Bill Text: NY S04923 | 2013-2014 | General Assembly | Introduced

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Amends the dates of certain armed conflicts to reflect the dates for such conflicts established by the federal government and provides that future dates of armed conflicts shall be consistent with the federal dates thereof.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-06-20 - COMMITTED TO RULES [S04923 Detail]

Download: New_York-2013-S04923-Introduced.html
                           S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                         4923
                              2013-2014 Regular Sessions
                                   I N  S E N A T E
                                      May 1, 2013
                                      ___________
       Introduced  by  Sen.  LIBOUS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
         printed to be committed to the Committee on Veterans, Homeland Securi-
         ty and Military Affairs
       AN ACT to amend the education law, the retirement  and  social  security
         law,  the  civil  service  law, the social services law and the public
         officers law, in relation to the dates of certain periods of war
         THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
    1    Section  1.  Subdivision  1  of  section  668 of the education law, as
    2  amended by chapter 580 of the laws of 1992, paragraphs (a)  and  (d)  as
    3  amended  by chapter 261 of the laws of 1995, paragraph (b) as amended by
    4  chapter 616 of the laws of 1995, paragraphs (f)  and  (g)  as  added  by
    5  chapter 435 of the laws of 2006, is amended to read as follows:
    6    1.    Period  of  military  service. For a student to be eligible, the
    7  parent, or step-parent where the student is the dependent of  the  step-
    8  parent, (i) must have been a recipient of the armed forces expeditionary
    9  medal,  the  navy  expeditionary medal or the marine corps expeditionary
   10  medal for participation in  operations  in  Lebanon  from  [June  first]
   11  AUGUST  TWENTY-FIRST,  nineteen  hundred  [eighty-three]  EIGHTY-TWO  to
   12  December first, nineteen hundred eighty-seven, in Grenada  from  October
   13  twenty-third,  nineteen  hundred  eighty-three to November twenty-first,
   14  nineteen hundred eighty-three, or in  Panama  from  December  twentieth,
   15  nineteen  hundred  eighty-nine to January thirty-first, nineteen hundred
   16  ninety, or (ii) must have served on regular active duty (other than  for
   17  training) in the armed forces of the United States during part of one of
   18  the following periods:
   19    (a)  April sixth, nineteen hundred seventeen to November eleven, nine-
   20  teen hundred eighteen.
   21    (b) December seven, nineteen hundred forty-one to December thirty-one,
   22  nineteen hundred forty-six, or have been employed by  the  War  Shipping
   23  Administration  or Office of Defense Transportation or their agents as a
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD08442-02-3
       S. 4923                             2
    1  merchant seaman documented by the United States Coast Guard  or  Depart-
    2  ment  of  Commerce,  or as a civil servant employed by the United States
    3  Army Transport Service (later redesignated as  the  United  States  Army
    4  Transportation  Corps,  Water  Division)  or  the  Naval  Transportation
    5  Service; and who served satisfactorily as a crew member during the peri-
    6  od of armed conflict, December seventh, nineteen hundred  forty-one,  to
    7  August  fifteenth,  nineteen hundred forty-five, aboard merchant vessels
    8  in oceangoing, i.e., foreign, intercoastal, or coastwise service as such
    9  terms are defined under federal law (46 USCA 10301 & 10501) and  further
   10  to  include "near foreign" voyages between the United States and Canada,
   11  Mexico, or the West Indies via ocean routes, or public vessels in ocean-
   12  going service or foreign waters and who has received  a  Certificate  of
   13  Release or Discharge from Active Duty and a discharge certificate, or an
   14  Honorable Service Certificate/Report of Casualty, from the Department of
   15  Defense or have served as a United States civilian employed by the Amer-
   16  ican  Field  Service  and served overseas under United States Armies and
   17  United States Army Groups in world war II during  the  period  of  armed
   18  conflict,  December  seventh,  nineteen  hundred  forty-one  through May
   19  eighth, nineteen hundred forty-five, and who was discharged or  released
   20  therefrom  under honorable conditions, or have served as a United States
   21  civilian Flight Crew and Aviation Ground Support Employee of Pan  Ameri-
   22  can  World  Airways  or  one  of  its subsidiaries or its affiliates and
   23  served overseas as a result of Pan American's contract with  Air  Trans-
   24  port  Command  or Naval Air Transport Service during the period of armed
   25  conflict, December fourteenth, nineteen hundred forty-one through August
   26  fourteenth, nineteen hundred  forty-five,  and  who  was  discharged  or
   27  released therefrom under honorable conditions.
