Section 384-D. Optional twenty year retirement plan for certain firemen and policemen whose employer elects to provide same  


Latest version.
  • a. Any member of the retirement system who is a fireman, policeman  or
      officer  of  any  organized fire department or organized police force or
      police department of any county, city,  town,  village,  fire  district,
      police district or participating employer may elect to contribute to the
      retirement  system  pursuant  to  this  section within one year after he
      becomes such an officer  or  member,  if  his  employer  has  previously
      elected  to  make the benefits provided herein available to its officers
      and members, or within one year after his employer elects  to  make  the
      benefits provided herein available to its officers and members.
        b.  Elections  made  pursuant  to this section shall be in writing and
      shall be duly acknowledged and filed with the  comptroller.  Any  member
      who  files  such  an  election  pursuant to this section may withdraw it
      after it has been filed for at least a year. Such withdrawal shall be by
      written notice duly acknowledged and filed with the  comptroller.  After
      such withdrawal such member shall contribute to the retirement system as
      otherwise provided in this article.
        c.  A member who elects to contribute in accordance with this section,
      shall contribute, in lieu of the proportion of compensation as  provided
      in section three hundred twenty-one of this article, a proportion of his
      compensation  similarly  determined.  Such  latter  proportion  shall be
      computed to provide, at the time when he shall first become eligible for
      retirement under this section, an annuity equal to one-eightieth of  his
      final average salary for each year of service as a member rendered after
      his  employer  elects  the  provisions of this section, and prior to the
      attainment  of  the  age  when  he  shall  first  become  eligible   for
      retirement.  Such member's rate of contribution pursuant to this section
      shall  be  appropriately  reduced  pursuant  to  section  three  hundred
      seventy-a  of  this  article  for  such  period  of time as his employer
      contributes      pursuant       to       such       section       toward
      pensions-providing-for-increased-take-home-pay  provided,  however, that
      such member may by written notice duly acknowledged and filed  with  the
      comptroller,  make  an  election  to waive such reduction as provided by
      subdivision j of section three hundred twenty-one of this  article.  One
      year  or  more  after the filing thereof, a member may withdraw any such
      election  by  written  notice  duly  acknowledged  and  filed  with  the
      comptroller.   Such   member's   rate  of  contribution  shall  also  be
      appropriately reduced by any multiple of twenty-five per centum  of  the
      additional  cost  which a member's employer has elected to contribute on
      his behalf in lieu of  such  member's  contributions  pursuant  to  this
      subdivision.
        d.  No  such  member  shall  be  required  to make contributions after
      completing twenty years of such service.
        e. A member contributing on the basis of this section at the  time  of
      retirement,  shall  be entitled to retire after the completion of twenty
      years of total creditable service in  such  fire  department  or  police
      force  or department, or upon the attainment of age sixty-two, by filing
      an application therefor in a manner similar to that provided in  section
      three hundred seventy of this article.
        (1)  Upon  completion  of  twenty  years  of  such  service  and  upon
      retirement, each such member shall receive  a  pension  which,  together
      with  an annuity, if any, which shall be the actuarial equivalent of his
      accumulated  contributions  at  the  time  of  his  retirement  and   an
      additional   pension   which   is   the   actuarial  equivalent  of  the
      reserve-for-increased-take-home-pay to which he may then be entitled, if
      any, shall be sufficient to provide  him  with  a  retirement  allowance
      equal to one-half of his final average salary.
    
        (2)  Upon  attainment  of  age  sixty-two  and upon retirement without
      completion of twenty years of  such  service,  each  such  member  shall
      receive a pension which together with an annuity, if any, which shall be
      the actuarial equivalent of his accumulated contributions at the time of
      his  retirement  and  an  additional  pension  which  is  the  actuarial
      equivalent of the reserve-for-increased-take-home-pay to  which  he  may
      then  be  entitled,  if  any,  shall be sufficient to provide him with a
      retirement allowance equal to one-fortieth of his final  average  salary
      for  each  year  of creditable service in such fire department or police
      force or department. Every such member shall  also  be  entitled  to  an
      additional  pension  equal  to  the  pension  for any creditable service
      rendered while not an employee of such fire department or  police  force
      or department as provided under paragraphs three and four of subdivision
      a  of  section  three  hundred seventy-five of this article. This latter
      pension shall not increase the total allowance to more than one-half  of
      his final average salary.
