Bill > S07021

This bill establishes a new mechanism for members of New York State public retirement systems to obtain service credit for volunteer fire or emergency service. Under the proposed law, a member can earn one year of service credit for every five years of volunteer service, with a maximum of three years of additional credit for a total of fifteen years of service. To be eligible, a member must have at least five years of credited service and must apply for the credit before retiring. Members will need to pay the retirement system a fee equal to 3% of their recent compensation for each year of service credit, which can potentially be paid through payroll deduction. The credit will only be applicable to twenty-year and twenty-five-year service-based retirement plans, and the total volunteer service credit across all New York State retirement systems cannot exceed three years. The bill ensures that if a member dies before retirement, any payments made for purchasing volunteer service credit will be refunded with interest if those credits do not increase the death benefit. The costs associated with this service credit will be shared by the State of New York and participating local employers, and the provision is not subject to standard appropriation requirements.

Budget and Finance, Labor and Employment

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S7021