW YORK OR BY THE  NEW
 YORK  CITY  HEALTH AND HOSPITALS CORPORATION IN A TITLE WHOSE DUTIES ARE
 A. 8444                            15
 
 THOSE OF AN  EMERGENCY  MEDICAL  TECHNICIAN  OR  AN  ADVANCED  EMERGENCY
 MEDICAL TECHNICIAN, AS THOSE TERMS ARE DEFINED IN SECTION THREE THOUSAND
 ONE  OF  THE  PUBLIC  HEALTH LAW, OR IN A TITLE WHOSE DUTIES REQUIRE THE
 SUPERVISION  OF EMPLOYEES WHOSE DUTIES ARE THOSE OF AN EMERGENCY MEDICAL
 TECHNICIAN OR ADVANCED EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIAN, AS THOSE TERMS  ARE
 DEFINED IN SECTION THREE THOUSAND ONE OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH LAW.
   2.  "TWENTY-TWO  AND  ONE-HALF YEAR RETIREMENT PROGRAM" SHALL MEAN ALL
 THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THIS SECTION.
   3. "STARTING DATE OF  THE  TWENTY-TWO  AND  ONE-HALF  YEAR  RETIREMENT
 PROGRAM" SHALL MEAN THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SECTION.
   4.  "PARTICIPANT  IN  THE  TWENTY-TWO  AND  ONE-HALF  YEAR  RETIREMENT
 PROGRAM" SHALL MEAN ANY EMT MEMBER WHO, UNDER THE APPLICABLE  PROVISIONS
 OF  SUBDIVISION  B  OF THIS SECTION, IS ENTITLED TO THE RIGHTS, BENEFITS
 AND PRIVILEGES AND IS SUBJECT TO THE OBLIGATIONS OF THE  TWENTY-TWO  AND
 ONE-HALF YEAR RETIREMENT PROGRAM, AS APPLICABLE TO SUCH MEMBER.
   5.  "DISCONTINUED  MEMBER"  SHALL MEAN A PARTICIPANT IN THE TWENTY-TWO
 AND ONE-HALF YEAR RETIREMENT PROGRAM WHO, WHILE SUCH PARTICIPANT WAS  AN
 EMT  MEMBER,  DISCONTINUED SERVICE AS SUCH A MEMBER AND HAS A RIGHT TO A
 DEFERRED VESTED BENEFIT UNDER SUBDIVISION D OF THIS SECTION.
   6. "ADMINISTRATIVE CODE" SHALL MEAN THE  ADMINISTRATIVE  CODE  OF  THE
 CITY OF NEW YORK.
   7. "CREDITABLE SERVICE AS AN EMT MEMBER" SHALL MEAN (I) ALL SERVICE AS
 AN  EMT  MEMBER;  AND (II) ALL SERVICE WHILE EMPLOYED BY THE CITY OF NEW
 YORK OR BY THE NEW YORK CITY HEALTH AND  HOSPITALS  CORPORATION  IN  THE
 TITLE MOTOR VEHICLE OPERATOR.
   B.  PARTICIPATION  IN  THE  TWENTY-TWO  AND  ONE-HALF  YEAR RETIREMENT
 PROGRAM. 1. SUBJECT TO THE PROVISIONS OF PARAGRAPHS  SIX  AND  SEVEN  OF
 THIS  SUBDIVISION,  ANY PERSON WHO IS AN EMT MEMBER ON THE STARTING DATE
 OF THE TWENTY-TWO AND ONE-HALF YEAR RETIREMENT PROGRAM AND WHO, AS  SUCH
 AN  EMT  MEMBER  OR  OTHERWISE, LAST BECAME SUBJECT TO THE PROVISIONS OF
 THIS ARTICLE PRIOR TO SUCH STARTING DATE, MAY ELECT TO BECOME A  PARTIC-
 IPANT  IN THE TWENTY-TWO AND ONE-HALF YEAR RETIREMENT PROGRAM BY FILING,
 WITHIN ONE HUNDRED EIGHTY DAYS AFTER SUCH STARTING DATE, A DULY EXECUTED
 APPLICATION FOR SUCH PARTICIPATION WITH THE RETIREMENT SYSTEM  OF  WHICH
 SUCH  PERSON  IS A MEMBER, PROVIDED SUCH PERSON IS SUCH AN EMT MEMBER ON
 THE DATE SUCH APPLICATION IS FILED. AN EMT MEMBER WHO ELECTS TO BECOME A
 MEMBER OF THE TWENTY-TWO AND ONE-HALF YEAR RETIREMENT  PROGRAM  PURSUANT
 TO  THIS  PARAGRAPH  SHALL  CEASE TO BE A MEMBER OF THE TWENTY-FIVE YEAR
 RETIREMENT PROGRAM PROVIDED FOR IN SECTION SIX HUNDRED  FOUR-E  OF  THIS
 ARTICLE,  AS  ADDED BY CHAPTER FIVE HUNDRED SEVENTY-SEVEN OF THE LAWS OF
 TWO THOUSAND.
   2. SUBJECT TO THE PROVISIONS OF  PARAGRAPHS  SIX  AND  SEVEN  OF  THIS
 SUBDIVISION,  ANY  PERSON  WHO  BECOMES AN EMT MEMBER AFTER THE STARTING
 DATE OF THE TWENTY-TWO AND ONE-HALF YEAR RETIREMENT PROGRAM AND WHO,  AS
 SUCH  AN  EMT MEMBER OR OTHERWISE, LAST BECAME SUBJECT TO THE PROVISIONS
 OF THIS ARTICLE PRIOR TO SUCH STARTING  DATE,  MAY  ELECT  TO  BECOME  A
 PARTICIPANT  IN  THE  TWENTY-TWO AND ONE-HALF YEAR RETIREMENT PROGRAM BY
 FILING, WITHIN ONE HUNDRED  EIGHTY  DAYS  AFTER  BECOMING  SUCH  AN  EMT
 MEMBER,  A  DULY  EXECUTED  APPLICATION  FOR SUCH PARTICIPATION WITH THE
 RETIREMENT SYSTEM FOR WHICH SUCH  PERSON  IS  A  MEMBER,  PROVIDED  SUCH
 PERSON  IS  SUCH AN EMT MEMBER ON THE DATE SUCH APPLICATION IS FILED. AN
 EMT MEMBER WHO ELECTS TO BECOME A MEMBER OF THE TWENTY-TWO AND  ONE-HALF
 YEAR  RETIREMENT  PROGRAM PURSUANT TO THIS PARAGRAPH SHALL CEASE TO BE A
 MEMBER OF THE  TWENTY-FIVE  YEAR  RETIREMENT  PROGRAM  PROVIDED  FOR  IN
 SECTION  SIX  HUNDRED  FOUR-E  OF THIS ARTICLE, AS ADDED BY CHAPTER FIVE
 HUNDRED SEVENTY-SEVEN OF THE LAWS OF TWO THOUSAND.
 A. 8444                            16
 