        For the purpose only of determining the amount of the pension provided
      in  this  subdivision e, the annuity shall be computed as it would be if
      it were not reduced by the actuarial equivalent of any outstanding loan,
      and if it  were  not  increased  by  the  actuarial  equivalent  of  any
      additional  contributions,  and  if it were not reduced by reason of the
      member's  election  to  decrease  his  annuity  contributions   to   the
      retirement  system  in  order  to  apply the amount of such reduction in
      payment  of  his  contributions  for  old-age  and  survivors  insurance
      coverage.
        f.  The  increased  pensions  to  such  members,  as  provided by this
      section, shall  be  paid  from  additional  contributions  made  by  the
      participating  employer  on  account of such members. The actuary of the
      retirement system shall compute the additional contribution required for
      each member who elects to receive the special  benefits  provided  under
      this  section.  Such  additional  contributions shall be computed on the
      basis of contributions during the prospective  service  of  such  member
      which  will  cover the liability of the retirement system for such extra
      pensions.     Upon  approval  of  the   comptroller,   such   additional
      contributions  shall  be  certified  by him to the fiscal officer of the
      participating employer.  The amount thereof shall  be  included  in  the
      annual   appropriation  of  the  participating  employer  for  its  fire
      department and police force or department. Such amount shall be paid  on
      the  warrant  of the fiscal officer of the participating employer to the
      pension accumulation fund of the retirement system.
        g. In computing the twenty years of completed service of a member of a
      police department or fire department, full credit  shall  be  given  for
      military  service as defined in subdivisions twenty-nine-a and thirty of
      section three hundred two of this  chapter.  In  addition,  full  credit
      shall  be  given and full allowance shall be made for prior service in a
      fire department or police force or department, other than the  force  or
      department  in  which  he  is a member at the time of retirement, if his
      employer elects to assume the cost of such prior fire or police  service
      as hereinafter provided.
        The  member's employer, however, by appropriate action, may (a) in its
      initial action under this section, elect to assume all of the additional
      cost on account  of  service  as  an  officer  or  member  of  any  such
      department  or  force  rendered  to such employer prior to the effective
      date of such election and (b) in any  subsequent  action,  as  hereafter
      provided  in  this paragraph, elect to assume all of the additional cost
      on account of previous service as an officer or member of any such other
      department or force and, in addition may in  its  initial  action  under
      this  section, elect to assume any multiple of twenty-five per centum of
    
      such additional cost  on  account  of  such  service  for  such  current
      employer  rendered  on  and  after  the  effective  date of such initial
      election. Any subsequent election changing the percentage of  additional
      cost  assumed  by  an  employer shall apply only to service rendered for
      such employer on  and  after  the  effective  date  of  such  subsequent
      election.  The  employer shall pay the additional cost so assumed by any
      such election by means of annual contributions which shall be determined
      by the actuary and paid by the  employer  in  the  same  manner  as  the
      contributions  required under section three hundred twenty-three of this
      article. An employer, which in its initial action elected to assume  all
      of  the  additional  cost  on  account  of service only as an officer or
      member of its police or fire department rendered prior to the  effective
      date  of  such  election may elect to assume all of the additional cost,
      including the cost of the necessary actuarial reevaluation on account of
      previous service rendered as an officer or member of any such  organized
      fire  department  or organized police force or department of any county,
      city, town, village, fire district, police  district,  or  participating
      employer other than such employer.
        h.  Upon  retirement  of  any  member  pursuant  to  this section, any
      additional amounts credited to  the  member's  annuity  savings  account
      pursuant  to  subdivision  b  of  section  three  hundred thirty of this
      article shall be treated as excess contributions and shall  be  used  to
      provide  an  annuity  in  addition  to  the  annuity  prescribed by this
      section. Any other amounts credited  to  the  member's  annuity  savings
      account,  except  the  amounts contributed or required to be contributed
      under this section and except such amounts as are  required  to  produce
      the  retirement allowance provided by subdivision e of this section, may
      at the option of the member at the time of retirement  be  withdrawn  or
      used to provide an annuity in addition to the annuity prescribed by this
      section.
