Asm. Stacey Pheffer Amato

Relates to obtaining military credit for members of the New York state and local police and fire retirement system, the New York city police pension fund, and the New York city fire pension fund; provides that the calculation for military credit shall be equal to the product of the number of years of military service being claimed and three percent of such member's compensation earned during the twelve months of credited service.

Maddy summaryThis bill changes how certain public employees in New York contribute to their retirement systems by replacing a flat 3% rate with a tiered system based on their annual salary. Starting in the 2026 plan year, employees earning up to $75,000 will still pay 3%, while those earning between $75,000 and $100,000 will pay 4%, and those earning over $100,000 will pay 5%. The law also clarifies that these contribution rates are calculated using the employee's wages from the previous two-year period and excludes overtime pay from the calculation. New hires will have their contributions based on projected wages for their first three years of service.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows New York City fire protection inspectors (specifically those in the city employees' retirement system) to earn retirement credit for time taken on unpaid child care leave. Normally, such leave periods don't count toward retirement, but this change requires members to pay back contributions plus interest and file a claim by December 31, 2025 (or within 90 days after leave ends). The credit is capped at one year per child care leave period and applies only to those covered under collective bargaining agreements. It directly affects fire protection inspectors whose roles involve inspecting fire safety systems or supervising such inspectors.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and advanced EMTs in New York to count time taken for child care leave toward their retirement benefits. It requires these workers to file a claim by December 31, 2025 (or within 90 days of ending the leave) and pay the retirement contributions they would have made during the leave, plus interest. The bill provides up to one year of retirement credit for each period of approved child care leave, ensuring this time is recognized in their pension calculations. It directly affects EMTs and AEMTs covered by collective bargaining agreements who take unpaid child care leave.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases the pension calculation for certain New York state and local government employees who joined after April 1, 2012, with 20 or more years of service. It raises the base percentage used to calculate retirement benefits from 35% to 40% of their final average salary, plus an additional 1/50th of that salary for each year of service beyond 20 years (up to 30 years total). The change directly affects new members of the New York State and Local Employees' Retirement System who meet these service and membership criteria. The law takes effect immediately upon enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows victims of certain misdemeanor offenses to make statements at sentencing. Specifically, it applies when a defendant pleads guilty to a misdemeanor related to a vehicle traffic offense that originally involved a felony charge resulting in serious physical injury to the victim. Victims must request this statement at least 10 days before sentencing, and the court must notify the defendant at least 7 days in advance. If the defendant doesn't receive timely notice, they may request a sentencing delay. The bill does not apply to all misdemeanors, only those tied to specific traffic-related felony charges with serious injury.

Maddy summaryThis bill ensures students with disabilities attending non-public schools in New York have the same due process rights and equitable access to special education services as students in public schools. It requires school districts to create individualized education service plans (IESPs) for these students and allows parents to challenge decisions through established due process procedures. The bill clarifies deadlines for parents to request services (by June 1st for the next school year, or within 30 days of disability identification/residence change) and specifies that the student's district of residence must provide these services directly or via contract.

Maddy summaryBill A 8207 adjusts the eligibility criteria for cost-of-living adjustments (COLA) for New York public retirement systems, including those in New York City. The bill primarily affects pensioners, disability pensioners, and recipients of accidental death benefits. It lowers the age requirement for regular pensioners to receive COLA from 62 to 55, provided they have been retired for five years. This also eliminates the previous requirement for pensioners aged 55 to be retired for ten years to qualify for the adjustment. These changes are scheduled to become effective on September 1, 2025.

Empowers the office of fire prevention and control to, in coordination with the commissioner of the office for people with developmental disabilities and the chief disability officer, provide minimum basic training related to handling emergency situations involving individuals with any physical and/or developmental disability to all firefighters.

Maddy summaryThis bill asks Governor Kathy Hochul to officially declare May 5, 2026, as Police Memorial Day in New York State. The resolution honors police officers who died in the line of duty and acknowledges the 26 officers who lost their lives in 2024. It also recognizes that 54 new names will be added to the state's Police Officers Memorial on that date. Copies of the resolution will be sent to the governor, law enforcement officials, and the families of fallen officers.