A07687 Summary:

BILL NOA07687B
 
SAME ASSAME AS S04923-C
 
SPONSORBenedetto
 
COSPNSR
 
MLTSPNSR
 
Amd SS668 & 668-c, Ed L; amd S1000, R & SS L; amd S85, Civ Serv L; amd S168, Soc Serv L; amd S63, Pub Off L
 
Amends the dates of certain armed conflicts to reflect the dates for such conflicts established by the federal government and provides that future dates of armed conflicts shall be consistent with the federal dates thereof.
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A07687 Actions:

BILL NOA07687B
 
05/30/2013referred to veterans' affairs
06/03/2013amend (t) and recommit to veterans' affairs
06/03/2013print number 7687a
01/08/2014referred to veterans' affairs
03/18/2014amend and recommit to veterans' affairs
03/18/2014print number 7687b
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A07687 Text:



 
                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                         7687--B
 
                               2013-2014 Regular Sessions
 
                   IN ASSEMBLY
 
                                      May 30, 2013
                                       ___________
 
        Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  BENEDETTO  --  read once and referred to the
          Committee on Veterans' Affairs -- committee discharged, bill  amended,
          ordered  reprinted  as  amended  and  recommitted to said committee --
          recommitted to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs in  accordance  with
          Assembly Rule 3, sec. 2 -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered

          reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
 
        AN  ACT  to  amend the education law, the retirement and social security
          law, the civil service law, the social services  law  and  the  public
          officers  law,  in relation to the dates of certain periods of war and
          hostilities
 
          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
 
     1    Section  1.  Subdivision  1  of  section  668 of the education law, as
     2  amended by chapter 580 of the laws of 1992, paragraphs (a)  and  (d)  as
     3  amended  by chapter 261 of the laws of 1995, paragraph (b) as amended by
     4  chapter 616 of the laws of 1995, paragraphs (f)  and  (g)  as  added  by
     5  chapter 435 of the laws of 2006, is amended to read as follows:
     6    1.    Period  of  military  service. For a student to be eligible, the

     7  parent, or step-parent where the student is the dependent of  the  step-
     8  parent, (i) must have been a recipient of the armed forces expeditionary
     9  medal,  the  navy  expeditionary medal or the marine corps expeditionary
    10  medal for participation in  operations  in  Lebanon  from  [June  first]
    11  August  twenty-first,  nineteen  hundred  [eighty-three]  eighty-two  to
    12  December first, nineteen hundred eighty-seven, in Grenada  from  October
    13  twenty-third,  nineteen  hundred  eighty-three to November twenty-first,
    14  nineteen hundred eighty-three, or in  Panama  from  December  twentieth,
    15  nineteen  hundred  eighty-nine to January thirty-first, nineteen hundred
    16  ninety, or (ii) must have served on regular active duty (other than  for
    17  training) in the armed forces of the United States during part of one of
    18  the following periods:
 

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD08442-08-4

        A. 7687--B                          2
 
     1    (a)  April sixth, nineteen hundred seventeen to November eleven, nine-
     2  teen hundred eighteen.
     3    (b) December seven, nineteen hundred forty-one to December thirty-one,
     4  nineteen  hundred  forty-six,  or have been employed by the War Shipping
     5  Administration or Office of Defense Transportation or their agents as  a
     6  merchant  seaman  documented by the United States Coast Guard or Depart-
     7  ment of Commerce, or as a civil servant employed by  the  United  States
     8  Army  Transport  Service  (later  redesignated as the United States Army

     9  Transportation  Corps,  Water  Division)  or  the  Naval  Transportation
    10  Service; and who served satisfactorily as a crew member during the peri-
    11  od  of  armed conflict, December seventh, nineteen hundred forty-one, to
    12  August fifteenth, nineteen hundred forty-five, aboard  merchant  vessels
    13  in oceangoing, i.e., foreign, intercoastal, or coastwise service as such
    14  terms  are defined under federal law (46 USCA 10301 & 10501) and further
    15  to include "near foreign" voyages between the United States and  Canada,
    16  Mexico, or the West Indies via ocean routes, or public vessels in ocean-
    17  going  service  or  foreign waters and who has received a Certificate of
    18  Release or Discharge from Active Duty and a discharge certificate, or an
    19  Honorable Service Certificate/Report of Casualty, from the Department of
    20  Defense or have served as a United States civilian employed by the Amer-