        i.  Every  member  contributing  on the basis of this section shall be
      separated from the service on the last day of the  calendar  month  next
      succeeding the calendar month in which he or she attains age sixty-five,
      provided, however, that such a member who attained the age of sixty-five
      before  his or her employer elected to make the benefits provided herein
      available to him or her, or who attains the age of sixty-five within one
      month after his or her employer makes such  benefits  available,  to  be
      eligible  for  a  pension  computed in accordance with the provisions of
      subdivision e of this section,  shall  be  separated  from  the  service
      within  three  months  after  his  or  her  employer makes such benefits
      available, or on  or  before  December  thirty-first,  nineteen  hundred
      sixty-eight,  whichever  shall last occur, provided further, however, to
      be eligible to remain on payroll under this section after attaining  the
      age  of sixty-two, such members must be capable of performing the duties
      of their position.
        j. The provisions of this section shall be controlling notwithstanding
      any provision in this article to the contrary.
        k. The benefits of this section  shall  be  available  only  to  those
      policemen  and firemen whose employer elects to provide such benefits by
      adopting a resolution to such effect and filing a certified copy thereof
      with the comptroller.
        l. Except for members of the Westchester county department  of  public
      safety  services who are required to contribute to the retirement system
      in the manner provided by  section  three  hundred  eighty-six  of  this
      article,  every member who enters or reenters service in the Westchester
      county department of public safety services  on  or  after  July  first,
      nineteen  hundred  seventy-nine, and who is engaged directly in criminal
      law enforcement activities which aggregate fifty per centum or  more  of
    
      said  member's service, shall contribute to the retirement system in the
      manner provided for by this section.
        m.  Notwithstanding  any  inconsistent  provision  of law, if the town
      board of the town of Southampton elects to make  the  benefits  of  this
      section  available  to the members of its police department, each member
      of such department shall be separated from service  upon  completion  of
      twenty  years  of  service,  provided,  however, that the town board may
      permit a member to continue in service on  an  annual  basis  after  the
      completion of twenty years of service, but in no event shall such annual
      service  be continued after a member has attained age fifty-five, except
      however, that members of such department who hold the rank  of  sergeant
      or  higher  within such department may be permitted by the town board to
      remain in service until the member has attained age sixty.
        n. Notwithstanding any inconsistent provision of law, if  the  village
      board of the village of Westhampton Beach elects to make the benefits of
      this  section  available  to  the members of its police department, each
      member  of  each  department  shall  be  separated  from  service   upon
      completion  of  twenty  years  of  service,  provided, however, that the
      village board will permit a member to continue in service on  an  annual
      basis  after  the completion of twenty years of service, but in no event
      shall such optional service be continued after a member has attained age
      fifty-five.
        o. Any member of the policemen's and firemen's retirement  system  who
      was  a  member  of the New York state employees' retirement system while
      employed as a police department cadet and whose membership  therein  was
      terminated  by his attaining membership in the policemen's and firemen's
      retirement system, may purchase  credit  in  the  said  policemen's  and
      firemen's retirement system for prior creditable service in the New York
      state  employees'  retirement  system  earned while employed as a police
      department cadet and shall have the period of such prior service  credit
      counted  as  police service for the purpose of determining the amount of
      his pension and retirement allowance and period of  service  needed  for
      retirement.  In  order  to purchase credit pursuant to this subdivision,
      the member shall pay into the pension accumulation fund the contribution
      amount as determined by the comptroller, either in  a  lump  sum  or  in
      installments,  necessary  to  pay  in  full  the  cost  of such previous
      service. If such payment be made in installments, the same shall be paid
      within a period no greater than the number  of  months  of  such  member
      service granted.
        p.  (1) Any member of the policemen's and firemen's retirement system,
      who was a member of the New  York  state  employees'  retirement  system
      while employed as a police department cadet and whose membership therein
      was  terminated  by  his  attaining  membership  in  the policemen's and
      firemen's retirement system, may purchase credit in the said policemen's
      and firemen's retirement system for prior creditable service in the  New
      York  state  employees'  retirement system earned as a police department
      cadet and shall have the period of such prior service credit counted  as
      police  service for the purpose of determining the amount of his pension
      and retirement allowance and period of service needed for retirement. In
      order to purchase credit pursuant to this  subdivision  a  member  shall
      deposit  in  the pension accumulation fund a sum equal to the product of
      the participating employers' normal contribution rate at the time of the
      member's entry into such police department  cadet  service,  his  annual
      rate  of  compensation at that time, and the period of police department
      cadet service being claimed, with regular interest. Such deposit must be
      made within one year of  the  date  of  election  by  the  participating
      employer, provided however, such member may elect to deposit such amount
      over  a  period  of  time no greater than the period for which credit is
    
      being claimed, in which case such payments must commence within one year
      of the date of election by  the  participating  employer.  If  the  full
      amount of such payments is not paid to the retirement system, the amount
      of  service  credited  shall  be proportional to the total amount of the
      payments made.
