Section 211. Employment of retired persons without diminution of retirement allowance

1. Notwithstanding the provisions  of  sections  one  hundred
  one,  two hundred twelve and four hundred one of this chapter or section
  five hundred three of the education law, or the provisions of any  local
  law  or  charter, a retired person may be employed and earn compensation
  in a position or positions in the public service, without any effect  on
  his or her status as retired and without suspension or diminution of his
  or  her retirement allowance subject to one of the following: (a) His or
  her total compensation in such position or  positions  in  any  calendar
  year,  including  compensation  earned  under  other  provisions of this
  article, shall not exceed the multiple  of  five  hundred  dollars  next
  higher  than  the  difference  between  (1) the sum of his or her annual
  retirement allowance computed without optional modification plus  annual
  supplemental  retirement  payments,  if any, and (2) the salary on which
  his or her retirement allowance is based or his  or  her  final  salary,
  whichever is greater; or (b) The position in which he or she is employed
  is not a position in the service of a former employer.
    2.  (a)  No  retired  person  may  be employed in a position in public
  service pursuant to subdivision one hereof except upon approval of
    (1) the state civil service commission; or
    (2) the commissioner of education if such person is to be employed  in
  the unclassified service of a school district other than the city of New
  York, a board of cooperative educational services or a county vocational
  education and extension board; or
    (3)  the municipal civil service commission of the city of New York if
  such person is to be employed in a position in the service of  the  city
  of  New  York  or in the classified service in the board of education or
  board of higher education of such city; or
    (4) the chancellor of the city school district of the city of New York
  if such person is to be employed in the unclassified service  under  the
  board of education of the city of New York; or
    (5)  the  board  of  higher  education of the city of New York if such
  person is to be employed in the unclassified service under the board  of
  higher education of the city of New York; or
    (6)  the  chancellor  of  state  university  if  such  person is to be
  employed in the unclassified service of  the  state  university  of  New
  York,   or  in  the  professional  service  at  the  state  colleges  of
  agriculture, home economics, veterinary medicine or industrial and labor
  relations, the state agricultural experiment station at  Geneva  or  any
  other  institution or agency under the management and control of Cornell
  university  as  representative  of  the  board  of  trustees  of   state
  university  of  New  York, or at the state college of ceramics under the
  management and control of Alfred university  as  representative  of  the
  board of trustees of state university of New York or in the unclassified
  service of a community college other than those in the city of New York;
  or
    (7)  the  chief  administrator  of  the courts if such person is to be
  employed in a judicial or nonjudicial  position  in  the  unified  court
  system.
    (b)  Such  approval  may be granted only on the written request of the
  prospective employer of such retired person, which request  shall  state
  detailed reasons therefor related to the standards set forth herein, and
  on  a  finding,  on  evidence satisfactory to the appropriate officer or
  authority specified in paragraph (a) of this subdivision,
    (1)  that  the  retired  person  is  duly  qualified,  competent   and
  physically fit for performance of the duties of the position in which he
  or  she  is  to  be  employed  and  is  properly  certified  where  such
  certification is required;

    (2) that he or she will earn more than one  thousand  dollars  in  one
  year,  including  compensation  earned  in  such  position  under  other
  provisions of this article that there  are  not  readily  available  for
  recruitment  persons  qualified  to perform the duties of such position;
  and (4)];
    (3)  that the prospective employer has prepared a detailed recruitment
  plan to fill such vacancy on a permanent basis;
    (4) that his or her  employment  is  in  the  best  interests  of  the
  government service; and
    (5)(i)  that  there  is an urgent need for his or her services in such
  position as a result  of  an  unplanned,  unpredictable  and  unexpected
  vacancy  where  sufficient  time is not available to recruit a qualified
  individual and that such hiring shall be deemed as non-permanent  rather
  than a final filling of such position; or
    (ii)   that   the   prospective   employer  has  undertaken  extensive
  recruitment efforts to fill such vacancy and as a  result  thereof,  has
  determined  that there are no available non-retired persons qualified to
  perform the duties of such position.
    Such approvals may be granted for  periods  not  exceeding  two  years
  each,  provided  that  such person may not return to work in the same or
  similar position for a period of  one  year  following  retirement.  The
  authority  or  officer  specified  in paragraph (a) of this subdivision,
  upon approving employment of a retired person under this section,  shall
  certify  such  approval  to  the  retirement system or pension plan from
  which such person is receiving a retirement allowance.
    (c) Notwithstanding any provision of this subdivision, designation  of
  a   retired   person   as  a  judicial  hearing  officer  by  the  chief
  administrator  of  the  courts,  pursuant  to  provisions   of   article
  twenty-two  of  the  judiciary  law,  shall  constitute  approval  under
  subparagraph seven of paragraph (a) of this subdivision. In making  such
  a  designation,  the  chief  administrator  shall  not be subject to the
  provisions of paragraph (b) of this subdivision, except that  the  chief
  administrator shall certify such designation to the retirement system or
  pension  plan from which the person designated is receiving a retirement
  allowance.
    3. If a retired person employed  under  this  section  earns  in  such
  employment  in  any  calendar  year  an  amount in excess of the maximum
  earnings allowed under subdivision one of this section,  his  retirement
  allowance  and supplemental retirement payments shall be suspended until
  the total amount so suspended equals the amount of such excess.
    4. A retired person who returns to public service on or after  January
  first,  nineteen  hundred seventy-four, as a consultant shall be subject
  to the limitations applicable to a reemployed retiree  as  specified  in
  this section or in any other provision of law.
    5.  An  officer,  commission  or  board  specified in paragraph (a) of
  subdivision two of this section which has approved the employment of any
  retired person is hereby authorized to require such retired  person  and
  the   department   head   or  other  appointing  authority  under  whose
  jurisdiction such retired person is employed  to  furnish  at  any  time
  information  concerning  the  employment  and  earnings  of such retired
  person. It shall be the duty of such retired person and such  department
  head  or  other  appointing  authority to co-operate fully in furnishing
  such requested  information.  Such  officer,  commission  or  board  may
  rescind  approval  granted  for  the employment of a retired person upon
  finding   that   such   approval   was   obtained   by   deception    or
  misrepresentation  of  any material fact, or that such retired person is
  serving in a position or engaged in duties substantially different  from
  the  position  or  duties for which his employment was approved, or that

  such employment does not otherwise conform with the requirements of this
  section, or that such retired person or the  department  head  or  other
  appointing  authority under whose jurisdiction he is employed has failed
  to  co-operate  fully in furnishing requested information concerning the
  employment and earnings of such retired person.
    6. Any request for approval of the  employment  of  a  retired  person
  under  this  section,  including  the  reasons  stated therefor, and the
  findings and determination on such request shall be a public record open
  for inspection in the office of the officer, commission or board  making
  such  findings  and  determination  as  specified  in  paragraph  (a) of
  subdivision two of this section.
    7. The provisions of this section shall not be construed to  authorize
  the employment of any person in any position in the civil service except
  in  compliance  with  requirements  of  the  civil service law and rules
  applicable to such employment.
    8. Each officer, commission or board specified  in  paragraph  (a)  of
  subdivision  two  of  this  section  may  adopt appropriate regulations,
  procedures and forms  for  implementation  of  the  provisions  of  this
  section.  Such regulations may authorize employment of a retired person,
  without prior approval, but pending application for approval under  this
  section, in situations of unforeseen and immediate need.