   3. ANY ELECTION TO BE A PARTICIPANT IN  THE  TWENTY-TWO  AND  ONE-HALF
 YEAR RETIREMENT PROGRAM SHALL BE IRREVOCABLE.
   4. EACH EMT MEMBER WHO BECOMES SUBJECT TO THE PROVISIONS OF THIS ARTI-
 CLE  ON  OR  AFTER THE STARTING DATE OF THE TWENTY-TWO AND ONE-HALF YEAR
 RETIREMENT PROGRAM SHALL BECOME A  PARTICIPANT  IN  THE  TWENTY-TWO  AND
 ONE-HALF YEAR RETIREMENT PROGRAM ON THE DATE SUCH PARTICIPANT BECOMES AN
 EMT MEMBER.
   5.  WHERE  ANY PARTICIPANT IN THE TWENTY-TWO AND ONE-HALF YEAR RETIRE-
 MENT PROGRAM SHALL CEASE TO HOLD A POSITION AS AN EMT MEMBER, THEY SHALL
 CEASE TO BE SUCH A PARTICIPANT AND, DURING  ANY  PERIOD  IN  WHICH  SUCH
 PERSON  DOES  NOT HOLD SUCH AN EMT POSITION, THEY SHALL NOT BE A PARTIC-
 IPANT IN THE TWENTY-TWO AND ONE-HALF YEAR RETIREMENT PROGRAM  AND  SHALL
 NOT BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE BENEFITS OF SUBDIVISION C OF THIS SECTION.
   6.  WHERE  ANY PARTICIPANT IN THE TWENTY-TWO AND ONE-HALF YEAR RETIRE-
 MENT PROGRAM TERMINATES SERVICE AS AN EMT MEMBER  AND  RETURNS  TO  SUCH
 SERVICE AS AN EMT MEMBER AT A LATER DATE, THEY SHALL AGAIN BECOME SUCH A
 PARTICIPANT ON THAT DATE.
   7. NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER PROVISION OF THE LAW TO THE CONTRARY, ANY
 PERSON  WHO  IS ELIGIBLE TO ELECT TO BECOME A PARTICIPANT IN THE TWENTY-
 TWO AND ONE-HALF YEAR RETIREMENT PROGRAM PURSUANT TO  PARAGRAPH  ONE  OR
 TWO  OF  THIS  SUBDIVISION  FOR  THE  FULL ONE HUNDRED EIGHTY DAY PERIOD
 PROVIDED FOR IN SUCH APPLICABLE PARAGRAPH AND WHO FAILS TO TIMELY FILE A
 DULY EXECUTED APPLICATION FOR SUCH  PARTICIPATION  WITH  THE  RETIREMENT
 SYSTEM, SHALL NOT THEREAFTER BE ELIGIBLE TO BECOME A PARTICIPANT IN SUCH
 PROGRAM.
   C. SERVICE RETIREMENT BENEFITS. 1. A PARTICIPANT IN THE TWENTY-TWO AND
 ONE-HALF YEAR RETIREMENT PROGRAM:
   (I) WHO HAS COMPLETED TWENTY-TWO AND ONE-HALF OR MORE YEARS OF CREDIT-
 ABLE SERVICE AS AN EMT MEMBER; AND
   (II)  WHO HAS PAID, BEFORE THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF RETIREMENT, ALL ADDI-
 TIONAL MEMBER CONTRIBUTIONS AND INTEREST, IF ANY, REQUIRED  BY  SUBDIVI-
 SION E OF THIS SECTION; AND
   (III)  WHO  FILES WITH THE RETIREMENT SYSTEM OF WHICH SUCH PARTICIPANT
 IS A MEMBER AN APPLICATION FOR SERVICE RETIREMENT SETTING FORTH AT  WHAT
 TIME,  NOT  LESS THAN THIRTY DAYS SUBSEQUENT TO THE EXECUTION AND FILING
 THEREOF, SUCH PARTICIPANT DESIRES TO BE RETIRED; AND
   (IV) WHO SHALL BE A PARTICIPANT IN THE TWENTY-TWO  AND  ONE-YEAR  YEAR
 RETIREMENT  PROGRAM  AT  THE  TIME  SO  SPECIFIED FOR SUCH PARTICIPANT'S
 RETIREMENT; SHALL BE RETIRED PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF THIS  SECTION
 AFFORDING EARLY SERVICE RETIREMENT.
   2.  NOTWITHSTANDING  ANY  OTHER  PROVISION OF LAW TO THE CONTRARY, AND
 SUBJECT TO THE PROVISIONS OF PARAGRAPH SIX  OF  SUBDIVISION  E  OF  THIS
 SECTION,  THE SERVICE RETIREMENT BENEFIT FOR PARTICIPANTS IN THE TWENTY-
 TWO AND ONE-HALF YEAR RETIREMENT PROGRAM WHO RETIRE  PURSUANT  TO  PARA-
 GRAPH ONE OF THIS SUBDIVISION SHALL BE A RETIREMENT ALLOWANCE CONSISTING
 OF:
   (I)  AN  AMOUNT, ON ACCOUNT OF THE REQUIRED MINIMUM PERIOD OF SERVICE,
 EQUAL TO FIFTY PERCENT OF SUCH PARTICIPANT'S FINAL AVERAGE SALARY; PLUS
   (II) AN AMOUNT ON ACCOUNT OF CREDITABLE SERVICE AS AN EMT  MEMBER,  OR
 FRACTION  THEREOF,  BEYOND SUCH REQUIRED MINIMUM PERIOD OF SERVICE EQUAL
 TO TWO PERCENT OF THEIR FINAL SALARY AS AN EMT MEMBER DURING THE  PERIOD
 FROM  THE  COMPLETION  OF  TWENTY-TWO  AND  ONE-HALF YEARS OF CREDITABLE
 SERVICE AS AN EMT MEMBER TO THE DATE OF RETIREMENT  BUT  NOT  TO  EXCEED
 MORE THAN FIVE YEARS OF ADDITIONAL SERVICE AS AN EMT MEMBER.
   D.  VESTING.  1.  A  PARTICIPANT  IN  THE TWENTY-TWO AND ONE-HALF YEAR
 RETIREMENT PROGRAM:
 A. 8444                            17
 
