Bill > S06856

This bill provides special disability retirement benefits for Kyle Brower, a retired member of the New York State Teachers' Retirement System who participated in World Trade Center rescue, recovery, or cleanup operations following the September 11, 2001 attacks. Specifically, the bill allows Brower to receive a performance of duty disability retirement allowance equal to three-quarters of his final average salary, which is a more generous benefit than his current disability retirement benefit. To qualify, Brower must have incurred a qualifying World Trade Center-related medical condition that was determined to be directly related to his rescue and recovery work, and not caused by his own willful negligence. He must file a written request with the head of the Teachers' Retirement System within one year of the bill's effective date, and his pension will be recalculated retroactively to his retirement date in 2013. The estimated cost of this benefit is $937,000, which will be borne by the employers of Teachers' Retirement System members. The bill explicitly exempts these provisions from certain standard retirement law restrictions, allowing for this unique, individualized pension enhancement.

Labor and Employment

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S6856