Provides that the normal service retirement benefit for police/fire members who are members of the New York city fire department pension fund shall be paid to such members of the New York city fire department pension fund without regard to age upon retirement after twenty years of service.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
4727
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
February 12, 2025
___________
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
normal retirement age for police/fire members of the New York city
fire department pension fund
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Subdivision 17 of section 501 of the retirement and social
2 security law, as amended by chapter 18 of the laws of 2012, is amended
3 to read as follows:
4 17. "Normal retirement age" shall be age sixty-two, for general
5 members, [and] the age at which a member completes or would have
6 completed twenty-two years of service, for police/fire members, New York
7 city uniformed correction/sanitation revised plan members and investi-
8 gator revised plan members, and the age at which a member completes
9 twenty years of service for police/fire members who are members of the
10 New York city fire department pension fund.
11 § 2. Subdivision d of section 503 of the retirement and social securi-
12 ty law, as amended by chapter 18 of the laws of 2012, is amended to read
13 as follows:
14 d. The normal service retirement benefit specified in section five
15 hundred five of this article shall be paid to police/fire members, New
16 York city uniformed correction/sanitation revised plan members and
17 investigator revised plan members without regard to age upon retirement
18 after twenty-two years of service; provided, however, that such normal
19 service retirement benefit for police/fire members who are members of
20 the New York city fire department pension fund shall be paid to such
21 members of the New York city fire department pension fund without regard
22 to age upon retirement after twenty years of service. Early service
23 retirement shall be permitted upon retirement after twenty years of
24 credited service or attainment of age sixty-two, provided, however, that
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01279-02-5
S. 4727 2
1 New York city police/fire revised plan members, New York city uniformed
2 correction/sanitation revised plan members and investigator revised plan
3 members shall not be eligible to retire for service prior to the attain-
4 ment of twenty years of credited service.
5 § 3. Notwithstanding the provisions of section 13-379 of the adminis-
6 trative code of the city of New York, the provisions of this act amend-
7 ing sections 501 and 503 of the retirement and social security law shall
8 apply to chapter three of title thirteen of the administrative code of
9 the city of New York.
10 § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.
FISCAL NOTE.--Pursuant to Legislative Law, Section 50:
SUMMARY: This proposed legislation would reduce the Normal Retirement
Age for Tier 3 members of the New York City Fire Pension Fund (FIRE) to
be the age at which a member completes twenty years of service.
EXPECTED INCREASE (DECREASE) IN EMPLOYER CONTRIBUTIONS
by Fiscal Year for the first 25 years ($ in Millions)
Year FIRE
2026 3.9
2027 4.2
2028 4.4
2029 4.7
2030 5.0
2031 5.3
2032 5.6
2033 6.1
2034 6.5
2035 6.9
2036 7.3
2037 7.9
2038 8.4
2039 8.8
2040 9.1
2041 9.6
2042 9.9
2043 8.7
2044 9.0
2045 9.4
2046 9.6
2047 9.8
2048 10.0
2049 10.2
2050 10.4
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 0.28%.
The entire increase in employer contributions will be allocated to New
York City.
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)
S. 4727 3
Present Value (PV) FIRE
(1) PV of Employer Contributions: 25.9
(2) PV of Employee Contributions: (3.5)
Total PV of Benefits (1) + (2): 22.4
UNFUNDED ACCRUED LIABILITY (UAL): Actuarial Accrued Liabilities are
the portion of the Present Value of Benefits allocated to past service.
Changes in UAL were amortized over the expected remaining working life-
time of those impacted using level dollar payments.
AMORTIZATION OF UNFUNDED ACCRUED LIABILITY
FIRE
Increase (Decrease) in UAL: 14.1 M
Number of Payments: 17
Amortization Payment: 1.5 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.
FIRE
Active Members
- Number Count: 5,572
- Average Age: 34.1
- Average Service: 6.2
- Average Salary: 118,600
IMPACT ON MEMBER BENEFITS: Currently, Tier 3 FIRE members who retire
with at least 20 years of service are eligible to receive an annual
benefit that is equal to 42% of Final Average Salary (FAS), increasing
to a maximum benefit of 50% of FAS after 22 years of service.
Under the proposed legislation, Tier 3 FIRE members who retire with at
least 20 years of service would be eligible to receive an annual benefit
that is equal to 50% of FAS.
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:
* Retirement rates were adjusted to reflect the earlier payabil-
ity of the service retirement benefit associated with the
proposed legislation.
* New entrants were assumed to replace exiting members so that
total payroll increases by 3% each year for impacted groups. New
entrant demographics were developed based on data for recent new
hires and actuarial judgement.
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.
S. 4727 4
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 2025-11 dated February
11, 2025 was prepared by the Chief Actuary for the New York City Retire-
ment Systems and Pension Funds and is intended for use only during the
2025 Legislative Session.
