Section 102. Recovery of disability beneficiaries


Latest version.
  • a.  Once  each year
      following the retirement of a member  on  a  disability  allowance,  the
      comptroller  may, and, upon the beneficiary's application, shall require
      such disability beneficiary  to  undergo  a  medical  examination.  Such
      examination shall be made at the place of residence of such beneficiary,
      or  at  any other place mutually agreed upon by the comptroller and such
      beneficiary. In the event that any  such  disability  beneficiary  shall
      refuse  to  submit  to a medical examination, the pension portion of his
      retirement             allowance,             including              the
      pension-providing-for-increased-take-home-pay,   shall  be  discontinued
      until his withdrawal of such refusal. If such refusal shall continue for
      one year, all his rights in and to his pension shall be forfeited.
        b. The pension,  including  the  pension-providing-for-increased-take-
      home-pay, of a disability beneficiary shall be reduced in the event that
      any  such  disability  beneficiary  is  engaged  in a gainful occupation
      paying more than the difference between his retirement allowance, as  it
      would  be  without  optional  modification  and  if  not  reduced by the
      actuarial equivalent of any outstanding loan and if not increased by the
      actuarial equivalent of any  additional  contributions,  and  his  final
      salary.  Such  reduction  shall  be  to  a  sum  which, when added to an
      annuity, as so computed, plus the amount so earnable by him, shall equal
      his final salary.  If  his  earning  capacity  thereafter  changes,  his
      pension  may  be  further  altered.  Any  such altered pension shall not
      exceed:
        1. The pension,  including  the  pension-providing-for-increased-take-
      home-pay, originally granted to such beneficiary, nor
        2. An amount which, when added to an annuity, as so computed, plus the
      sum earned by him, shall equal his final salary.
        In  the  case  where  an  optional  benefit  has  been  selected, such
      reduction shall be the same as the reduction  would  have  been  without
      optional modification. Where such reduction is greater than the pension,
      including   the  pension-providing-for-increased-take-home-pay,  payable
      under the option selected, the excess may be paid by the pensioner  into
      the  funds of the system, in which case the benefit due under the option
      shall be paid as if no reduction had occurred. If  such  excess  is  not
      paid  by the pensioner, the benefit otherwise due under the option shall
      be reduced by the actuarial equivalent of such excess. In no event shall
      the payment to the funds be greater  than  the  difference  between  the
      pension,  including  the  pension-providing-for-increased-take-home-pay,
      without optional modification and the pension,  including  the  pension-
      providing-for-increased-take-home-pay,  under  the  option selected. The
      pension, including the pension-providing-for-increased-take-home-pay  of
      a  disability  pensioner, shall not be reduced after he has attained the
      mandatory retirement age applicable to him or shall  have  attained  the
      age  or  performed the period of service specified by applicable law for
      eligibility for a service retirement benefit.
        c. In the event that the comptroller shall determine that a disability
      beneficiary is able to engage in a gainful occupation, he shall, if such
      beneficiary so requires, certify the name of  such  beneficiary  to  the
      state  civil service department or appropriate civil service commission.
      The state civil service department or such  municipal  commission  shall
      place  the  name  of  such  beneficiary, as a preferred eligible, on the
      appropriate eligible lists prepared by it for positions for  which  such
      beneficiary  is  stated  to be qualified in a salary grade not exceeding
      that from which he was last retired. If any such  beneficiary  shall  be
      offered  a  position  as a result of the placing of his name on any such
      civil service list, the amount of his disability pension, including  the
      pension-providing-for-increased-take-home-pay,  shall  be  reduced. Such
    
      reduction shall be to an amount which, when added to the  amount  earned
      or  earnable by him in such position, shall not exceed his final salary.
      A disability  beneficiary  restored  to  active  service  shall  not  be
      eligible  to  membership in the retirement system so long as he receives
      any                pension,                including                 the
      pension-providing-for-increased-take-home-pay.
        d.  In  the  event that a disability beneficiary is restored to active
      service of an employer, at a salary equal to or in excess of  his  final
      salary,  his  retirement  allowance  shall  cease. Such person thereupon
      again shall become a member of  the  retirement  system.  He  thereafter
      shall  contribute  to the retirement system in the same manner as and at
      the same rate that he paid prior to his disability retirement. The total
      service credit, to which he was entitled at the time of such retirement,
      again shall be credited to him. Upon his subsequent retirement, he shall
      be credited,  in  addition,  with  all  member  service  earned  by  him
      subsequent to his last restoration to membership.
        e.  In  the  event  that  a  disability  retiree is restored to active
      service of an employer, at a salary less than his final salary but equal
      to or in excess of the current minimum  salary  for  the  position  from
      which  he was last retired for disability, such person, if he so elects,
      shall again become a member of the retirement system and his  retirement
      allowance  shall cease. He thereafter shall contribute to the retirement
      system in the same manner as and at the same rate that he paid prior  to
      his  disability  retirement.  The  total service credit, to which he was
      entitled at the time of such retirement, again shall be credited to him.
      Upon his subsequent retirement, he shall be credited, in addition,  with
      all  member  service earned by him subsequent to his last restoration to
      membership.
        e-1. Notwithstanding any other provision of this section or any  other
      provision  of  law,  a  retiree  of  any  New  York state police or fire
      retirement system on a  disability  allowance  who  returns  to  gainful
      employment  as  an elected public official shall continue to receive the
      full  amount  of  his  or  her  retirement  allowance,   including   the
      pension-providing-for-increased-take-home-pay.
        f.  Notwithstanding  any  other  provision  of  this article, the term
      "final salary", as used in this section, shall mean the  maximum  salary
      or compensation which the retired member currently would be receiving in
      the  position next higher from which he was last retired for disability,
      if he had not been so retired, provided, however, that if  the  position
      from  which  he was so retired has been abolished, the comptroller, upon
      the basis of salary  or  compensation  currently  paid  by  the  retired
      member's  last  employer  to persons in similar or comparable positions,
      shall determine, for the purposes of this section, the maximum amount of
      salary or compensation which such  retired  member  currently  would  be
      receiving in such position.