    21  ican Field Service and served overseas under United  States  Armies  and
    22  United  States  Army  Groups  in world war II during the period of armed
    23  conflict, December  seventh,  nineteen  hundred  forty-one  through  May
    24  eighth,  nineteen hundred forty-five, and who was discharged or released
    25  therefrom under honorable conditions, or have served as a United  States
    26  civilian  Flight Crew and Aviation Ground Support Employee of Pan Ameri-
    27  can World Airways or one of  its  subsidiaries  or  its  affiliates  and
    28  served  overseas  as a result of Pan American's contract with Air Trans-
    29  port Command or Naval Air Transport Service during the period  of  armed
    30  conflict, December fourteenth, nineteen hundred forty-one through August
    31  fourteenth,  nineteen  hundred  forty-five,  and  who  was discharged or
    32  released therefrom under honorable conditions.

    33    (c) June twenty-seven, nineteen hundred fifty to  January  thirty-one,
    34  nineteen hundred fifty-five.
    35    (d)  [December twenty-second] February twenty-eighth, nineteen hundred
    36  sixty-one to May seventh, nineteen hundred seventy-five.
    37    (e) August [two] second, nineteen hundred ninety to the end of hostil-
    38  ities in the Persian Gulf conflict.
    39    (f) From September eighteenth, two thousand one until the end  of  the
    40  United States military efforts in Afghanistan.
    41    (g)  From  October  sixteenth,  two  thousand two until the end of the
    42  United States military efforts in Iraq.
    43    (h) Any other period of war  or  hostilities  in  such  locations  and
    44  during  such periods of time as shall be determined from time to time by
    45  the federal Department of Defense or the United States Congress.

    46    § 2. Subdivision 1 of section 668-c of the education law, as added  by
    47  chapter 474 of the laws of 2000, is amended to read as follows:
    48    1.  Eligible students. Awards shall be made to Vietnam veterans' resi-
    49  dent children born with Spina Bifida enrolled in approved  undergraduate
    50  or graduate programs at degree granting institutions. For the purpose of
    51  this  section, "Vietnam veteran" shall mean a person who served in Indo-
    52  china at any time from the [twenty-second] twenty-eighth day of  [Decem-
    53  ber]  February, nineteen hundred sixty-one, to and including the seventh
    54  day of May, nineteen hundred seventy-five and was  honorably  discharged
    55  from  the  armed  forces  of the United States; "born with Spina Bifida"
    56  shall mean a diagnosis at birth of such disease inclusive of all  forms,


        A. 7687--B                          3
 
     1  manifestations, complications and associated medical conditions thereof,
     2  but  shall  not include Spina Bifida Occulta. Such diagnosis shall be in
     3  accordance with the provisions of the federal Spina Bifida  program  and
     4  shall  be  documented  by  the United States Administration of Veterans'
     5  Affairs.
     6    § 3. Paragraphs (a), (c) and (d) of subdivision 2 of section  1000  of
     7  the  retirement  and social security law, as added by chapter 548 of the
     8  laws of 2000, are amended and a new paragraph (e) is added  to  read  as
     9  follows:
    10    (a)  hostilities  participated in by the military forces of the United
    11  States in Lebanon, from the [first] twenty-first day of  [June]  August,
    12  nineteen hundred [eighty-three] eighty-two to the first day of December,

    13  nineteen  hundred  eighty-seven,  as established by receipt of the armed
    14  forces expeditionary medal, the navy expeditionary medal, or the  marine
    15  corps expeditionary medal;
    16    (c)  hostilities  participated in by the military forces of the United
    17  States in Panama, from the twentieth day of December,  nineteen  hundred
    18  eighty-nine to the thirty-first day of January, nineteen hundred ninety,
    19  as  established  by receipt of the armed forces expeditionary medal, the
    20  navy expeditionary medal, or the marine corps expeditionary medal; [or]
    21    (d) hostilities participated in by the military forces of  the  United
    22  States,  from  the second day of August, nineteen hundred ninety, to the
    23  end of such hostilities in case of a veteran who served in  the  theater
    24  of  operations including Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, the

