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

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-Amended.html
                           S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                        4923--A
                              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 -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered
         reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
       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  and
         hostilities
         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.
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD08442-03-3
       S. 4923--A                          2
    1    (b) December seven, nineteen hundred forty-one to December thirty-one,
    2  nineteen  hundred  forty-six,  or have been employed by the War Shipping
    3  Administration or Office of Defense Transportation or their agents as  a
    4  merchant  seaman  documented by the United States Coast Guard or Depart-
    5  ment  of  Commerce,  or as a civil servant employed by the United States
    6  Army Transport Service (later redesignated as  the  United  States  Army
    7  Transportation  Corps,  Water  Division)  or  the  Naval  Transportation
    8  Service; and who served satisfactorily as a crew member during the peri-
    9  od of armed conflict, December seventh, nineteen hundred  forty-one,  to
   10  August  fifteenth,  nineteen hundred forty-five, aboard merchant vessels
   11  in oceangoing, i.e., foreign, intercoastal, or coastwise service as such
   12  terms are defined under federal law (46 USCA 10301 & 10501) and  further
   13  to  include "near foreign" voyages between the United States and Canada,
   14  Mexico, or the West Indies via ocean routes, or public vessels in ocean-
   15  going service or foreign waters and who has received  a  Certificate  of
   16  Release or Discharge from Active Duty and a discharge certificate, or an
   17  Honorable Service Certificate/Report of Casualty, from the Department of
   18  Defense or have served as a United States civilian employed by the Amer-
   19  ican  Field  Service  and served overseas under United States Armies and
   20  United States Army Groups in world war II during  the  period  of  armed
   21  conflict,  December  seventh,  nineteen  hundred  forty-one  through May
   22  eighth, nineteen hundred forty-five, and who was discharged or  released
   23  therefrom  under honorable conditions, or have served as a United States
   24  civilian Flight Crew and Aviation Ground Support Employee of Pan  Ameri-
   25  can  World  Airways  or  one  of  its subsidiaries or its affiliates and
   26  served overseas as a result of Pan American's contract with  Air  Trans-
   27  port  Command  or Naval Air Transport Service during the period of armed
   28  conflict, December fourteenth, nineteen hundred forty-one through August
   29  fourteenth, nineteen hundred  forty-five,  and  who  was  discharged  or
   30  released therefrom under honorable conditions.
   31    (c)  June  twenty-seven, nineteen hundred fifty to January thirty-one,
   32  nineteen hundred fifty-five.
   33    (d) [December twenty-second] FEBRUARY TWENTY-EIGHTH, nineteen  hundred
   34  sixty-one to May seventh, nineteen hundred seventy-five.
   35    (e) August [two] SECOND, nineteen hundred ninety to the end of hostil-
   36  ities in the Persian Gulf conflict.
   37    (f)  From  September eighteenth, two thousand one until the end of the
   38  United States military efforts in Afghanistan.
   39    (g) From October sixteenth, two thousand two  until  the  end  of  the
   40  United States military efforts in Iraq.
   41    (H)  ANY  OTHER  PERIOD  OF  WAR  OR HOSTILITIES IN SUCH LOCATIONS AND
   42  DURING SUCH PERIODS OF TIME AS SHALL BE DETERMINED FROM TIME TO TIME  BY
   43  THE FEDERAL DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE OR THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS.
   44    S  2. Subdivision 1 of section 668-c of the education law, as added by
   45  chapter 474 of the laws of 2000, is amended to read as follows:
   46    1. Eligible students. Awards shall be made to Vietnam veterans'  resi-
   47  dent  children born with Spina Bifida enrolled in approved undergraduate
   48  or graduate programs at degree granting institutions. For the purpose of
   49  this section, "Vietnam veteran" shall mean a person who served in  Indo-
   50  china  at any time from the [twenty-second] TWENTY-EIGHTH day of [Decem-
   51  ber] FEBRUARY, nineteen hundred sixty-one, to and including the  seventh
   52  day  of  May, nineteen hundred seventy-five and was honorably discharged
   53  from the armed forces of the United States;  "born  with  Spina  Bifida"
   54  shall  mean a diagnosis at birth of such disease inclusive of all forms,
   55  manifestations, complications and associated medical conditions thereof,
   56  but shall not include Spina Bifida Occulta. Such diagnosis shall  be  in
       S. 4923--A                          3
    1  accordance  with  the provisions of the federal Spina Bifida program and
    2  shall be documented by the United  States  Administration  of  Veterans'