        (2) The  benefit  provided  for  in  paragraph  one  hereof  shall  be
      conditioned upon the participating employer electing, within three years
      of  the  effective date of this subdivision, in a manner similar to that
      provided in subdivision a  of  section  three  hundred  thirty  of  this
      article to provide this benefit and assuming the additional cost thereof
      on  account  of  all of the officers and members of its organized police
      force or department who are contributing under the  provisions  of  this
      section.  The  benefit provided for in paragraph one of this subdivision
      shall be paid from additional  contributions  made  by  the  appropriate
      participating  employer  on  account of such members. The actuary of the
      retirement system shall compute the additional  contributions  for  each
      employer who elects to provide the benefits provided under paragraph one
      of  this subdivision. Such additional contributions shall be computed on
      the basis of  contributions  during  the  prospective  service  of  such
      members which will cover the liability of the retirement system for such
      extra  pensions.  Upon  approval  of  the  comptroller,  such additional
      contributions shall be certified by him to the  fiscal  officer  of  the
      participating employer.
        q.  Notwithstanding  any  inconsistent provision of law, if any person
      formerly employed as a paramedic by the town of  Tonawanda  between  the
      period  of  October  seventeenth,  nineteen  hundred seventy-four to May
      fourteenth, nineteen hundred eighty and who became employed by said town
      as a police officer on May fifteenth, nineteen hundred  eighty  and  was
      assigned  to  the  fifty-five  year  police  retirement  plan  due to no
      negligence of his own, desires to join the twenty year  plan,  he  shall
      have  six  months  after  the effective date of this subdivision to make
      application for said transfer.
        r. The benefits hereinabove provided shall be  payable  to  a  member,
      unless  at  the  date  of  retirement,  such  member  would otherwise be
      entitled to a greater benefit under other provisions of this article had
      he withdrawn from this section, in which  event  such  greater  benefits
      shall be payable.
        s.  1.  Any  member  of  the city of Yonkers police department or fire
      department who was  previously  enrolled  in  an  optional  twenty  year
      retirement  plan  pursuant  to this section and whose enrollment in such
      plan ceased upon transfer to the retirement  plan  created  pursuant  to
      section  three  hundred  eighty-eight  of  this  article,  may  elect to
      re-enroll in the twenty year retirement plan pursuant to this section if
      the city council of the city of Yonkers elects  to  make  such  benefits
      available.
        2. The benefits provided by paragraph one of this subdivision shall be
      conditioned  upon the participating employer electing within three years
      of the effective date of this subdivision, in a manner  similar  to  the
      election  stipulated in subdivision b of section three hundred thirty of
      this article, to provide such benefits and to assume the additional cost
      of such benefits for all officers and members of  its  organized  police
      department   and  fire  department  who  otherwise  transferred  to  the
      retirement plan provided by section three hundred eighty-eight  of  this
      article.
        t.  Any  member  of  the  New  York  state  and  local police and fire
      retirement system who was a member  of  the  New  York  city  employees'
      retirement  system  while  employed as a New York city police department
      trainee or a New York city transit officer trainee and whose  membership
    
      therein was terminated by his attaining membership in the New York state
      and  local police and fire retirement system, may purchase credit in the
      New York state and local police and fire  retirement  system  for  prior
      creditable  service  in  the  New York city employees' retirement system
      earned while employed as a police department trainee or transit  officer
      trainee  and  shall have the period of such prior service credit counted
      as police service for the purpose  of  determining  the  amount  of  his
      pension  and  retirement  allowance  and  period  of  service needed for
      retirement. In order to purchase credit pursuant  to  this  subdivision,
      the member shall pay into the pension accumulation fund the contribution
      amount  as  determined  by  the  comptroller, either in a lump sum or in
      installments, necessary to  pay  in  full  the  cost  of  such  previous
      service. If such payment be made in installments, the same shall be paid
      within  a  period  no  greater  than the number of months of such member
      service granted.
