NY State Senate Bill 2025-S7844

Senate Bill S7844

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Authorizes the widow of Gerald J. Sullivan to file an application with the New York state and local police and fire retirement system on behalf of such deceased member and deem such application as timely filed

download bill text pdf

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Civil Service And Pensions Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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Actions

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
May 09, 2025	referred to civil service and pensions

2025-S7844 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Civil Service And Pensions
Law Section:: Retirement
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2021-2022: S8087
2023-2024: S6751

2025-S7844 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2025-S7844 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S7844

SPONSOR: BASKIN
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to authorize the widow of Gerald J. Sullivan to file an applica-
tion with the New York state and local police and fire retirement system
on behalf of such deceased member and deem such application as timely
filed

 
PURPOSE:

This legislation would allow the widow of Gerald J. Sullivan to file an
application with the New York state and local police and fire retirement
system on behalf of Mr. Sullivan.

 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section 1 allows the widow of Gerald J. Sullivan, Bonnie E. Sullivan, to
file an application for accidental disability retirement with a fire-
fighters' cancer disability presumption pursuant to section 363-d of the
retirement and social security law with the New York state and local

police and fire retirement system on behalf of her deceased husband.

Section 2 states any additional costs for this act shall be paid for by
the state of New York.

Section 3 establishes an immediate effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Gerald J. Sullivan was previously employed by the Buffalo Fire Depart-
ment and was a performance of duty disability retiree of the New York
state and local police and fire retirement system since June 1, 2015,
pursuant to section 363c of the retirement and social security law. Mr.
Sullivan passed away from cancer on December 17, 2020. Mr. Sullivan's
widow was required to apply for accidental disability retirement with a
firefighters' cancer disability presumption pursuant to section 363-d
within five years of his retirement. This legislation would allow Mr.
Sullivan's widow to file this application and have it treated by the
Office of the State Comptroller as filed timely. She would have one year
after the effective date to file this application.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2021-22: S.8087 Passed Senate/A.9630

2023-24: S.6751 Passed Senate - REFERRED TO CIVIL SERVICE AND PENSIONS

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

If enacted during the 2023 legislative session, there will be a past
service cost borne by New York State of $233,000

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately.

2025-S7844 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   7844
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                                May 9, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  BASKIN -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Civil Service and Pensions
 
 AN ACT to authorize the widow of Gerald J. Sullivan to file an  applica-
   tion  with  the  New  York  state and local police and fire retirement
   system on behalf of such deceased member and deem such application  as
   timely filed
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Notwithstanding the provisions of any  general  or  special
 law,  rule  or regulation to the contrary, Bonnie E. Sullivan is author-
 ized to file an application for accidental disability retirement with  a
 firefighters' cancer disability presumption pursuant to section 363-d of
 the retirement and social security law on behalf of her deceased husband
 Gerald  J.  Sullivan  who  was  previously  employed by the Buffalo Fire
 Department and was a performance of duty disability retiree of  the  New
 York  state  and  local  police and fire retirement system since June 1,
 2015 pursuant to section 363-c of the retirement and social security law
 and passed away from cancer on December 17, 2020.  Such  application  if
 filed  with  the state comptroller within one year of the effective date
 of this act shall be deemed as timely filed.
   § 2. Any additional costs for this act shall be paid by the  state  of
 New York.
   § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
   FISCAL NOTE.--Pursuant to Legislative Law, Section 50:
   This  bill  would authorize Bonnie Sullivan to file an application for
 accidental disability  retirement  pursuant  to  section  363-d  of  the
 Retirement  and  Social  Security Law (RSSL) on behalf of their deceased
 husband Gerald Sullivan. The current retirement benefit will be recalcu-
 lated and payment will be made to Bonnie Sullivan retroactive to June 1,
 2015, the date Gerald Sullivan first retired with a performance of  duty
 disability benefit pursuant to section 363-c of the RSSL.

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD09509-02-5

 S. 7844                             2
 
   If  this  bill  is  enacted  during  the 2025 Legislative Session, and
 Bonnie Sullivan timely files the  required  application  for  accidental
 disability  retirement,  there will be an immediate past service cost of
 approximately $240,000 which will be borne by the State of New York as a
 one-time  payment.  This  estimate  assumes that payment will be made on
 March 1, 2026.
   Summary of relevant resources:
   Membership data as of March 31, 2024 was used in measuring the  impact
 of the proposed change, the same data used in the April 1, 2024 actuari-
 al  valuation.  Distributions  and  other statistics can be found in the
 2024 Report of the Actuary and the 2024 Annual  Comprehensive  Financial
 Report.  The actuarial assumptions and methods used are described in the
 2024  Annual Report to the Comptroller on Actuarial Assumptions, and the
 Codes, Rules and Regulations  of  the  State  of  New  York:  Audit  and
 Control.  The  Market Assets and GASB Disclosures are found in the March
 31, 2024 New York State and Local Retirement System Financial Statements
 and Supplementary Information.
   This fiscal note does not constitute a legal opinion on the  viability
 of  the  proposed change nor is it intended to serve as a substitute for
 the professional judgment of an attorney.
   This estimate, dated May 7, 2025, and intended for use only during the
 2025 Legislative Session, is Fiscal Note No. 2025-171. As Chief  Actuary
 of  the  New  York  State and Local Retirement System, I, Aaron Schottin
 Young, hereby certify that this analysis complies with applicable  Actu-
 arial  Standards of Practice as well as the Code of Professional Conduct
 and Qualification Standards for Actuaries Issuing Statements of Actuari-
 al Opinion of the American Academy of Actuaries, of which I am a member.

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