    3  Affairs.
    4    S  3.  Paragraphs (a), (c) and (d) of subdivision 2 of section 1000 of
    5  the retirement and social security law, as added by chapter 548  of  the
    6  laws  of  2000,  are amended and a new paragraph (e) is added to read as
    7  follows:
    8    (a) hostilities participated in by the military forces of  the  United
    9  States  in  Lebanon, from the [first] TWENTY-FIRST day of [June] AUGUST,
   10  nineteen hundred [eighty-three] EIGHTY-TWO to the first day of December,
   11  nineteen hundred eighty-seven, as established by receipt  of  the  armed
   12  forces  expeditionary medal, the navy expeditionary medal, or the marine
   13  corps expeditionary medal;
   14    (c) hostilities participated in by the military forces of  the  United
   15  States  in  Panama, from the twentieth day of December, nineteen hundred
   16  eighty-nine to the thirty-first day of January, nineteen hundred ninety,
   17  as established by receipt of the armed forces expeditionary  medal,  the
   18  navy expeditionary medal, or the marine corps expeditionary medal; [or]
   19    (d)  hostilities  participated in by the military forces of the United
   20  States, from the second day of August, nineteen hundred ninety,  to  the
   21  end  of  such hostilities in case of a veteran who served in the theater
   22  of operations including Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar,  the
   23  United  Arab  Emirates,  Oman,  the  Gulf of Aden, the Gulf of Oman, the
   24  Persian Gulf, the Red Sea, and the airspace above these  locations[.]  ;
   25  OR
   26    (E)  ANY  OTHER  HOSTILITIES  OR  PERIOD OF WAR PARTICIPATED IN BY THE
   27  MILITARY FORCES OF THE UNITED STATES IN SUCH LOCATIONS AND  DURING  SUCH
   28  PERIODS  OF TIME AS SHALL BE DETERMINED FROM TIME TO TIME BY THE FEDERAL
   29  DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE OR THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS.
   30    S 4. Subparagraph 5 of paragraph (c) of subdivision 1 of section 85 of
   31  the civil service law, as added by chapter 467 of the laws of  1991,  is
   32  amended and a new subparagraph 9 is added to read as follows:
   33    (5)  Hostilities  participated in by the military forces of the United
   34  States in Lebanon, from the [first] TWENTY-FIRST day of  [June]  AUGUST,
   35  nineteen hundred [eighty-three] EIGHTY-TWO to the first day of December,
   36  nineteen  hundred  eighty-seven,  as established by receipt of the armed
   37  forces expeditionary medal, the navy expeditionary medal, or the  marine
   38  corps expeditionary medal.