   (I) WHO DISCONTINUES SERVICE AS SUCH  A  PARTICIPANT,  OTHER  THAN  BY
 DEATH OR RETIREMENT; AND
   (II)  WHO  PRIOR  TO SUCH DISCONTINUANCE, COMPLETED FIVE BUT LESS THAN
 TWENTY-TWO AND ONE-HALF YEARS OF CREDITABLE SERVICE AS  AN  EMT  MEMBER;
 AND
   (III) WHO, SUBJECT TO THE PROVISIONS OF PARAGRAPH SEVEN OF SUBDIVISION
 E  OF  THIS  SECTION,  HAS PAID, PRIOR TO SUCH DISCONTINUANCE, ALL ADDI-
 TIONAL MEMBER CONTRIBUTIONS AND INTEREST, IF ANY, REQUIRED  BY  SUBDIVI-
 SION E OF THIS SECTION; AND
   (IV)  WHO  DOES  NOT  WITHDRAW  IN  WHOLE OR IN PART THEIR ACCUMULATED
 MEMBER CONTRIBUTIONS PURSUANT TO SECTION SIX HUNDRED  THIRTEEN  OF  THIS
 ARTICLE UNLESS SUCH PARTICIPANT THEREAFTER RETURNS TO PUBLIC SERVICE AND
 REPAYS  THE  AMOUNTS  SO  WITHDRAWN, TOGETHER WITH INTEREST, PURSUANT TO
 SUCH SECTION SIX  HUNDRED  THIRTEEN  SHALL  BE  ENTITLED  TO  RECEIVE  A
 DEFERRED VESTED BENEFIT AS PROVIDED IN THIS SUBDIVISION.
   2. (I) UPON SUCH DISCONTINUANCE UNDER THE CONDITIONS AND IN COMPLIANCE
 WITH  THE PROVISIONS OF PARAGRAPH ONE OF THIS SUBDIVISION, SUCH DEFERRED
 VESTED BENEFIT SHALL VEST AUTOMATICALLY.
   (II) IN THE CASE OF A PARTICIPANT WHO IS NOT A NEW YORK  CITY  REVISED
 PLAN  MEMBER,  SUCH  VESTED BENEFIT SHALL BECOME PAYABLE ON THE EARLIEST
 DATE ON WHICH SUCH DISCONTINUED MEMBER COULD HAVE RETIRED FOR SERVICE IF
 SUCH DISCONTINUANCE HAD NOT OCCURRED, OR, IN THE CASE OF  A  PARTICIPANT
 WHO  IS  A  NEW YORK CITY REVISED PLAN MEMBER, SUCH VESTED BENEFIT SHALL
 BECOME PAYABLE AT AGE SIXTY-THREE.
   3. SUBJECT TO THE PROVISIONS OF PARAGRAPH SEVEN OF  SUBDIVISION  E  OF
 THIS  SECTION, SUCH DEFERRED VESTED BENEFIT SHALL BE A RETIREMENT ALLOW-
 ANCE CONSISTING OF AN AMOUNT EQUAL TO TWO PERCENT OF  SUCH  DISCONTINUED
 MEMBER'S  FINAL  AVERAGE  SALARY,  MULTIPLIED  BY THE NUMBER OF YEARS OF
 CREDITABLE SERVICE AS AN EMT MEMBER.
   E. ADDITIONAL MEMBER CONTRIBUTIONS.  1.  IN  ADDITION  TO  THE  MEMBER
 CONTRIBUTIONS  REQUIRED BY SECTION SIX HUNDRED THIRTEEN OF THIS ARTICLE,
 EACH PARTICIPANT IN THE TWENTY-TWO AND ONE-HALF YEAR RETIREMENT  PROGRAM
 SHALL  CONTRIBUTE  TO  THE RETIREMENT SYSTEM OF WHICH THEY ARE A MEMBER,
 SUBJECT TO THE APPLICABLE PROVISIONS OF SUBDIVISION  D  OF  SECTION  SIX
 HUNDRED THIRTEEN OF THIS ARTICLE, AN ADDITIONAL SIX AND ONE-HALF PERCENT
 OF  SUCH  PARTICIPANT'S  COMPENSATION  EARNED  FROM  (I)  ALL CREDITABLE
 SERVICE, AS A PARTICIPANT IN THE TWENTY-TWO AND ONE-HALF YEAR RETIREMENT
 PROGRAM, RENDERED ON OR AFTER THE STARTING DATE OF  THE  TWENTY-TWO  AND
 ONE-HALF  YEAR RETIREMENT PROGRAM, AND (II) ALL CREDITABLE SERVICE AFTER
 SUCH PERSON CEASES TO BE A PARTICIPANT, BUT  BEFORE  SUCH  PERSON  AGAIN
 BECOMES A PARTICIPANT PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPH SIX OF SUBDIVISION B OF THIS
 SECTION.  THE ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS REQUIRED BY THIS SECTION SHALL BE
 IN LIEU OF ADDITIONAL MEMBER CONTRIBUTIONS REQUIRED BY SUBDIVISION D  OF
 SECTION  SIX  HUNDRED FOUR-C OF THIS CHAPTER AS ADDED BY CHAPTER NINETY-
 SIX OF THE LAWS OF NINETEEN HUNDRED NINETY-FIVE, AND SHALL BE IN LIEU OF
 ADDITIONAL MEMBER CONTRIBUTIONS REQUIRED BY SUBDIVISION E OF SECTION SIX
 HUNDRED FOUR-E OF THIS CHAPTER AS ADDED BY CHAPTER FIVE  HUNDRED  SEVEN-
 TY-SEVEN  OF  THE  LAWS OF TWO THOUSAND, AND NO MEMBER MAKING ADDITIONAL
 CONTRIBUTIONS PURSUANT  TO  THIS  SECTION  SHALL  BE  REQUIRED  TO  MAKE
 CONTRIBUTIONS  PURSUANT  TO  SUCH  SUBDIVISION  D OF SECTION SIX HUNDRED
 FOUR-C OF THIS ARTICLE OR SUCH SUBDIVISION  E  OF  SECTION  SIX  HUNDRED
 FOUR-E OF THIS ARTICLE.
   2.  A  PARTICIPANT  IN  THE  TWENTY-TWO  AND  ONE-HALF YEAR RETIREMENT
 PROGRAM SHALL CONTRIBUTE ADDITIONAL MEMBER CONTRIBUTIONS UNTIL THE LATER
 OF (I) THE FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF THE STARTING DATE OF THE TWENTY-TWO  AND
 ONE-HALF YEAR RETIREMENT PROGRAM, OR (II) THE DATE ON WHICH SUCH PARTIC-
 A. 8444                            18
 
 IPANT  COMPLETES  TWENTY-SEVEN AND ONE-HALF YEARS OF CREDITED SERVICE AS
 AN EMT MEMBER.
   3.  COMMENCING  WITH  THE  FIRST FULL PAYROLL PERIOD AFTER EACH PERSON
 BECOMES A PARTICIPANT IN THE TWENTY-TWO  AND  ONE-HALF  YEAR  RETIREMENT
 PROGRAM,  ADDITIONAL MEMBER CONTRIBUTIONS AT THE RATE SPECIFIED IN PARA-
 GRAPH ONE OF THIS SUBDIVISION SHALL BE DEDUCTED, SUBJECT TO THE APPLICA-
 BLE PROVISIONS OF SUBDIVISION D OF SECTION SIX HUNDRED THIRTEEN OF  THIS
 ARTICLE,  FROM  THE  COMPENSATION  OF SUCH PARTICIPANT ON EACH AND EVERY
 PAYROLL OF SUCH PARTICIPANT FOR EACH AND EVERY PAYROLL PERIOD FOR  WHICH
 THEY ARE SUCH A PARTICIPANT.
   4. (I) EACH PARTICIPANT IN THE TWENTY-TWO AND ONE-HALF YEAR RETIREMENT
 PROGRAM  SHALL  BE  CHARGED WITH A CONTRIBUTION DEFICIENCY CONSISTING OF
 THE TOTAL AMOUNTS OF ADDITIONAL  MEMBER  CONTRIBUTIONS  SUCH  PERSON  IS
 REQUIRED  TO MAKE PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPHS ONE AND TWO OF THIS SUBDIVISION
 WHICH ARE NOT DEDUCTED FROM SUCH PERSON'S COMPENSATION PURSUANT TO PARA-
 GRAPH THREE OF THIS SUBDIVISION, IF ANY, TOGETHER WITH INTEREST THEREON,
 COMPOUNDED ANNUALLY, AND COMPUTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE  PROVISIONS  OF
 SUBPARAGRAPHS (II) AND (III) OF THIS PARAGRAPH.
   (II)(A) THE INTEREST REQUIRED TO BE PAID ON EACH SUCH AMOUNT SPECIFIED
 IN  SUBPARAGRAPH  (I) OF THIS PARAGRAPH SHALL ACCRUE FROM THE END OF THE
 PAYROLL PERIOD FOR WHICH SUCH  AMOUNT  WOULD  HAVE  BEEN  DEDUCTED  FROM
 COMPENSATION  IF  SUCH PERSON HAD BEEN A PARTICIPANT AT THE BEGINNING OF
 THAT PAYROLL PERIOD AND  SUCH  DEDUCTION  HAD  BEEN  REQUIRED  FOR  SUCH
 PAYROLL PERIOD, UNTIL SUCH AMOUNT IS PAID TO THE RETIREMENT SYSTEM.
   (B)  THE RATE OF INTEREST TO BE APPLIED TO EACH SUCH AMOUNT DURING THE
 PERIOD FOR WHICH INTEREST ACCRUES ON THAT AMOUNT SHALL BE EQUAL  TO  THE
 RATE  OR  RATES  OF INTEREST REQUIRED BY LAW TO BE USED DURING THAT SAME
 PERIOD TO CREDIT INTEREST ON THE ACCUMULATED  DEDUCTIONS  OF  RETIREMENT
 SYSTEM MEMBERS.
   (III)  EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH FIVE OF THIS SUBDIVI-
 SION, NO INTEREST SHALL BE DUE ON ANY UNPAID ADDITIONAL MEMBER  CONTRIB-
 UTIONS  WHICH  ARE  NOT ATTRIBUTABLE TO A PERIOD PRIOR TO THE FIRST FULL
 PAYROLL PERIOD REFERRED TO IN PARAGRAPH THREE OF THIS SUBDIVISION.
   5. (I) SHOULD ANY PERSON WHO, PURSUANT TO SUBPARAGRAPH (II)  OF  PARA-
 GRAPH TEN OF THIS SUBDIVISION, HAS RECEIVED A REFUND OF THEIR ADDITIONAL
 MEMBER  CONTRIBUTIONS INCLUDING ANY INTEREST PAID ON SUCH CONTRIBUTIONS,
 AGAIN BECOME A PARTICIPANT IN THE TWENTY-TWO AND ONE-HALF  YEAR  RETIRE-
 MENT PROGRAM PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPH SIX OF SUBDIVISION B OF THIS SECTION,
 AN  APPROPRIATE  AMOUNT SHALL BE INCLUDED IN SUCH PARTICIPANT'S CONTRIB-
 UTION DEFICIENCY, INCLUDING INTEREST THEREON AS CALCULATED  PURSUANT  TO
 SUBPARAGRAPH  (II) OF THIS PARAGRAPH, FOR ANY CREDITED SERVICE FOR WHICH
 SUCH PERSON RECEIVED A REFUND OF SUCH ADDITIONAL  MEMBER  CONTRIBUTIONS,
 INCLUDING  ANY  AMOUNT  OF  AN  UNPAID  LOAN BALANCE DEEMED TO HAVE BEEN
 RETURNED TO SUCH PERSON PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPH TWELVE  OF  THIS  SUBDIVI-
 SION, AS IF SUCH ADDITIONAL MEMBER CONTRIBUTIONS NEVER HAD BEEN PAID.
   (II)  (A)  INTEREST ON A PARTICIPANT'S ADDITIONAL MEMBER CONTRIBUTIONS
 INCLUDED IN  SUCH  PARTICIPANT'S  CONTRIBUTION  DEFICIENCY  PURSUANT  TO
 SUBPARAGRAPH  (I) OF THIS PARAGRAPH SHALL BE CALCULATED AS IF SUCH ADDI-
 TIONAL MEMBER CONTRIBUTIONS HAD NEVER BEEN PAID BY SUCH PARTICIPANT, AND
 SUCH INTEREST SHALL ACCRUE FROM THE END OF THE PAYROLL PERIOD  TO  WHICH
 AN AMOUNT OF SUCH ADDITIONAL MEMBER CONTRIBUTIONS IS ATTRIBUTABLE, UNTIL
 SUCH AMOUNT IS PAID TO THE RETIREMENT SYSTEM.
   (B) THE RATE OF INTEREST TO BE APPLIED TO SUCH AMOUNT DURING THE PERI-
 OD  FOR  WHICH INTEREST ACCRUES ON THAT AMOUNT SHALL BE FIVE PERCENT PER
 ANNUM, COMPOUNDED ANNUALLY.
 A. 8444                            19
 