   28    (c)  June  twenty-seven, nineteen hundred fifty to January thirty-one,
   29  nineteen hundred fifty-five.
   30    (d) [December twenty-second] FEBRUARY TWENTY-EIGHTH, nineteen  hundred
   31  sixty-one to May seventh, nineteen hundred seventy-five.
   32    (e) August [two] SECOND, nineteen hundred ninety to the end of hostil-
   33  ities in the Persian Gulf conflict.
   34    (f)  From  September eighteenth, two thousand one until the end of the
   35  United States military efforts in Afghanistan.
   36    (g) From October sixteenth, two thousand two  until  the  end  of  the
   37  United States military efforts in Iraq.
   38    S  2. Subdivision 1 of section 668-c of the education law, as added by
   39  chapter 474 of the laws of 2000, is amended to read as follows:
   40    1. Eligible students. Awards shall be made to Vietnam veterans'  resi-
   41  dent  children born with Spina Bifida enrolled in approved undergraduate
   42  or graduate programs at degree granting institutions. For the purpose of
   43  this section, "Vietnam veteran" shall mean a person who served in  Indo-
   44  china  at any time from the [twenty-second] TWENTY-EIGHTH day of [Decem-
   45  ber] FEBRUARY, nineteen hundred sixty-one, to and including the  seventh
   46  day  of  May, nineteen hundred seventy-five and was honorably discharged
   47  from the armed forces of the United States;  "born  with  Spina  Bifida"
   48  shall  mean a diagnosis at birth of such disease inclusive of all forms,
   49  manifestations, complications and associated medical conditions thereof,
   50  but shall not include Spina Bifida Occulta. Such diagnosis shall  be  in
   51  accordance  with  the provisions of the federal Spina Bifida program and
   52  shall be documented by the United  States  Administration  of  Veterans'
   53  Affairs.
   54    S  3. Paragraph (a) of subdivision 2 of section 1000 of the retirement
   55  and social security law, as added by chapter 548 of the laws of 2000, is
   56  amended to read as follows:
       S. 4923                             3
    1    (a) hostilities participated in by the military forces of  the  United
    2  States  in  Lebanon, from the [first] TWENTY-FIRST day of [June] AUGUST,
    3  nineteen hundred [eighty-three] EIGHTY-TWO to the first day of December,
    4  nineteen hundred eighty-seven, as established by receipt  of  the  armed
    5  forces  expeditionary medal, the navy expeditionary medal, or the marine
    6  corps expeditionary medal;
    7    S 4. Subparagraph 5 of paragraph (c) of subdivision 1 of section 85 of
    8  the civil service law, as added by chapter 467 of the laws of  1991,  is
    9  amended to read as follows:
   10    (5)  Hostilities  participated in by the military forces of the United
   11  States in Lebanon, from the [first] TWENTY-FIRST day of  [June]  AUGUST,
   12  nineteen hundred [eighty-three] EIGHTY-TWO to the first day of December,
   13  nineteen  hundred  eighty-seven,  as established by receipt of the armed
   14  forces expeditionary medal, the navy expeditionary medal, or the  marine
   15  corps expeditionary medal.
   16    S  5.  Subdivision  1  of  section  168 of the social services law, as
   17  amended by chapter 467 of the laws  of  1991,  is  amended  to  read  as
   18  follows:
   19    1. Veteran means a person, male or female, who has served in the armed
   20  forces  of  the  United States in time of war, or who was a recipient of
   21  the armed forces expeditionary medal, navy expeditionary medal or marine
   22  corps expeditionary medal for participation  in  operations  in  Lebanon
   23  from  [June  first,  nineteen hundred eighty-three] AUGUST TWENTY-FIRST,
   24  NINETEEN HUNDRED EIGHTY-TWO to December first, nineteen hundred  eighty-
   25  seven,  in  Grenada  from October twenty-third, nineteen hundred eighty-
   26  three to November twenty-first, nineteen  hundred  eighty-three,  or  in
   27  Panama  from December twentieth, nineteen hundred eighty-nine to January
   28  thirty-first, nineteen  hundred  ninety,  and  who  has  been  honorably
   29  discharged  or  released under honorable circumstances from such service
   30  or furloughed to the reserve.