   39    (9)  ANY  OTHER  HOSTILITIES  OR  PERIOD OF WAR PARTICIPATED IN BY THE
   40  MILITARY FORCES OF THE UNITED STATES IN SUCH LOCATIONS AND  DURING  SUCH
   41  PERIODS  OF TIME AS SHALL BE DETERMINED FROM TIME TO TIME BY THE FEDERAL
   42  DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE OR THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS.
   43    S 5. Subdivision 1 of section 168 of the social services law, as added
   44  by chapter 467 of the laws of 1991, is amended to read as follows:
   45    1. Veteran means a person, male or female, who has served in the armed
   46  forces of the United States in time of war, or who was  a  recipient  of
   47  the armed forces expeditionary medal, navy expeditionary medal or marine
   48  corps  expeditionary  medal  for  participation in operations in Lebanon
   49  from [June first, nineteen hundred  eighty-three]  AUGUST  TWENTY-FIRST,
   50  NINETEEN  HUNDRED EIGHTY-TWO to December first, nineteen hundred eighty-
   51  seven, in Grenada from October twenty-third,  nineteen  hundred  eighty-
   52  three  to  November  twenty-first,  nineteen hundred eighty-three, or in
   53  Panama from December twentieth, nineteen hundred eighty-nine to  January
   54  thirty-first,  nineteen  hundred  ninety,  and  who  has  been honorably
   55  discharged or released under honorable circumstances from  such  service
   56  or furloughed to the reserve.
       S. 4923--A                          4
    1    S  6.    Subdivision  2  of  section 168 of the social services law is
    2  amended by adding a new paragraph 9 to read as follows:
    3    (9)  ANY  OTHER  PERIOD  OF  WAR  OR HOSTILITIES IN SUCH LOCATIONS AND
    4  DURING SUCH PERIODS OF TIME AS SHALL BE DETERMINED FROM TIME TO TIME  BY
    5  THE FEDERAL DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE OR THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS.
    6    S  7. Section 63 of the public officers law, as amended by chapter 179
    7  of the laws of 2006, is amended to read as follows:
    8    S 63. Leave of absence for veterans on Memorial day and Veterans' day.
    9  It shall be the duty of the head of every public department and of every
   10  court of the state of New York, of every superintendent  or  foreman  on
   11  the  public  works  of said state, of the county officers of the several
   12  counties of said state, of the town officers of  the  various  towns  in
   13  this  state, of the fire district officers of the various fire districts
   14  in this state, and of the head of every department, bureau and office in
   15  the government of the various cities and villages in this state, and the
   16  officers of any public benefit corporation or any  public  authority  of
   17  this  state, or of any public benefit corporation or public authority of
   18  any county or subdivision of this state, to give leave of  absence  with
   19  pay for twenty-four hours on the day prescribed by law as a public holi-
   20  day for the observance of Memorial day and on the eleventh day of Novem-
   21  ber,  known  as  Veterans'  day,  to  every person in the service of the
   22  state, the county, the town, the fire district, the city or village, the
   23  public benefit corporation or public authority of  this  state,  or  any
   24  public benefit corporation or public authority of any county or subdivi-
   25  sion of this state, as the case may be, (i) who served on active duty in
   26  the  armed  forces  of the United States during world war I or world war
   27  II, or who was employed by the War Shipping Administration or Office  of
   28  Defense  Transportation  or their agents as a merchant seaman documented
   29  by the United States Coast Guard or Department  of  Commerce,  or  as  a
   30  civil  servant  employed  by  the  United  States Army Transport Service
   31  (later redesignated as the  United  States  Army  Transportation  Corps,
   32  Water  Division)  or  the  Naval  Transportation Service; and who served
   33  satisfactorily as a crew member during the  period  of  armed  conflict,
   34  December seventh, nineteen hundred forty-one, to August fifteenth, nine-
   35  teen  hundred  forty-five,  aboard merchant vessels in oceangoing, i.e.,
   36  foreign, intercoastal, or coastwise service as such  terms  are  defined
   37  under  federal  law (46 USCA 10301 & 10501) and further to include "near
   38  foreign" voyages between the United States and Canada,  Mexico,  or  the
   39  West Indies via ocean routes, or public vessels in oceangoing service or
   40  foreign  waters  and  who  has  received  a  Certificate  of  Release or
   41  Discharge from Active Duty and a discharge certificate, or an  Honorable
   42  Service  Certificate/Report of Casualty, from the Department of Defense,