   6. WHERE A PARTICIPANT WHO IS OTHERWISE ELIGIBLE FOR  SERVICE  RETIRE-
 MENT  PURSUANT  TO  SUBDIVISION  C OF THIS SECTION DID NOT, PRIOR TO THE
 EFFECTIVE DATE OF RETIREMENT, PAY THE ENTIRE AMOUNT  OF  A  CONTRIBUTION
 DEFICIENCY  CHARGEABLE  TO  SUCH PARTICIPANT PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPHS FOUR
 AND  FIVE  OF  THIS SUBDIVISION, OR REPAY THE ENTIRE AMOUNT OF A LOAN OF
 THEIR ADDITIONAL MEMBER CONTRIBUTIONS PURSUANT TO  PARAGRAPH  ELEVEN  OF
 THIS  SUBDIVISION, INCLUDING ACCRUED INTEREST ON SUCH LOAN, THAT PARTIC-
 IPANT, NEVERTHELESS, SHALL BE ELIGIBLE TO RETIRE PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION
 C OF THIS SECTION, PROVIDED, HOWEVER, THAT  SUCH  PARTICIPANT'S  SERVICE
 RETIREMENT BENEFIT CALCULATED PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPH TWO OF SUCH SUBDIVI-
 SION C SHALL BE REDUCED BY A LIFE ANNUITY, CALCULATED IN ACCORDANCE WITH
 THE  METHOD SET FORTH IN SUBDIVISION I OF SECTION SIX HUNDRED THIRTEEN-B
 OF THIS ARTICLE, WHICH IS ACTUARIALLY EQUIVALENT TO:
   (I) THE AMOUNT OF ANY UNPAID  CONTRIBUTION  DEFICIENCY  CHARGEABLE  TO
 SUCH  MEMBER  PURSUANT  TO PARAGRAPHS FOUR AND FIVE OF THIS SUBDIVISION;
 PLUS
   (II) THE AMOUNT OF ANY UNPAID BALANCE OF A LOAN OF SUCH  PARTICIPANT'S
 ADDITIONAL  MEMBER  CONTRIBUTIONS  PURSUANT  TO PARAGRAPH ELEVEN OF THIS
 SUBDIVISION, INCLUDING ACCRUED INTEREST ON SUCH LOAN.
   7. WHERE A PARTICIPANT WHO IS OTHERWISE ELIGIBLE FOR A VESTED RIGHT TO
 A DEFERRED BENEFIT PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION D OF THIS  SECTION  DID  NOT,
 PRIOR TO THE DATE OF DISCONTINUANCE OF SERVICE, PAY THE ENTIRE AMOUNT OF
 A  CONTRIBUTION  DEFICIENCY  CHARGEABLE  TO SUCH PARTICIPANT PURSUANT TO
 PARAGRAPHS FOUR AND FIVE OF THIS SUBDIVISION, OR REPAY THE ENTIRE AMOUNT
 OF A LOAN OF THEIR ADDITIONAL MEMBER CONTRIBUTIONS PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPH
 ELEVEN OF THIS SUBDIVISION, INCLUDING ACCRUED  INTEREST  ON  SUCH  LOAN,
 THAT  PARTICIPANT, NEVERTHELESS, SHALL HAVE A VESTED RIGHT TO A DEFERRED
 BENEFIT PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION D OF  THIS  SECTION  PROVIDED,  HOWEVER,
 THAT  THE DEFERRED VESTED BENEFIT CALCULATED PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPH THREE
 OF SUBDIVISION D OF THIS SECTION SHALL BE REDUCED  BY  A  LIFE  ANNUITY,
 CALCULATED  IN  ACCORDANCE WITH THE METHOD SET FORTH IN SUBDIVISION I OF
 SECTION SIX HUNDRED THIRTEEN-B OF THIS  ARTICLE,  WHICH  IS  ACTUARIALLY
 EQUIVALENT TO:
   (I)  THE  AMOUNT  OF ANY UNPAID CONTRIBUTION CHARGEABLE TO SUCH MEMBER
 PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPHS FOUR AND FIVE OF THIS SUBDIVISION; PLUS
   (II) THE AMOUNT OF ANY UNPAID BALANCE OF A LOAN  OF  THEIR  ADDITIONAL
 MEMBER  CONTRIBUTIONS  PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPH ELEVEN OF THIS SUBDIVISION,
 INCLUDING ACCRUED INTEREST ON SUCH LOAN.
   8. THE HEAD OF A RETIREMENT SYSTEM WHICH INCLUDES PARTICIPANTS IN  THE
 TWENTY-TWO  AND  ONE-HALF YEAR RETIREMENT PROGRAM IN ITS MEMBERSHIP MAY,
 CONSISTENT WITH THE PROVISIONS OF  THIS  SUBDIVISION,  PROMULGATE  REGU-
 LATIONS FOR THE PAYMENT OF SUCH ADDITIONAL MEMBER CONTRIBUTIONS, AND ANY
 INTEREST  THEREON, BY SUCH PARTICIPANTS, INCLUDING THE DEDUCTION OF SUCH
 CONTRIBUTIONS, AND ANY INTEREST THEREON, FROM THE PARTICIPANT'S  COMPEN-
 SATION.
   9.  SUBJECT  TO  THE  PROVISIONS  OF  PARAGRAPHS SIX AND SEVEN OF THIS
 SUBDIVISION, WHERE A PARTICIPANT HAS NOT PAID IN FULL  ANY  CONTRIBUTION
 DEFICIENCY  CHARGEABLE  TO  SUCH PARTICIPANT PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPHS FOUR
 AND FIVE OF THIS SUBDIVISION, AND A BENEFIT,  OTHER  THAN  A  REFUND  OF
 MEMBER  CONTRIBUTIONS  PURSUANT  TO SECTION SIX HUNDRED THIRTEEN OF THIS
 ARTICLE OR A REFUND  OF  ADDITIONAL  MEMBER  CONTRIBUTIONS  PURSUANT  TO
 SUBPARAGRAPH  (II) OF PARAGRAPH TEN OF THIS SUBDIVISION, BECOMES PAYABLE
 UNDER THIS ARTICLE TO THE PARTICIPANT OR TO THEIR DESIGNATED BENEFICIARY
 OR ESTATE, THE ACTUARIAL EQUIVALENT OF ANY SUCH UNPAID AMOUNT  SHALL  BE
 DEDUCTED FROM THE BENEFIT OTHERWISE PAYABLE.
 A. 8444                            20
 