    25  United Arab Emirates, Oman, the Gulf of Aden,  the  Gulf  of  Oman,  the
    26  Persian Gulf, the Red Sea, and the airspace above these locations[.]; or
    27    (e)  any  other  hostilities  or  period of war participated in by the
    28  military forces of the United States in such locations and  during  such
    29  periods  of time as shall be determined from time to time by the federal
    30  Department of Defense or the United States Congress.
    31    § 4. Subparagraph 5 of paragraph (c) of subdivision 1 of section 85 of
    32  the civil service law, as added by chapter 467 of the laws of  1991,  is
    33  amended and a new subparagraph 9 is added to read as follows:
    34    (5)  Hostilities  participated in by the military forces of the United

    35  States in Lebanon, from the [first] twenty-first day of  [June]  August,
    36  nineteen hundred [eighty-three] eighty-two to the first day of December,
    37  nineteen  hundred  eighty-seven,  as established by receipt of the armed
    38  forces expeditionary medal, the navy expeditionary medal, or the  marine
    39  corps expeditionary medal.
    40    (9)  Any  other  hostilities  or  period of war participated in by the
    41  military forces of the United States in such locations and  during  such
    42  periods  of time as shall be determined from time to time by the federal
    43  Department of Defense or the United States Congress.
    44    § 5. Subdivision 1 of section 168  of  the  social  services  law,  as
    45  amended  by  chapter  467  of  the  laws  of 1991, is amended to read as
    46  follows:

    47    1. Veteran means a person, male or female, who has served in the armed
    48  forces of the United States in time of war, or who was  a  recipient  of
    49  the armed forces expeditionary medal, navy expeditionary medal or marine
    50  corps  expeditionary  medal  for  participation in operations in Lebanon
    51  from [June first, nineteen hundred  eighty-three]  August  twenty-first,
    52  nineteen  hundred eighty-two to December first, nineteen hundred eighty-
    53  seven, in Grenada from October twenty-third,  nineteen  hundred  eighty-
    54  three  to  November  twenty-first,  nineteen hundred eighty-three, or in
    55  Panama from December twentieth, nineteen hundred eighty-nine to  January
    56  thirty-first,  nineteen  hundred  ninety,  and  who  has  been honorably

        A. 7687--B                          4
 

     1  discharged or released under honorable circumstances from  such  service
     2  or furloughed to the reserve.
     3    §  6.    Subdivision  2  of  section 168 of the social services law is
     4  amended by adding a new paragraph 9 to read as follows:
     5    (9) Any other period of war  or  hostilities  in  such  locations  and
     6  during  such periods of time as shall be determined from time to time by
     7  the federal Department of Defense or the United States Congress.
     8    § 7. Section 63 of the public officers law, as amended by chapter  179
     9  of the laws of 2006, is amended to read as follows:
    10    § 63. Leave of absence for veterans on Memorial day and Veterans' day.
    11  It shall be the duty of the head of every public department and of every
    12  court  of  the  state of New York, of every superintendent or foreman on

    13  the public works of said state, of the county officers  of  the  several
    14  counties  of  said  state,  of the town officers of the various towns in
    15  this state, of the fire district officers of the various fire  districts
    16  in this state, and of the head of every department, bureau and office in
    17  the government of the various cities and villages in this state, and the
    18  officers  of  any  public benefit corporation or any public authority of
    19  this state, or of any public benefit corporation or public authority  of
    20  any  county  or subdivision of this state, to give leave of absence with
    21  pay for twenty-four hours on the day prescribed by law as a public holi-
    22  day for the observance of Memorial day and on the eleventh day of Novem-
    23  ber, known as Veterans' day, to every  person  in  the  service  of  the
    24  state, the county, the town, the fire district, the city or village, the

