Bill > S08159

This bill amends the retirement and social security law to expand disability retirement benefits for safety and security officers working in mental health institutions. Specifically, the bill broadens the definition of eligible workers to include "qualifying members" and updates language to be more gender-neutral by replacing gendered pronouns with "their." The bill creates a presumptive disability benefit for workers who contract certain diseases like HIV, tuberculosis, or hepatitis through potential exposure to bodily fluids of incarcerated individuals, and establishes a presumption that heart-related disabilities are work-related if the employee passed a pre-employment physical exam that did not reveal prior heart conditions. The fiscal note indicates this change will affect approximately 667 state employees, with an estimated annual cost increase of $1.1 million for the state and a one-time past service cost of $5.55 million. The disability benefit would provide 75 percent of the employee's final average salary, less workers' compensation, and is designed to protect safety officers who become physically or mentally disabled while performing duties in mental health institutions.

Labor and Employment

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S8159