   10.  (I) SUCH ADDITIONAL MEMBER CONTRIBUTIONS, AND ANY INTEREST THERE-
 ON, SHALL BE PAID INTO THE CONTINGENT RESERVE  FUND  OF  THE  RETIREMENT
 SYSTEM  OF  WHICH  THE  PARTICIPANT  IS  A  MEMBER AND SHALL NOT FOR ANY
 PURPOSE BE DEEMED TO BE MEMBER  CONTRIBUTIONS  OR  ACCUMULATED  CONTRIB-
 UTIONS OF A MEMBER UNDER SECTION SIX HUNDRED THIRTEEN OF THIS ARTICLE OR
 OTHERWISE  WHILE  THEY  ARE A PARTICIPANT IN THE TWENTY-TWO AND ONE-HALF
 YEAR RETIREMENT PROGRAM OR OTHERWISE.
   (II) SHOULD A PARTICIPANT IN THE TWENTY-TWO AND ONE-HALF YEAR  RETIRE-
 MENT  PROGRAM  WHO  HAS  RENDERED  LESS  THAN  FIFTEEN YEARS OF CREDITED
 SERVICE CEASE TO HOLD A POSITION AS AN EMT MEMBER FOR ANY REASON WHATSO-
 EVER, SUCH PARTICIPANT'S  ACCUMULATED  ADDITIONAL  MEMBER  CONTRIBUTIONS
 MADE  PURSUANT  TO  THIS SUBDIVISION, TOGETHER WITH ANY INTEREST THEREON
 PAID TO THE RETIREMENT SYSTEM, MAY  BE  WITHDRAWN  BY  SUCH  PARTICIPANT
 PURSUANT  TO PROCEDURES PROMULGATED IN REGULATIONS OF THE BOARD OF TRUS-
 TEES OF THE RETIREMENT SYSTEM, TOGETHER WITH  INTEREST  THEREON  AT  THE
 RATE OF FIVE PERCENT PER ANNUM, COMPOUNDED ANNUALLY.
   (III)  NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER PROVISION OF LAW TO THE CONTRARY, (A)
 NO PERSON SHALL BE PERMITTED TO WITHDRAW FROM THE RETIREMENT SYSTEM  ANY
 ADDITIONAL MEMBER CONTRIBUTIONS PAID PURSUANT TO THIS SUBDIVISION OR ANY
 INTEREST  PAID  THEREON,  EXCEPT  PURSUANT TO AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE
 PRECEDING SUBPARAGRAPHS OF THIS PARAGRAPH; AND (B) NO PERSON, WHILE THEY
 ARE A  PARTICIPANT  IN  THE  TWENTY-TWO  AND  ONE-HALF  YEAR  RETIREMENT
 PROGRAM,  SHALL  BE  PERMITTED  TO  WITHDRAW  ANY SUCH ADDITIONAL MEMBER
 CONTRIBUTIONS OR ANY INTEREST  PAID  THEREON  PURSUANT  TO  ANY  OF  THE
 PRECEDING SUBPARAGRAPHS OF THIS PARAGRAPH OR OTHERWISE.
   11.  A  PARTICIPANT  IN  THE  TWENTY-TWO  AND ONE-HALF YEAR RETIREMENT
 PROGRAM SHALL BE  PERMITTED  TO  BORROW  FROM  THEIR  ADDITIONAL  MEMBER
 CONTRIBUTIONS,  INCLUDING  ANY INTEREST PAID THEREON, WHICH ARE CREDITED
 TO THE ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS ACCOUNT ESTABLISHED FOR SUCH PARTICIPANT
 IN THE CONTINGENT RESERVE FUND OF THE RETIREMENT SYSTEM.  THE  BORROWING
 FROM  SUCH  ADDITIONAL  MEMBER  CONTRIBUTIONS PURSUANT TO THIS PARAGRAPH
 SHALL BE GOVERNED BY THE RIGHTS, PRIVILEGES, OBLIGATIONS AND  PROCEDURES
 SET FORTH IN SECTION SIX HUNDRED THIRTEEN-B OF THIS ARTICLE WHICH GOVERN
 THE  BORROWING  OF  MEMBER  CONTRIBUTIONS  MADE  PURSUANT TO SECTION SIX
 HUNDRED THIRTEEN OF THIS ARTICLE. THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF  THE  RETIRE-
 MENT  SYSTEM MAY, CONSISTENT WITH THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SUBDIVISION AND
 THE PROVISIONS OF SECTION SIX HUNDRED THIRTEEN-B OF THIS ARTICLE AS MADE
 APPLICABLE TO THIS SUBDIVISION,  PROMULGATE  REGULATIONS  GOVERNING  THE
 BORROWING OF SUCH ADDITIONAL MEMBER CONTRIBUTIONS.
   12. WHENEVER A PERSON HAS AN UNPAID BALANCE OF A LOAN OR SUCH PERSON'S
 ADDITIONAL  MEMBER  CONTRIBUTIONS  PURSUANT  TO PARAGRAPH ELEVEN OF THIS
 SUBDIVISION AT THE TIME THEY BECOME ENTITLED TO A REFUND OF THEIR  ADDI-
 TIONAL  MEMBER  CONTRIBUTIONS PURSUANT TO SUBPARAGRAPH (II) OF PARAGRAPH
 TEN OF THIS SUBDIVISION, THE AMOUNT OF SUCH UNPAID LOAN BALANCE, INCLUD-
 ING ACCRUED INTEREST SHALL BE DEEMED  TO  HAVE  BEEN  RETURNED  TO  SUCH
 MEMBER, AND THE REFUND OF SUCH ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS SHALL BE THE NET
 AMOUNT  OF  SUCH CONTRIBUTION, TOGETHER WITH INTEREST THEREON IN ACCORD-
 ANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS OF SUCH SUBPARAGRAPH (II).
   F. COST-OF-LIVING ADJUSTMENTS. NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER PROVISION  OF
 LAW  TO  THE  CONTRARY,  A  PERSON WHO RETIRES WITH A RETIREMENT BENEFIT
 PROVIDED FOR IN THE TWENTY-TWO  AND  ONE-HALF  YEAR  RETIREMENT  PROGRAM
 PURSUANT  TO THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION SHALL NOT BE ENTITLED TO THE
 COST-OF-LIVING ADJUSTMENTS PROVIDED PURSUANT TO SECTION  13-696  OF  THE
 ADMINISTRATIVE CODE OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK.
 A. 8444                            21
 