    25  public  benefit  corporation  or  public authority of this state, or any
    26  public benefit corporation or public authority of any county or subdivi-
    27  sion of this state, as the case may be, (i) who served on active duty in
    28  the armed forces of the United States during world war I  or  world  war
    29  II,  or who was employed by the War Shipping Administration or Office of
    30  Defense Transportation or their agents as a merchant  seaman  documented
    31  by  the  United  States  Coast  Guard or Department of Commerce, or as a
    32  civil servant employed by  the  United  States  Army  Transport  Service
    33  (later  redesignated  as  the  United  States Army Transportation Corps,
    34  Water Division) or the Naval  Transportation  Service;  and  who  served
    35  satisfactorily  as  a  crew  member during the period of armed conflict,
    36  December seventh, nineteen hundred forty-one, to August fifteenth, nine-

    37  teen hundred forty-five, aboard merchant vessels  in  oceangoing,  i.e.,
    38  foreign,  intercoastal,  or  coastwise service as such terms are defined
    39  under federal law (46 USCA 10301 & 10501) and further to  include  "near
    40  foreign"  voyages  between  the United States and Canada, Mexico, or the
    41  West Indies via ocean routes, or public vessels in oceangoing service or
    42  foreign waters  and  who  has  received  a  Certificate  of  Release  or
    43  Discharge  from Active Duty and a discharge certificate, or an Honorable
    44  Service Certificate/Report of Casualty, from the Department of  Defense,
    45  or who served as a United States civilian employed by the American Field
    46  Service and served overseas under United States Armies and United States
    47  Army  Groups in world war II during the period of armed conflict, Decem-
    48  ber seventh, nineteen hundred forty-one  through  May  eighth,  nineteen

    49  hundred  forty-five,  and who was discharged or released therefrom under
    50  honorable conditions, or who served as a United States  civilian  Flight
    51  Crew  and Aviation Ground Support Employee of Pan American World Airways
    52  or one of its subsidiaries or its affiliates and served  overseas  as  a
    53  result  of  Pan  American's contract with Air Transport Command or Naval
    54  Air Transport Service during the  period  of  armed  conflict,  December
    55  fourteenth,  nineteen hundred forty-one through August fourteenth, nine-
    56  teen hundred forty-five, and who was discharged  or  released  therefrom

        A. 7687--B                          5
 
     1  under  honorable conditions, or during the period of the Korean conflict
     2  at any time between the dates of June twenty-seventh,  nineteen  hundred
     3  fifty  and  January thirty-first, nineteen hundred fifty-five, or during

     4  the  period of the Vietnam conflict from the twenty-eighth day of Febru-
     5  ary, nineteen hundred sixty-one to the  seventh  day  of  May,  nineteen
     6  hundred  seventy-five,  or  (ii)  who served on active duty in the armed
     7  forces of the United States and who was a recipient of the armed  forces
     8  expeditionary  medal,  navy  expeditionary medal or marine corps expedi-
     9  tionary medal for participation in  operations  in  Lebanon  from  [June
    10  first,  nineteen  hundred  eighty-three]  August  twenty-first, nineteen
    11  hundred eighty-two to December first, nineteen hundred eighty-seven,  in
    12  Grenada  from  October  twenty-third,  nineteen  hundred eighty-three to
    13  November twenty-first, nineteen hundred  eighty-three,  [or]  in  Panama
    14  from  December  twentieth, nineteen hundred eighty-nine to January thir-

    15  ty-first, nineteen hundred ninety, or during any other period of war  or
    16  hostilities  in  such locations and during such periods of time as shall
    17  be determined from time to time by the federal Department of Defense  or
    18  the United States Congress, or (iii) who served in the armed forces of a
    19  foreign  country  allied  with  the  United States during world war I or
    20  world war II, or during the period of the Korean conflict  at  any  time
    21  between  June twenty-seventh, nineteen hundred fifty and January thirty-
    22  first, nineteen hundred fifty-five, or during the period of the  Vietnam
    23  conflict  from  the  twenty-eighth  day  of  February,  nineteen hundred
    24  sixty-one to the seventh day of May, nineteen hundred  seventy-five,  or
    25  during  the  period  of the Persian Gulf conflict from the second day of

