Asm. Stacey Pheffer Amato

Maddy summaryThis bill amends New York's retirement law to include employees who worked at the Verrazano Bridge Toll Facility in the definition of those eligible for World Trade Center (WTC)-related benefits. Specifically, it adds the Verrazano Bridge Toll Facility as a qualifying worksite under the existing criteria for WTC rescue, recovery, or cleanup operations. The change directly affects public employees who worked there during the qualifying period (post-9/11), allowing them to access retirement benefits tied to WTC exposure. The policy adjustment updates the legal definition without creating new benefits, ensuring these workers meet the eligibility standards for existing WTC-related retirement provisions.

Enacts the accelerate solar for affordable power (ASAP) act to set a new target for distributed solar energy capacity and direct the public service commission to advance reforms to the utility interconnection process to ensure timely and cost-effective integration of new distributed energy resources.

Relates to the effectiveness of provisions of law which requires appointing authorities to provide appointment and promotion letters when extending an offer of appointment or promotion to a position in the classified service.

Provides that a member of a public retirement system who has been determined to have a permanent partial disability by the workers' compensation board of the state of New York, and who the United States social security administration has determined is disabled for substantial gainful activity, and approved for social security disability benefits, shall be deemed to be disabled for the purposes of eligibility for disability benefits of such public retirement system.

Maddy summaryThis bill restores a 20-year service requirement for retirement benefits for New York City uniformed correction officers and sanitation workers. It specifically amends retirement law to allow these workers to retire with full benefits after 20 years of service (previously requiring 22 years), rather than waiting until age 62 or longer. The change applies directly to members of the "New York city uniformed correction/sanitation revised plan" under the city's pension system. This policy adjustment provides earlier retirement eligibility for these public safety workers without altering their pension calculation formulas. The bill takes effect immediately upon enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes Dutchess County to offer an optional 25-year retirement plan to specific deputy sheriffs who missed the initial application deadline due to reasons not caused by their own negligence. The county must certify these employees' eligibility (no negligence) and file a resolution with the state comptroller within 180 days of the law taking effect. Eligible deputy sheriffs can then elect to join the plan within one year of the law's effective date to receive full retirement benefits. The county bears all associated costs, which may be paid over a five-year period.

Removes the twenty-five year requirement for tier three escalation for service retirement of members of the New York city fire department pension fund.

Provides a legacy credit to the children and siblings of veterans who were killed in the line of duty including veterans who were disabled as a result of their service, exposed to toxic substances, or presumptive conditions determined by the department of veterans affairs.

Directs the department of public service to promulgate rules, regulations and model policies regarding setback requirements for the siting of battery energy storage systems; requires minimum setback requirements for commercial energy storage systems, with a capacity of three megawatts or greater, of no less than seven hundred fifty feet from residential property and no less than three hundred feet from residential property located in a city with a population of one million or more inhabitants; requires public hearings prior to the approval of an application for a permit for such systems.

Relates to accidental disability retirement for sheriffs; provides that sheriffs shall receive a pension of three-quarters of their final average salary.