Permits surviving spouses of certain members to retain accidental death benefits upon remarriage; provides for regaining of any such lost benefits prior to the rule change.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
10435
IN SENATE
May 15, 2026
___________
Introduced by Sen. JACKSON -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Civil Service and Pensions
AN ACT to amend the retirement and social security law, in relation to
permitting surviving spouses of certain members to retain accidental
death benefits upon remarriage
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Subdivision b of section 607 of the retirement and social
2 security law, as amended by chapter 105 of the laws of 2005, is amended
3 to read as follows:
4 b. If an eligible beneficiary receiving the accidental death benefit
5 hereunder becomes ineligible to continue to receive such benefit, the
6 benefit shall be continued for all other members of the eligible class
7 of beneficiaries and, if none, to each successive class, if any, during
8 their eligibility therefor. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the
9 contrary, including but not limited to section six hundred one of this
10 article, a surviving spouse remains an eligible beneficiary for the
11 accidental death benefit hereunder upon remarriage.
12 § 2. Section 607 of the retirement and social security law is amended
13 by adding a new subdivision d to read as follows:
14 d. Any surviving spouse whose receipt of the accidental death benefit
15 hereunder has ceased as a result of the remarriage of such surviving
16 spouse shall be deemed eligible for such benefit and shall have such
17 benefit reinstated retroactive to the date of such remarriage.
18 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD14574-01-6