    26  August, nineteen hundred ninety to the end  of  such  conflict,  or  who
    27  served  on  active duty in the army or navy or marine corps or air force
    28  or coast guard of the United States, and who was honorably discharged or
    29  separated from such service under  honorable  conditions,  except  where
    30  such  action would endanger the public safety or the safety or health of
    31  persons cared for by the state, in which event  such  persons  shall  be
    32  entitled  to  leave  of absence with pay on another day in lieu thereof.
    33  All such persons who are compensated on a per diem, hourly, semi-monthly
    34  or monthly basis, with or without maintenance, shall also be entitled to
    35  leave of absence with pay under the provisions of this  section  and  no
    36  deduction in vacation allowance or budgetary allowable number of working
    37  days  shall  be  made  in  lieu thereof. A refusal to give such leave of

    38  absence to one entitled thereto shall be neglect of duty.
    39    § 8. Notwithstanding any other provisions of law to the contrary,  any
    40  provisions  of  law  which grant benefits or eligibility to veterans who
    41  served in the armed forces of the United States during a period  of  war
    42  or  hostilities,  such period shall include any additional period of war
    43  or hostilities in such locations and during  such  periods  of  time  as
    44  shall  be  determined  from  time  to  time by the federal Department of
    45  Defense or the United States Congress.
    46    § 9. This act shall take effect immediately.
          FISCAL NOTE.--This bill would extend the benefits of  Chapter  548  of
        the  Laws  of  2000  to members of public retirement systems in New York
        State who are in the military during any hostility or period of  war  as
        determined  by  the  federal  Department of Defense or the United States

        Congress. In addition, this bill amends the eligibility dates for  mili-
        tary  service  rendered  during  the  period of conflict in Lebanon from
        8/21/82- 12/1/87. Currently, the period is defined to be  6/1/83-12/1/87
        Affected members may purchase up to a maximum of three years of military
        service.  Tier  1-5 members would be required to make a payment of three
        percent of their most recent compensation per year of additional service

        A. 7687--B                          6
 
        credit granted by this bill. Tier 6 members would be required to make  a
        payment  of  six  percent  of their most recent compensation per year of
        additional service credit.
          If this bill is enacted, insofar as this proposal affects the New York
        State and Local Employees' Retirement System (ERS), it is estimated that

        the  past service cost will average approximately 12% (9% for Tier 6) of
        an affected members' compensation for each year  of  additional  service
        credit that is purchased.
          Insofar  as  this proposal affects the New York State and Local Police
        and Fire Retirement System (PFRS), it is estimated that the past service
        cost will average approximately 17% (14% for  Tier  6)  of  an  affected
        members'  compensation  for  each  year  of  additional  service that is
        purchased.
          The exact number of current members as  well  as  future  members  who
        could be affected by this legislation cannot be readily determined.
          ERS Costs: Pursuant to Section 25 of the Retirement and Social Securi-
        ty  Law,  the  increased cost to the New York State and Local Employees'
        Retirement System would be borne entirely by the State of New  York  and

        would  require  an  itemized appropriation sufficient to pay the cost of
        the provision. Since a member can apply for this service credit  at  any
        time  prior to retirement, a precise cost can't be determined until each
        member, as well as future members, applies for the service credit. Every
        year a cost will be determined (and billed to the state) based on  those
        benefiting from this provision.
          PFRS  Costs:  These costs would be shared by the State of New York and
        the participating employers in the PFRS.
          Summary of relevant resources:
          The membership data used in  measuring  the  impact  of  the  proposed
        change  was  the same as that used in the March 31, 2013 actuarial valu-
        ation.  Distributions and other statistics can  be  found  in  the  2013
        Report  of  the  Actuary  and  the  2013  Comprehensive Annual Financial
        Report.

          The actuarial assumptions and methods used are described in the  2010,
        2011,  2012  and  2013  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, 2013
        New  York  State  and  Local  Retirement System Financial Statements and
        Supplementary. Information.
          I am a member of the American Academy of Actuaries and meet the Quali-
        fication Standards to render the actuarial opinion contained herein.
          This estimate, dated January 20, 2014 and intended for use only during
        the 2014 Legislative Session, is Fiscal Note No.  2014-60,  prepared  by
        the  Actuary  for  the  New  York  State and Local Employees' Retirement
        System and the New York State  and  Local  Police  and  Fire  Retirement
        System.
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