   31    S 6. Section 63 of the public officers law, as amended by chapter  179
   32  of the laws of 2006, is amended to read as follows:
   33    S 63. Leave of absence for veterans on Memorial day and Veterans' day.
   34  It shall be the duty of the head of every public department and of every
   35  court  of  the  state of New York, of every superintendent or foreman on
   36  the public works of said state, of the county officers  of  the  several
   37  counties  of  said  state,  of the town officers of the various towns in
   38  this state, of the fire district officers of the various fire  districts
   39  in this state, and of the head of every department, bureau and office in
   40  the government of the various cities and villages in this state, and the
   41  officers  of  any  public benefit corporation or any public authority of
   42  this state, or of any public benefit corporation or public authority  of
   43  any  county  or subdivision of this state, to give leave of absence with
   44  pay for twenty-four hours on the day prescribed by law as a public holi-
   45  day for the observance of Memorial day and on the eleventh day of Novem-
   46  ber, known as Veterans' day, to every  person  in  the  service  of  the
   47  state, the county, the town, the fire district, the city or village, the
   48  public  benefit  corporation  or  public authority of this state, or any
   49  public benefit corporation or public authority of any county or subdivi-
   50  sion of this state, as the case may be, (i) who served on active duty in
   51  the armed forces of the United States during world war I  or  world  war
   52  II,  or who was employed by the War Shipping Administration or Office of
   53  Defense Transportation or their agents as a merchant  seaman  documented
   54  by  the  United  States  Coast  Guard or Department of Commerce, or as a
   55  civil servant employed by  the  United  States  Army  Transport  Service
   56  (later  redesignated  as  the  United  States Army Transportation Corps,
       S. 4923                             4
    1  Water Division) or the Naval  Transportation  Service;  and  who  served
    2  satisfactorily  as  a  crew  member during the period of armed conflict,
    3  December seventh, nineteen hundred forty-one, to August fifteenth, nine-
    4  teen  hundred  forty-five,  aboard merchant vessels in oceangoing, i.e.,
    5  foreign, intercoastal, or coastwise service as such  terms  are  defined
    6  under  federal  law (46 USCA 10301 & 10501) and further to include "near
    7  foreign" voyages between the United States and Canada,  Mexico,  or  the
    8  West Indies via ocean routes, or public vessels in oceangoing service or
    9  foreign  waters  and  who  has  received  a  Certificate  of  Release or
   10  Discharge from Active Duty and a discharge certificate, or an  Honorable
   11  Service  Certificate/Report of Casualty, from the Department of Defense,
   12  or who served as a United States civilian employed by the American Field
   13  Service and served overseas under United States Armies and United States
   14  Army Groups in world war II during the period of armed conflict,  Decem-
   15  ber  seventh,  nineteen  hundred  forty-one through May eighth, nineteen
   16  hundred forty-five, and who was discharged or released  therefrom  under
   17  honorable  conditions,  or who served as a United States civilian Flight
   18  Crew and Aviation Ground Support Employee of Pan American World  Airways
   19  or  one  of  its subsidiaries or its affiliates and served overseas as a
   20  result of Pan American's contract with Air Transport  Command  or  Naval
   21  Air  Transport  Service  during  the  period of armed conflict, December
   22  fourteenth, nineteen hundred forty-one through August fourteenth,  nine-
   23  teen  hundred  forty-five,  and who was discharged or released therefrom
   24  under honorable conditions, or during the period of the Korean  conflict
   25  at  any  time between the dates of June twenty-seventh, nineteen hundred
   26  fifty and January thirty-first, nineteen hundred fifty-five,  or  during
   27  the  period of the Vietnam conflict from the twenty-eighth day of Febru-
   28  ary, nineteen hundred sixty-one to the  seventh  day  of  May,  nineteen
   29  hundred  seventy-five,  or  (ii)  who served on active duty in the armed
   30  forces of the United States and who was a recipient of the armed  forces
   31  expeditionary  medal,  navy  expeditionary medal or marine corps expedi-
   32  tionary medal for participation in  operations  in  Lebanon  from  [June
   33  first,  nineteen  hundred  eighty-three]  AUGUST  TWENTY-FIRST, NINETEEN
   34  HUNDRED EIGHTY-TWO to December first, nineteen hundred eighty-seven,  in
   35  Grenada  from  October  twenty-third,  nineteen  hundred eighty-three to
   36  November twenty-first, nineteen hundred eighty-three, or in Panama  from
   37  December  twentieth,  nineteen  hundred  eighty-nine  to January thirty-
   38  first, nineteen hundred ninety, or (iii) who served in the armed  forces
   39  of a foreign country allied with the United States during world war I or
   40  world  war  II,  or during the period of the Korean conflict at any time
   41  between June twenty-seventh, nineteen hundred fifty and January  thirty-
   42  first,  nineteen hundred fifty-five, or during the period of the Vietnam
   43  conflict from  the  twenty-eighth  day  of  February,  nineteen  hundred
   44  sixty-one  to  the seventh day of May, nineteen hundred seventy-five, or
   45  during the period of the Persian Gulf conflict from the  second  day  of
   46  August,  nineteen  hundred  ninety  to  the end of such conflict, or who
   47  served on active duty in the army or navy or marine corps or  air  force
   48  or coast guard of the United States, and who was honorably discharged or
   49  separated  from  such  service  under honorable conditions, except where
   50  such action would endanger the public safety or the safety or health  of
   51  persons  cared  for  by  the state, in which event such persons shall be
   52  entitled to leave of absence with pay on another day  in  lieu  thereof.