   § 7. Paragraph 7 of subdivision d of section 613 of the retirement and
 social  security  law,  as  added by chapter 577 of the laws of 2000, is
 amended to read as follows:
   7.  (i)  The  city of New York shall, in the case of an EMT member (as
 defined in paragraph one of subdivision a of section six hundred  four-e
 of this article) who is a participant in the twenty-five year retirement
 program  (as  defined in paragraph four of subdivision a of such section
 six hundred four-e), AND IN THE CASE OF AN EMT  MEMBER  (AS  DEFINED  IN
 PARAGRAPH  ONE  OF  SUBDIVISION  A OF SECTION SIX HUNDRED FOUR-K OF THIS
 ARTICLE) WHO IS A  PARTICIPANT  IN  THE  TWENTY-TWO  AND  ONE-HALF  YEAR
 RETIREMENT  PROGRAM  (AS  DEFINED  IN PARAGRAPH FOUR OF SUBDIVISION A OF
 SUCH SECTION SIX HUNDRED FOUR-K), AND WHO IS NOT RENDERED INELIGIBLE FOR
 SUCH PICK UPS BY ANOTHER PROVISION OF  LAW,  pick  up  and  pay  to  the
 retirement  system  of which such participant is a member all additional
 member contributions which otherwise would be required  to  be  deducted
 from  such  member's  compensation pursuant to paragraphs one and two of
 subdivision e of [such] section six hundred four-e OF THIS  ARTICLE,  OR
 PURSUANT  TO  PARAGRAPHS  ONE  AND  TWO  OF SUBDIVISION E OF SECTION SIX
 HUNDRED FOUR-K OF THIS ARTICLE, (not  including  any  additional  member
 contributions  due for any period prior to the first full payroll period
 referred to in such paragraph three of such subdivision  e),  and  shall
 effect  such  pick  up on each and every payroll of such participant for
 each and every payroll period with respect to which such paragraph three
 would otherwise require such deductions.
   (ii) An amount equal to the amount of additional contributions  picked
 up  pursuant  to  this paragraph shall be deducted by such employer from
 the compensation of such member (as such compensation would  be  in  the
 absence  of  a  pick  up  program applicable to [him or her] SUCH MEMBER
 hereunder) and shall not be paid to such member.
   (iii) The additional member contributions picked up pursuant  to  this
 paragraph  for any such member shall be paid by such employer in lieu of
 an equal amount of additional member contributions otherwise required to
 be paid by such member under the applicable provisions of subdivision  e
 of section six hundred four-e of this article, and shall be deemed to be
 and  treated as employer contributions pursuant to section 414(h) of the
 Internal Revenue Code.
   (iv) For the purpose of  determining  the  retirement  system  rights,
 benefits  and  privileges of any member whose additional member contrib-
 utions are picked up pursuant to this paragraph, such  picked  up  addi-
 tional member contributions shall be deemed to be and treated as part of
 such  member's  additional  member  contributions  under  the applicable
 provisions of subdivision e of section six hundred four-e  AND  SUBDIVI-
 SION E OF SECTION SIX HUNDRED FOUR-K of this article.
   (v) With the exception of federal income tax treatment, the additional
 member  contributions  picked  up  pursuant  to subparagraph (i) of this
 paragraph shall for all other purposes, including computation of retire-
 ment benefits and contributions by employers and  employees,  be  deemed
 employee   salary.  Nothing  contained  in  this  subdivision  shall  be
 construed as superseding the provisions of section four hundred  thirty-
 one  of  this  chapter, or any similar provision of law which limits the
 salary base for  computing  retirement  benefits  payable  by  a  public
 retirement system.
   §  8.  Section  13-125.2 of the administrative code of the city of New
 York is amended by adding two new subdivisions a-9 and a-10 to  read  as
 follows:
 A. 8444                            22
 
   A-9. NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER PROVISION OF LAW TO THE CONTRARY, ON OR
 AFTER  THE  STARTING DATE FOR PICK UP, THE EMPLOYER RESPONSIBLE FOR PICK
 UP SHALL, IN THE CASE OF AN EMT MEMBER, AS DEFINED IN PARAGRAPH  ONE  OF
 SUBDIVISION  A OF SECTION 13-157.5 OF THIS CHAPTER, WHO IS A PARTICIPANT
 IN  THE  TWENTY-TWO  AND ONE-HALF YEAR RETIREMENT PROGRAM, AS DEFINED IN
 PARAGRAPH TWO OF SUCH SUBDIVISION A, PICK UP AND PAY TO  THE  RETIREMENT
 SYSTEM  ALL  ADDITIONAL  MEMBER  CONTRIBUTIONS  WHICH OTHERWISE WOULD BE
 REQUIRED TO BE DEDUCTED FROM  SUCH  MEMBER'S  COMPENSATION  PURSUANT  TO
 SUBDIVISION E OF SUCH SECTION 13-157.5, AND SHALL EFFECT SUCH PICK UP ON
 EACH  AND  EVERY  PAYROLL OF SUCH PARTICIPANT FOR EACH AND EVERY PAYROLL
 PERIOD WITH RESPECT TO WHICH SUCH SUBDIVISION E WOULD OTHERWISE  REQUIRE
 SUCH DEDUCTIONS.
   A-10.  NOTWITHSTANDING  ANY OTHER PROVISION OF LAW TO THE CONTRARY, ON
 OR AFTER THE STARTING DATE FOR PICK UP,  THE  EMPLOYER  RESPONSIBLE  FOR
 PICK UP SHALL, IN THE CASE OF AN EMT MEMBER, AS DEFINED IN PARAGRAPH TWO
 OF  SUBDIVISION A OF SECTION FOUR HUNDRED FORTY-FIVE-J OF THE RETIREMENT
 AND SOCIAL SECURITY LAW, WHO IS A  PARTICIPANT  IN  THE  TWENTY-TWO  AND
 ONE-HALF  YEAR RETIREMENT PROGRAM, AS DEFINED IN PARAGRAPH THREE OF SUCH
 SUBDIVISION A, PICK UP AND PAY TO THE RETIREMENT SYSTEM  ALL  ADDITIONAL
 MEMBER  CONTRIBUTIONS  WHICH  OTHERWISE WOULD BE REQUIRED TO BE DEDUCTED
 FROM SUCH MEMBER'S  COMPENSATION  PURSUANT  TO  SUBDIVISION  D  OF  SUCH
 SECTION FOUR HUNDRED FORTY-FIVE-J, AND SHALL EFFECT SUCH PICK UP ON EACH
 AND  EVERY PAYROLL OF SUCH PARTICIPANT FOR EACH AND EVERY PAYROLL PERIOD
 WITH RESPECT TO WHICH SUCH SUBDIVISION D WOULD  OTHERWISE  REQUIRE  SUCH
 DEDUCTIONS.
   §  9.  Subparagraph  (ii)  of  paragraph 1 of subdivision c of section
 13-125.2 of the administrative code of the city of New York, as  amended
 by chapter 682 of the laws of 2003, is amended to read as follows:
   (ii)  the  determination of the amount of such member's Tier I or Tier
 II nonuniformed-force member contributions eligible for pick up  by  the
 employer  or  additional  member  contributions required to be picked up
 pursuant to subdivision a-one, subdivision a-two,  subdivision  a-three,
 subdivision  a-four,  subdivision a-five, subdivision a-six, subdivision
 a-seven [or], subdivision a-eight, SUBDIVISION  A-NINE,  OR  SUBDIVISION
 A-TEN of this section; and
   §  10. Subdivision d of section 13-125.2 of the administrative code of
 the city of New York is amended by adding two new paragraphs 2-h and 2-i
 to read as follows:
   (2-H) FOR THE PURPOSE OF DETERMINING  THE  RETIREMENT  SYSTEM  RIGHTS,
 BENEFITS  AND PRIVILEGES OF ANY MEMBER WHO IS A PARTICIPANT IN THE TWEN-
 TY-TWO AND ONE-HALF YEAR RETIREMENT PROGRAM, AS DEFINED IN PARAGRAPH TWO
 OF SUBDIVISION A OF SECTION 13-157.5 OF  THIS  CHAPTER,  THE  ADDITIONAL
 MEMBER  CONTRIBUTIONS OF SUCH PARTICIPANT PICKED UP PURSUANT TO SUBDIVI-
 SION A-NINE OF THIS SECTION SHALL BE DEEMED TO BE AND TREATED AS A  PART
 OF  SUCH  MEMBER'S  ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS UNDER SUBDIVISION E OF SUCH
 SECTION 13-157.5.
   (2-I) FOR THE PURPOSE OF DETERMINING  THE  RETIREMENT  SYSTEM  RIGHTS,
 BENEFITS  AND PRIVILEGES OF ANY MEMBER WHO IS A PARTICIPANT IN THE TWEN-
 TY-TWO AND ONE-HALF YEAR RETIREMENT PROGRAM,  AS  DEFINED  IN  PARAGRAPH
 THREE  OF  SUBDIVISION  A  OF  SECTION  FOUR HUNDRED FORTY-FIVE-J OF THE
 RETIREMENT AND SOCIAL SECURITY LAW, THE ADDITIONAL MEMBER  CONTRIBUTIONS
 OF  SUCH  PARTICIPANT  PICKED  UP  PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION A-TEN OF THIS
 SECTION SHALL BE DEEMED TO BE AND TREATED AS A  PART  OF  SUCH  MEMBER'S
 ADDITIONAL  MEMBER  CONTRIBUTIONS  UNDER  SUBDIVISION  D OF SECTION FOUR
 HUNDRED FORTY-FIVE-J OF THE RETIREMENT AND SOCIAL SECURITY LAW.
 A. 8444                            23
 
