Section 101. Reduction or suspension of benefits  


Latest version.
  • a. If a retired member,
      receiving a retirement allowance for  other  than  physical  disability,
      returns  to  active public service, except as otherwise provided in this
      section or section two hundred eleven or  two  hundred  twelve  of  this
      chapter,  and  is  eligible  for membership in the retirement system, he
      thereupon shall become a  member  and  his  retirement  allowance  shall
      cease. In such event, he shall contribute to the retirement system as if
      he were a new member. Upon his subsequent retirement he shall:
        1.  Be  credited  with  all member service earned by him since he last
      became a member of the retirement system, and
        2. Receive a retirement allowance which shall consist of:
        (a)  An  annuity  which  is  the  actuarial  equivalent  of  all   his
      accumulated contributions, and
        (b)            The           pension           including           the
      pension-providing-for-increased-take-home-pay  which  he  was  receiving
      immediately  prior to his last restoration to membership, plus a pension
      including the pension-providing-for-increased-take-home-pay  based  upon
      the  member  service credit earned by him since he last became a member.
      Such latter pensions shall be computed as if he were a new  member  when
      he last became a member.
        Where  such  member  shall  have  earned  at least two years of member
      service credit after restoration to active service,  the  total  service
      credit  to  which  he was entitled at the time of his earlier retirement
      may, at his option, again be credited to him  and  upon  his  subsequent
      retirement  he  shall  be  credited  in addition with all member service
      earned by him subsequent to his last  restoration  to  membership.  Such
      total service credit to which he was entitled at the time of his earlier
      retirement  shall  be  so  credited  only  in the event that such member
      returns to the retirement system with  regular  interest  the  actuarial
      equivalent  of the amount of the retirement allowance he received, or in
      the event that such amount is not so  repaid  the  actuarial  equivalent
      thereof shall be deducted from his subsequent retirement allowance.
        Notwithstanding  the  foregoing  provisions  of  this  subdivision,  a
      retired member who is receiving a retirement allowance  for  other  than
      physical disability, and who returns to active public service, may elect
      not  to  be restored to membership in the retirement system until he has
      rendered one year of service following his return to public service.  In
      such  event his retirement allowance shall be suspended during such year
      of  service  as  provided  in  subdivision  b  of  this  section.   Upon
      restoration  to membership following completion of such year of service,
      his service in such year shall be deemed to be service  while  a  member
      for  purposes  of subdivision b of section sixty of this chapter. He may
      purchase member service credit for such  year,  which  shall  be  deemed
      earned  member service credit.  This paragraph shall not be construed to
      authorize the return to public service of any person  who  is  otherwise
      not eligible therefor on account of having reached age seventy.
        If  a  retired  member receiving a retirement allowance for other than
      physical disability, returns to  active  public  service,  and  is  then
      ineligible  for  membership  in  the  retirement  system, his retirement
      allowance  shall  be  suspended  in  the  same  manner  as  provided  in
      subdivision b of this section.
        b. Temporary service.
        1.  The payment of any retirement allowance, or of any benefit in lieu
      thereof, on account of retirement for  other  than  physical  disability
      shall  be  suspended  as  provided  herein,  during  the  time  that the
      beneficiary thereof is in receipt of other compensation paid from direct
      or indirect state or municipal taxes:
    
        (a) For temporary government or temporary public  service  other  than
      jury duty, or
        (b)  For  service  pursuant to subdivision d of this section where the
      retired member continues as a beneficiary of the retirement system, or
        (c) For service pursuant to subdivision e of this  section  where  the
      retired  member  has  not  elected  to  again  become  a  member  of the
      retirement system.
        2. In the case of a retirement allowance, without option,  the  amount
      of        the        pension        portion,        including        the
      pension-providing-for-increased-take-home-pay, suspended for any  period
      shall  be  equal  to  the amount of such other compensation for the same
      period.
        3. In the case where an optional  benefit  in  lieu  of  a  retirement
      allowance  without  option shall have been selected, the pension portion
      thereof,  including  the  pension-providing-for-increased-take-home-pay,
      shall be suspended in such manner as the comptroller shall approve.  The
      amount  so  suspended  shall be equal to the actuarial equivalent of the
      amount by  which  the  pension  portion  of  the  retirement  allowance,
      including the pension-providing-for-increased-take-home-pay, as it would
      be  without option, would be suspended pursuant to paragraph two of this
      subdivision b.  The retired member, however, may  pay  to  the  fund  or
      funds  from  which  the  pension  portion  of  his retirement allowance,
      including the pension-providing-for-increased-take-home-pay, is  payable
      the  difference  between  the suspended portion thereof, without option,
      and the suspended  portion  of  the  optional  pension  portion  of  the
      retirement              allowance,             including             the
      pension-providing-for-increased-take-home-pay, granted to him.  In  such
      event  any payments to his beneficiary shall be made as if no suspension
      occurred.
        4. In the case of a member whose compensation for  public  service  is
      equal to or greater than his final salary as defined herein, the annuity
      portion of his retirement allowance shall be suspended during the period
      that  he  is  receiving such compensation. In the case of a member whose
      compensation for public service is less than his final salary as defined
      herein and who has retired without  option,  he  shall  be  entitled  to
      receive  that portion of his annuity computed without option which, when
      added to his compensation  for  public  service,  does  not  exceed  the
      aforesaid  final  salary,  except that in the case of a retired judge or
      justice who serves as an official referee he shall receive that  portion
      of  his  annuity  computed  without  option,  which  when  added  to the
      compensation he is receiving from the state shall not exceed such  final
      salary paid by the state. Where an optional benefit has been selected in
      lieu of a retirement allowance without option, the amount of the annuity
      suspended  shall  be  the  actuarial equivalent of the amount that would
      have been suspended if the retirement allowance had been without option.
      In such a case the retired member may pay to the  fund  or  funds,  from
      which  the  annuity  portion of his retirement allowance is payable, the
      difference between  that  portion  of  the  annuity  which  is  actually
      suspended,  in accordance with the provisions of this paragraph, and the
      corresponding portion of the annuity without option. In such  event  any
      payments  to his beneficiary shall be made as if no suspension occurred.
      The term "final salary", as used  in  this  paragraph,  shall  mean  the
      maximum  salary or compensation which the retired member currently would
      be receiving in the position from which he last retired, if he  had  not
      so  retired,  except  in  the case of an official referee shall mean his
      final average salary had he retired at age seventy. If the position from
      which he was so retired has been abolished  the  comptroller,  upon  the
      basis  of salary or compensation currently paid in similar or comparable
    