   43  or who served as a United States civilian employed by the American Field
   44  Service and served overseas under United States Armies and United States
   45  Army Groups in world war II during the period of armed conflict,  Decem-
   46  ber  seventh,  nineteen  hundred  forty-one through May eighth, nineteen
   47  hundred forty-five, and who was discharged or released  therefrom  under
   48  honorable  conditions,  or who served as a United States civilian Flight
   49  Crew and Aviation Ground Support Employee of Pan American World  Airways
   50  or  one  of  its subsidiaries or its affiliates and served overseas as a
   51  result of Pan American's contract with Air Transport  Command  or  Naval
   52  Air  Transport  Service  during  the  period of armed conflict, December
   53  fourteenth, nineteen hundred forty-one through August fourteenth,  nine-
   54  teen  hundred  forty-five,  and who was discharged or released therefrom
   55  under honorable conditions, or during the period of the Korean  conflict
   56  at  any  time between the dates of June twenty-seventh, nineteen hundred
       S. 4923--A                          5
    1  fifty and January thirty-first, nineteen hundred fifty-five,  or  during
    2  the  period of the Vietnam conflict from the twenty-eighth day of Febru-
    3  ary, nineteen hundred sixty-one to the  seventh  day  of  May,  nineteen
    4  hundred  seventy-five,  or  (ii)  who served on active duty in the armed
    5  forces of the United States and who was a recipient of the armed  forces
    6  expeditionary  medal,  navy  expeditionary medal or marine corps expedi-
    7  tionary medal for participation in  operations  in  Lebanon  from  [June
    8  first,  nineteen  hundred  eighty-three]  AUGUST  TWENTY-FIRST, NINETEEN
    9  HUNDRED EIGHTY-TWO to December first, nineteen hundred eighty-seven,  in
   10  Grenada  from  October  twenty-third,  nineteen  hundred eighty-three to
   11  November twenty-first, nineteen hundred  eighty-three,  [or]  in  Panama
   12  from  December  twentieth, nineteen hundred eighty-nine to January thir-
   13  ty-first, nineteen hundred ninety, OR DURING ANY OTHER PERIOD OF WAR  OR
   14  HOSTILITIES  IN  SUCH LOCATIONS AND DURING SUCH PERIODS OF TIME AS SHALL
   15  BE DETERMINED FROM TIME TO TIME BY THE FEDERAL DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE  OR
   16  THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS, or (iii) who served in the armed forces of a
   17  foreign  country  allied  with  the  United States during world war I or
   18  world war II, or during the period of the Korean conflict  at  any  time
   19  between  June twenty-seventh, nineteen hundred fifty and January thirty-
   20  first, nineteen hundred fifty-five, or during the period of the  Vietnam
   21  conflict  from  the  twenty-eighth  day  of  February,  nineteen hundred
   22  sixty-one to the seventh day of May, nineteen hundred  seventy-five,  or
   23  during  the  period  of the Persian Gulf conflict from the second day of
   24  August, nineteen hundred ninety to the end  of  such  conflict,  or  who
   25  served  on  active duty in the army or navy or marine corps or air force
   26  or coast guard of the United States, and who was honorably discharged or
   27  separated from such service under  honorable  conditions,  except  where
   28  such  action would endanger the public safety or the safety or health of
   29  persons cared for by the state, in which event  such  persons  shall  be
   30  entitled  to  leave  of absence with pay on another day in lieu thereof.
   31  All such persons who are compensated on a per diem, hourly, semi-monthly
   32  or monthly basis, with or without maintenance, shall also be entitled to
   33  leave of absence with pay under the provisions of this  section  and  no
   34  deduction in vacation allowance or budgetary allowable number of working
   35  days  shall  be  made  in  lieu thereof. A refusal to give such leave of
   36  absence to one entitled thereto shall be neglect of duty.
   37    S 8. Notwithstanding any other provisions of law to the contrary,  any
   38  provisions  of  law  which grant benefits or eligibility to veterans who
   39  served in the armed forces of the United States during a period  of  war
   40  or  hostilities,  such period shall include any additional period of war
   41  or hostilities in such locations and during  such  periods  of  time  as
   42  shall  be  determined  from  time  to  time by the federal Department of
   43  Defense of the United States Congress.
   44    S 9. 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
       S. 4923--A                          6
       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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