   § 11. Paragraph 3 of subdivision d of section 13-125.2 of the adminis-
 trative code of the city of New York, as amended by chapter 682  of  the
 laws of 2003, is amended to read as follows:
   (3)  Interest  on  contributions  picked  up for any Tier I or Tier II
 non-uniformed-force member pursuant to this section  (other  than  addi-
 tional  member  contributions  picked  up pursuant to subdivision a-one,
 subdivision a-two, subdivision a-three, subdivision a-four,  subdivision
 a-five,   subdivision   a-six,  subdivision  a-seven  [or],  subdivision
 a-eight, SUBDIVISION A-NINE, OR SUBDIVISION A-TEN of this section) shall
 accrue in favor of the member and be payable to the retirement system at
 the same rate, for the same time periods, in the same manner  and  under
 the  same circumstances as interest would be required to accrue in favor
 of the member and be payable to the retirement system on  such  contrib-
 utions  if  they  were  made  by such member in the absence of a pick up
 program applicable to such member under the provisions of this section.
   § 12. Subdivision a of section 603 of the retirement and social  secu-
 rity  law,  as amended by section 3 of part EE of chapter 55 of the laws
 of 2024, is amended to read as follows:
   a. The service retirement benefit specified  in  section  six  hundred
 four  of this article shall be payable to members who have met the mini-
 mum service requirements upon retirement and attainment  of  age  sixty-
 two,  other  than  members who are eligible for early service retirement
 pursuant to subdivision c of section six hundred four-b of this article,
 subdivision c of section six hundred four-c of this article, subdivision
 d of section six hundred  four-d  of  this  article,  subdivision  c  of
 section six hundred four-e of this article, subdivision c of section six
 hundred  four-f  of  this  article, subdivision c of section six hundred
 four-g of this article, subdivision c of section six hundred  four-h  of
 this  article  subdivision c of section six hundred four-i of this arti-
 cle, [or] subdivision c of section six hundred four-j of  this  article,
 OR  SUBDIVISION  C  OF  SECTION  SIX  HUNDRED  FOUR-K  OF  THIS ARTICLE,
 provided, however, a member of a teachers' retirement system or the  New
 York  state  and local employees' retirement system who first joins such
 system before January first, two thousand ten  or  a  member  who  is  a
 uniformed  court  officer or peace officer employed by the unified court
 system who first becomes a member  of  the  New  York  state  and  local
 employees' retirement system before April first, two thousand twelve may
 retire  without reduction of their retirement benefit upon attainment of
 at least fifty-five years of age and completion of thirty or more  years
 of  service,  provided, however, that a uniformed court officer or peace
 officer employed by the unified court system who first becomes a  member
 of the New York state and local employees' retirement system on or after
 January  first,  two thousand ten and retires without reduction of their
 retirement benefit upon attainment of at least fifty-five years  of  age
 and  completion  of  thirty  or  more  years of service pursuant to this
 section shall be required to make the member contributions  required  by
 subdivision  f  of  section six hundred thirteen of this article for all
 years of credited and creditable  service,  provided  further  that  the
 preceding  provisions  of this subdivision shall not apply to a New York
 city revised plan member.
   § 13. Subdivision d of section 613 of the retirement and social  secu-
 rity law is amended by adding a new paragraph 13 to read as follows:
   13.  (I)  THE CITY OF NEW YORK SHALL, IN THE CASE OF AN EMT MEMBER, AS
 DEFINED IN PARAGRAPH ONE OF SUBDIVISION A OF SECTION SIX HUNDRED  FOUR-K
 OF  THIS  ARTICLE,  WHO  IS A PARTICIPANT IN THE TWENTY-TWO AND ONE-HALF
 YEAR RETIREMENT PROGRAM, AS DEFINED IN PARAGRAPH FOUR OF  SUBDIVISION  A
 A. 8444                            24
 
 OF  SUCH  SECTION  SIX HUNDRED FOUR-K, PICK UP AND PAY TO THE RETIREMENT
 SYSTEM OF WHICH SUCH PARTICIPANT  IS  A  MEMBER  ALL  ADDITIONAL  MEMBER
 CONTRIBUTIONS WHICH OTHERWISE WOULD BE REQUIRED TO BE DEDUCTED FROM SUCH
 MEMBER'S  COMPENSATION PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPHS ONE AND TWO OF SUBDIVISION
 E OF SUCH SECTION SIX  HUNDRED  FOUR-K,  NOT  INCLUDING  ANY  ADDITIONAL
 MEMBER  CONTRIBUTIONS DUE FOR ANY PERIOD PRIOR TO THE FIRST FULL PAYROLL
 PERIOD REFERRED TO IN SUCH PARAGRAPH THREE OF SUCH  SUBDIVISION  E,  AND
 SHALL  EFFECT SUCH PICK UP ON EACH AND EVERY PAYROLL OF SUCH PARTICIPANT
 FOR EACH AND EVERY PAYROLL PERIOD WITH RESPECT TO WHICH  SUCH  PARAGRAPH
 THREE WOULD OTHERWISE REQUIRE SUCH DEDUCTIONS.
   (II)  AN AMOUNT EQUAL TO THE AMOUNT OF ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS PICKED
 UP PURSUANT TO THIS PARAGRAPH SHALL BE DEDUCTED BY  SUCH  EMPLOYER  FROM
 THE  COMPENSATION  OF  SUCH MEMBER, AS SUCH COMPENSATION WOULD BE IN THE
 ABSENCE OF A PICK UP PROGRAM APPLICABLE TO SUCH  MEMBER  HEREUNDER,  AND
 SHALL NOT BE PAID TO SUCH MEMBER.
   (III)  THE  ADDITIONAL MEMBER CONTRIBUTIONS PICKED UP PURSUANT TO THIS
 PARAGRAPH FOR ANY SUCH MEMBER SHALL BE PAID BY SUCH EMPLOYER IN LIEU  OF
 AN EQUAL AMOUNT OF ADDITIONAL MEMBER CONTRIBUTIONS OTHERWISE REQUIRED TO
 BE  PAID BY SUCH MEMBER UNDER THE APPLICABLE PROVISIONS OF SUBDIVISION E
 OF SECTION SIX HUNDRED FOUR-K OF THIS ARTICLE, AND SHALL BE DEEMED TO BE
 AND TREATED AS EMPLOYER CONTRIBUTIONS PURSUANT TO SECTION 414(H) OF  THE
 INTERNAL REVENUE CODE.
   (IV)  FOR  THE  PURPOSE  OF  DETERMINING THE RETIREMENT SYSTEM RIGHTS,
 BENEFITS AND PRIVILEGES OF ANY MEMBER WHOSE ADDITIONAL  MEMBER  CONTRIB-
 UTIONS  ARE  PICKED  UP PURSUANT TO THIS PARAGRAPH, SUCH PICKED UP ADDI-
 TIONAL MEMBER CONTRIBUTIONS SHALL BE DEEMED TO BE AND TREATED AS PART OF
 SUCH MEMBER'S  ADDITIONAL  MEMBER  CONTRIBUTIONS  UNDER  THE  APPLICABLE
 PROVISIONS  OF SUBDIVISION E OF SECTION SIX HUNDRED FOUR-K OF THIS ARTI-
 CLE.
   (V) WITH THE EXCEPTION OF FEDERAL INCOME TAX TREATMENT, THE ADDITIONAL
 MEMBER CONTRIBUTIONS PICKED UP PURSUANT  TO  SUBPARAGRAPH  (I)  OF  THIS
 PARAGRAPH SHALL FOR ALL OTHER PURPOSES, INCLUDING COMPUTATION OF RETIRE-
 MENT  BENEFITS  AND  CONTRIBUTIONS BY EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES, BE DEEMED
 EMPLOYEE  SALARY.  NOTHING  CONTAINED  IN  THIS  SUBDIVISION  SHALL   BE
 CONSTRUED  AS SUPERSEDING THE PROVISIONS OF SECTION FOUR HUNDRED THIRTY-
 ONE OF THIS CHAPTER, OR ANY SIMILAR PROVISION OF LAW  WHICH  LIMITS  THE
 SALARY  BASE  FOR COMPUTING RETIREMENT BENEFITS PAYABLE IN NEW YORK BY A
 PUBLIC RETIREMENT SYSTEM.
   § 14. Nothing contained in sections seven and twelve of this act shall
 be construed to create any contractual right with respect to members  to
 whom  such  sections apply. The provisions of such sections are intended
 to afford members the advantages of certain benefits  contained  in  the
 internal  revenue  code,  and  the  effectiveness  and existence of such
 sections and benefits they confer are completely contingent thereon.
   § 15. This act shall take effect immediately, provided, however that:
   (a) The provisions of sections seven, twelve and thirteen of this  act
 shall  remain  in  force and effect only so long as, pursuant to federal
 law, contributions picked up under such sections are not  includable  as
 gross  income of a member for federal income tax purposes until distrib-
 uted or made available to the member; provided that the  New  York  city
 employees'  retirement system shall notify the legislative bill drafting
 commission upon the occurrence of such a change in  federal  law  ruling
 affecting  the  provisions  of this act in order that the commission may
 maintain an accurate and timely effective data base of the official text
 of the laws of the state of New York in furtherance of effectuating  the
 A. 8444                            25
 