      positions, shall determine the maximum amount of salary or  compensation
      which  the  retired member currently would be receiving in the abolished
      position.
        c. Retired judges or justices certified for service as justices of the
      supreme court.
        1. In the event that a judge or justice shall:
        (a)  Have  retired  and  is receiving a retirement allowance from this
      retirement system, or another  retirement  system  of  which  he  was  a
      member, and
        (b)  Be  certified  for  service  as  a  justice  of the supreme court
      pursuant to section one hundred fourteen or one hundred fifteen  of  the
      judiciary  law, his retirement allowance shall cease. He thereupon again
      shall become a member of the retirement system of which he formerly  was
      a member. In such event he shall contribute, as if he were a new member,
      to  the  annuity  savings  fund  of  this  retirement  system  or to the
      equivalent fund of such other retirement system.
        2. Upon his subsequent retirement he shall:
        (a) Be credited by the appropriate retirement system with  all  member
      service earned by him since he last became a member thereof, and
        (b)  Receive  a  retirement  allowance  from  such  system which shall
      consist of:
        (1) An annuity which  is  the  actuarial  equivalent  of  all  of  the
      member's accumulated contributions, and
        (2)           The           pension,           including           the
      pension-providing-for-increased-take-home-pay, which  he  was  receiving
      immediately prior to his last restoration to membership, plus a pension,
      including  the pension-providing-for-increased-take-home-pay, based upon
      the member service credit earned by him since he last became  a  member.
      Such  latter  pensions shall be computed as if he were a new member when
      he last became a member.
        3.  The  provisions  of  this  subdivision  c  shall  be   controlling
      notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter.
        d.  Election  or  appointment  of  retired  members  to certain public
      offices.  1. A retired member, unless otherwise disqualified,  shall  be
      eligible to:
        (a) Election to a state office, or
        (b) Appointment to fill a vacancy in an elective state office, or
        (c) Appointment as an official referee.
        2.  In  the  event  a  retired  member is so elected, except a retired
      member so elected and who is receiving less than ten thousand dollars in
      retirement allowance or benefit payments in any one year, or  appointed,
      or so qualifies, he may:
        (a)   Upon  written  notice  to  the  comptroller,  receive  from  the
      retirement system the then present value of the annuity  earned  by  his
      accumulated  contributions,  and  upon  receipt  thereof  cease  to be a
      beneficiary of the retirement system, or
        (b) Continue as a beneficiary  of  the  retirement  system,  but  with
      payments  of any retirement allowance or any benefit in lieu thereof, on
      account of retirement for  other  than  physical  disability,  suspended
      during  the  time  he  is in receipt of compensation for state or public
      service.   Such suspension  shall  be  governed  by  the  provisions  of
      paragraphs two, three and four of subdivision b of this section.
        3.  The  provisions  of section one hundred fifty of the civil service
      law shall govern  with  respect  to  state  and  local  elective  public
      officers.
        e. Legislative officers and employees.
        In  the  case of any person who shall have retired after having served
      as an officer or employee of the legislature for a period in  excess  of
    
      fifteen  years and whose return to active service shall be requested, in
      a written certificate of and filed with the comptroller by:
        1.  The  president  pro  tem  of  the senate, if the service be in the
      senate, or
        2. The speaker of the assembly, if the service be in the assembly, or
        3. Both such officers, if the service be under the jurisdiction of the
      senate and assembly jointly, except that the president of the senate and
      the speaker of the assembly shall be authorized to make such request  in
      a  case  where  they  are  empowered  to  make  such an appointment, the
      provisions of subdivision a of this  section  shall  not  be  applicable
      unless  the officer or employee so returned to active service shall file
      with the comptroller, within thirty days thereafter,  a  written  notice
      that  he elects to be subject to the provisions thereof. In the event he
      does not so elect, the provisions of subdivision b of this section shall
      be applicable to him.