Bill Text: NY S08925 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Establishes a temporary commission to reform and improve tier VI membership status in the New York state and local employees' retirement system.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 6-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2024-03-28 - REFERRED TO CIVIL SERVICE AND PENSIONS [S08925 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-S08925-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          8925

                    IN SENATE

                                     March 28, 2024
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  Sen.  WEIK  --  read twice and ordered printed, and when
          printed to be committed to the Committee on Civil Service and Pensions

        AN ACT in relation to establishing a temporary commission to reform tier
          VI status in the  New  York  state  and  local  employees'  retirement
          system; and providing for the repeal of such provisions upon the expi-
          ration thereof

          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section 1. Legislative findings. The legislature finds that the enact-
     2  ment of chapter 18 of the laws of  2012  has  caused  severe  employment
     3  recruitment  and  retention  shortages throughout the New York state and
     4  local public workforce. These shortages have caused  massive  reductions
     5  in  the  size of the public workforce, significant increases in overtime
     6  costs, and unacceptable delays to the citizens of the state.
     7    Further, New York state and local governments also face a coming  wave
     8  of  retirements, with over one-quarter of the current workforce eligible
     9  to retire in the next five years. These retirements will further exacer-
    10  bate worker shortages and overtime costs to unsustainable levels.
    11    It is incumbent on the state to proactively  address  these  near-term
    12  workforce management challenges to maintain acceptable levels of govern-
    13  ment service delivery to all New York state residents.
    14    §  2.  Temporary  state commission to reform tier VI status in the New
    15  York state and local employees' retirement system. 1. A temporary  state
    16  commission is hereby created to reform and improve tier VI status in the
    17  New York state and local employees' retirement system.
    18    2.  The  commission  shall consist of nine members, to be appointed as
    19  follows: five shall be appointed by the governor; one shall be appointed
    20  by the temporary president of the senate; one shall be appointed by  the
    21  minority  leader of the senate; one shall be appointed by the speaker of
    22  the assembly; and one shall be appointed by the minority leader  of  the
    23  assembly.
    24    3.  The commission may employ and at pleasure remove such personnel as
    25  it may deem necessary for the performance of its functions and fix their
    26  compensation within the amounts made available therefor.

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD15061-01-4
        S. 8925                             2

     1    4. The commission may meet within and without the state, shall hold at
     2  least three public hearings, and shall have all the powers of a legisla-
     3  tive committee pursuant to the legislative law.
     4    5.  The  members  of  the commission shall receive no compensation for
     5  their services, but shall be allowed their actual and necessary expenses
     6  incurred in the performance of their duties hereunder.
     7    6. To the maximum extent feasible, the commission shall be entitled to
     8  request and receive and shall utilize and be provided with such  facili-
     9  ties,  resources,  and  data  of any court, department, division, board,
    10  bureau, commission, or agency of the state or any political  subdivision
    11  thereof  as  it  may reasonably request to properly carry out its powers
    12  and duties hereunder.
    13    7. No later than one year after the effective date of  this  act,  the
    14  commission  shall  submit  a final report to the governor, the temporary
    15  president of the senate, and the speaker of the assembly containing  its
    16  findings,  conclusions,  and recommendations for reforming and improving
    17  tier VI status in the New York state  and  local  employees'  retirement
    18  system.
    19    §  3.  This  act shall take effect immediately and shall expire and be
    20  deemed repealed 1 year after such date.