 provisions  of section 44 of the legislative law and section 70-b of the
 public officers law;
   (b) Section three-a of this act shall take effect on the same date and
 in  the  same manner as part TT of chapter 55 of the laws of 2025, takes
 effect;
   (c) The amendments to subdivision d of section 613 of  the  retirement
 and  social security law made by sections seven and thirteen of this act
 shall not affect the expiration of such  subdivision  and  shall  expire
 therewith;
   (d)  The  amendments to section 13-125.2 of the administrative code of
 the city of New York made by sections eight, nine,  ten  and  eleven  of
 this  act  shall  not affect the expiration of such section and shall be
 deemed to expire therewith; and
   (e) The amendments to subdivision a of section 603 of  the  retirement
 and  social  security  law  made by section twelve of this act shall not
 affect the expiration of such subdivision and shall be deemed to  expire
 therewith.
   FISCAL NOTE.--Pursuant to Legislative Law, Section 50:
   SUMMARY:  This  proposed legislation would establish 22.5-Year Retire-
 ment Programs within the  New  York  City  Employees  Retirement  System
 (NYCERS) for New York City Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT).
          EXPECTED INCREASE (DECREASE) IN EMPLOYER CONTRIBUTIONS
           by Fiscal Year for the first 25 years ($ in Millions)
 
           Year           NYCERS
           2026           30.0
           2027           29.6
           2028           29.6
           2029           29.5
           2030           29.3
           2031           29.1
           2032           28.8
           2033           28.6
           2034           28.4
           2035           28.2
           2036           27.9
           2037           27.6
           2038           8.9
           2039           8.8
           2040           8.6
           2041           8.3
           2042           8.1
           2043           7.7
           2044           7.3
           2045           6.9
           2046           6.6
           2047           6.3
           2048           6.0
           2049           6.0
           2050           6.0
 
   Projected contributions include future new hires that may be impacted.
 For Fiscal Year 2051 and beyond, the expected increase in normal cost as
 a level percent of pay for impacted new entrants is approximately 0.81%.
   The entire increase in employer contributions will be allocated to New
 York City.
 A. 8444                            26
 
   PRESENT  VALUE  OF  BENEFITS:  The  Present  Value  of Benefits is the
 discounted expected value of benefits paid to  current  members  if  all
 assumptions are met, including future service accrual and pay increases.
 Future new hires are not included in this present value.
          INITIAL INCREASE (DECREASE) IN ACTUARIAL PRESENT VALUES
                    as of June 30, 2024 ($ in Millions)
 
           Present Value (PV)                 NYCERS
           (1) PV of Employer Contributions:   229.7
           (2) PV of Employee Contributions:   (47.6)
           Total PV of Benefits (1) + (2):     182.0
 
   UNFUNDED  ACCRUED  LIABILITY  (UAL): Actuarial Accrued Liabilities are
 the portion of the Present Value of Benefits allocated to past  service.
 Changes  in UAL members were amortized over the expected remaining work-
 ing lifetime of those impacted using level dollar payments.
                AMORTIZATION OF UNFUNDED ACCRUED LIABILITY
 
                                              NYCERS
           Increase (Decrease) in UAL:        142.1 M
           Number of Payments:                12
           Amortization Payment:              18.5 M
 
   CENSUS DATA: The estimates presented herein are based  on  preliminary
 census  data  collected  as  of  June  30, 2024. The census data for the
 impacted population is summarized below.
                                              NYCERS
           Active Members
           - Number Count:                     3,867
           - Average Age:                      36.1
           - Average Service:                  9.2
           - Average Salary:                   74,700
   IMPACT ON MEMBER BENEFITS: The proposed legislation  would  provide  a
 service retirement benefit equal to:
   *  50% of Final Average Salary (FAS) for the first 22.5 years of cred-
 itable service as an EMT member,
   * plus 2.0% of FAS for each additional year of creditable  service  as
 an EMT member exceeding 22.5 years to a maximum of 5 years.
   The  vested  benefit under the EMT 22.5-Year Plans is equal to 2.0% of
 FAS for each year of creditable service as an  EMT  member  up  to  22.5
 years,  payable to Tier 6 members at age 63 and to Tier 4 members on the
 date they would have attained 22.5 years of credited services.
   The retirement benefits provided by the EMT 22.5-Year Plan  would  not
 be subject to cost-of-living adjustments (COLA).
   Plan  participants would be required to pay Additional Member Contrib-
 utions (AMC) equal to 6.5% of compensation for all service on and  after
 the  starting  date of the Plan until the later of the one-year anniver-
 sary of the effective date of the Plan or 27.5 years of credited service
 as an EMT member.
   Current Tier 4 and Tier 6 EMT members as of the date of  enactment  of
 the  EMT  22.5-Year  Plans  would be eligible to elect the EMT 22.5-Year
 Plan for their respective tier. EMT members who  become  NYCERS  members
 after the date of enactment of the EMT 22.5-Year Plans would be mandated
 into the Tier 6 EMT 22.5-Year Plan.
 A. 8444                            27
 
   Once  a  member in the Tier 4 EMT 22.5-Year Plan attains 22.5 years of
 creditable service as an EMT member, he or she would no longer be eligi-
 ble to retire under his or her basic plan.
   ASSUMPTIONS  AND  METHODS:  The  estimates  presented herein have been
 calculated based on the Revised 2021 Actuarial Assumptions  and  Methods
 of the impacted retirement systems. In addition:
   *  New  entrants were assumed to replace exiting members so that total
 payroll increases by 3% each year for impacted groups. New entrant demo-
 graphics were developed based on data for recent new hires and actuarial
 judgement.
   To determine the impact of the elective nature of the proposed  legis-
 lation,  a subgroup of EMT members was developed based on who is assumed
 to benefit actuarially by comparing the  net  present  value  of  future
 employer  costs  of  each  member's benefit under their current plan and
 under the EMT 22.5-Year Plan.
   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 2025-55 dated May 6, 2025
 was prepared by the Chief Actuary  for  the  New  York  City  Retirement
 Systems  and  Pension Funds and is intended for use only during the 2025
 Legislative Session.