   53  All such persons who are compensated on a per diem, hourly, semi-monthly
   54  or monthly basis, with or without maintenance, shall also be entitled to
   55  leave  of  absence  with pay under the provisions of this section and no
   56  deduction in vacation allowance or budgetary allowable number of working
       S. 4923                             5
    1  days shall be made in lieu thereof. A refusal  to  give  such  leave  of
    2  absence to one entitled thereto shall be neglect of duty.
    3    S 7. This act shall take effect immediately.
         FISCAL  NOTE.--This  bill  would extend the benefits of Chapter 548 of
       the Laws of 2000 to members of public retirement  systems  in  New  York
       State  who  rendered  military  service during the period of conflict in
       Lebanon from 8/20/82-12/1/87. Currently, the period  is  defined  to  be
       6/1/83-12/1/87.  Affected  members may purchase up to a maximum of three
       years of military service. Tier 1-5 members would be required to make  a
       payment  of  three percent of their most recent compensation per year of
       additional service credit granted by this bill. Tier 6 members would  be
       required  to  make a payment of six percent of their most recent compen-
       sation per year of additional service credit.
         If this bill is enacted, insofar as this proposal affects the New York
       State and Local Employees' Retirement System (ERS), it is estimated that
       the past service cost will average approximately 12% (9% for Tier 6)  of
       an  affected  members'  compensation for each year of additional service
       credit that is purchased.
         Insofar as this proposal affects the New York State and  Local  Police
       and Fire Retirement System (PFRS), it is estimated that the past service
       cost  will  average  approximately  17%  (14% for Tier 6) of an affected
       members' compensation for  each  year  of  additional  service  that  is
       purchased.
         The  exact  number  of  current  members as well as future members who
       could be affected by this legislation cannot be readily determined.
         ERS Costs: Pursuant to Section 25 of the Retirement and Social Securi-
       ty Law, the increased cost to the New York State  and  Local  Employees'
       Retirement  System  would be borne entirely by the State of New York and
       would require an itemized appropriation sufficient to pay  the  cost  of
       the  provision.  Since a member can apply for this service credit at any
       time prior to retirement, a precise cost can't be determined until  each
       member, as well as future members, applies for the service credit. Every
       year  a cost will be determined (and billed to the state) based on those
       benefiting from this provision.
         PFRS Cost: These costs would be shared by the State of  New  York  and
       the participating employers in the PFRS.
         Summary of relevant resources:
         Data:  March  31,  2012  Actuarial Year End File with distributions of
       membership and other statistics displayed in  the  2012  Report  of  the
       Actuary and 2012 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report.
         Assumptions  and  Methods:  2010,  2011  and 2012 Annual Report to the
       Comptroller on Actuarial Assumptions, Codes Rules and Regulations of the
       State of New York: Audit and Control.
         Market Assets and GASB Disclosures: March 31, 2012 New York State  and
       Local  Retirement System Financial Statements and Supplementary Informa-
       tion.
         Valuations of Benefit Liabilities and Actuarial Assets: summarized  in
       the 2012 Actuarial Valuations report.
         I am a member of the American Academy of Actuaries and meet the Quali-
       fication Standards to render the actuarial opinion contained herein.
         This  estimate,  dated  February  12,  2013  and intended for use only
       during the  2013  Legislative  Session,  is  Fiscal  Note  No.  2013-81,
       prepared  by  the  Actuary  for  the New York State and Local Employees'
       Retirement System and the New York  State  and  Local  Police  and  Fire
       Retirement System.
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