        * u. (1) Any member of the Nassau  county  police  department  who  is
      enrolled  in  section  three  hundred eighty-five-a of this article, may
      elect to enroll in the twenty year  retirement  plan  pursuant  to  this
      section if Nassau county elects to make such benefits available.
        (2)  The  benefits provided by paragraph one of this subdivision shall
      be conditioned upon the participating  employer  electing  within  three
      years  of the effective date of this subdivision, in a manner similar to
      the election stipulated in subdivision b of section three hundred thirty
      of this article, to provide such benefits and to assume  the  additional
      cost  of  such  benefits  for  all officers and members of its organized
      police department who otherwise would be covered by the retirement  plan
      provided by section three hundred eighty-five-a of this article.
        * NB There are 2 sub u's
        * u.  1.  Any  member  of  the Suffolk county police department who is
      enrolled in the  retirement  plan  provided  by  section  three  hundred
      eighty-seven-a  of  this article, may elect to enroll in the twenty year
      retirement plan pursuant to this section if  Suffolk  county  elects  to
      make such benefits available.
        2. The benefits provided by paragraph one of this subdivision shall be
      conditioned  upon the participating employer electing within three years
      of the effective date of this subdivision, in a manner  similar  to  the
      election  stipulated in subdivision b of section three hundred thirty of
      this article, to provide such benefits and to assume the additional cost
      of such benefits for all officers and members of  its  organized  police
      department  who  otherwise  would  be  covered  by  the  retirement plan
      provided by section three hundred eighty-seven-a of this article.
        * NB There are 2 sub u's
        v. (1)  Notwithstanding  any  inconsistent  provision  of  law,  those
      individuals  employed  as  police  officers  by the village of Freeport,
      specifically Kevin Case, Shawn Randall, Andrew Rhan, Scott  Ballard  and
      Michael  Horne,  and  who  are enrolled in an improved career retirement
      plan authorized pursuant to section three hundred seventy-five-i of this
      article, who for reasons not ascribable to their own  negligence  failed
      to  previously  join  the  twenty  year retirement plan pursuant to this
      section may elect to enroll in such plan  if  the  village  of  Freeport
      elects to make such benefits available.
        (2)  The  benefits provided by paragraph one of this subdivision shall
      be conditioned upon the participating  employer  electing  within  three
      years  of the effective date of this subdivision, in a manner similar to
      the election stipulated in subdivision b of section three hundred thirty
      of this article, to provide such benefits.
        (3) The employer shall have the option of amortizing the cost of  this
      measure over a period of five years.
    
        w.  Notwithstanding  any  other  provision of law to the contrary, any
      member of the New York state and local police and fire retirement system
      who was a member of the New York state and local  employees'  retirement
      system  while employed as an investigator-trainee, Waterfront Commission
      of  New  York  Harbor,  which is not deemed to be police service, who is
      employed by the Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor,  which  is  an
      employer  electing to participate in the optional twenty year retirement
      plan pursuant to this section shall be deemed to  have  provided  police
      service  while  so  employed  by  the  Waterfront Commission of New York
      Harbor and shall receive creditable service in the New  York  state  and
      local  police and fire retirement system for prior creditable service in
      the New York state and local employees' retirement system  earned  while
      employed  as  an  investigator-trainee and shall have the period of such
      prior service credit counted  as  police  service  for  the  purpose  of
      determining  the  amount  of  their pension and retirement allowance and
      period of service needed for retirement.
        x. Notwithstanding any  provision  of  this  section,  service  as  an
      aircraft   rescue   firefighter   employed   by   the  Niagara  frontier
      transportation authority shall be included for the purposes of computing
      police or fire service for retirement pursuant to this section, provided
      such authority has elected to participate in  the  New  York  state  and
      local  police  and  fire  retirement  system  and  elects to provide the
      benefit of this section.
        y. Any member currently enrolled pursuant  to  this  section  and  who
      previously  transferred service credit from the New York state and local
      employees' retirement system to the New York state and local police  and
      fire   retirement   system,   may  elect  to  transfer  such  previously
      transferred service  credit  back  to  the  New  York  state  and  local
      employees'  retirement  system, and such member shall have the option to
      retroactively transfer  his  or  her  membership  into  such  employees'
      retirement system.