Relates to disability retirement benefits to Stacie Stueber on behalf of her deceased husband, deputy sheriff Richard Stueber, a participant in World Trade Center rescue, recovery, or cleanup operations, the official text

S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  8024--B
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               May 15, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by Sen. MARTINEZ -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Civil Service and Pensions
   -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered  reprinted  as  amended
   and  recommitted  to  said  committee  --  committee  discharged, bill
   amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said  commit-
   tee
 
 AN  ACT  relating  to  disability retirement benefits for deputy sheriff
   Richard Stueber, a participant in World Trade Center rescue, recovery,
   and cleanup operations
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Notwithstanding  the  provision of any general or special
 law, rule or regulation to the contrary, Richard Stueber, a deputy sher-
 iff employed by Suffolk County who retired from such service on March 1,
 2019, and who participated in the World Trade  Center  rescue,  recovery
 and  cleanup  operations as a member of the New York City police depart-
 ment, and is now deceased succumbing to mental illness  associated  with
 his participation in the World Trade Center rescue, recovery and cleanup
 operations,  and  Stacie Stueber on behalf of her deceased husband shall
 be entitled to a 75% accidental disability retirement  benefit  pursuant
 to  paragraph  4  of  subdivision d of section 605 of the retirement and
 social security law based upon the determination by the New  York  state
 and  local  employees'  retirement system on March 12, 2020 that Richard
 Stueber was permanently incapacitated  for the performance of his duties
 as a result of his participation  in  the  World  Trade  Center  rescue,
 recovery,  or cleanup operations. Such benefit shall be payable from the
 date of his retirement.
   § 2. All costs associated with implementing this act shall be borne by
 the county of Suffolk.
   § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
   FISCAL NOTE.--Pursuant to Legislative Law, Section 50:

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD02755-05-5
 S. 8024--B                          2
 
   This bill would provide Stacie Stueber, the surviving spouse of  Rich-
 ard  Stueber, formerly a deputy sheriff employed by Suffolk County, with
 an  accidental  disability  retirement  benefit  equal  to  75%  of  the
 decedent's  final average salary, retroactive to the date of retirement.
 Currently,  Stacie  Stueber  is eligible to receive the continuance of a
 Pop-Up Joint  Allowance  75%,  resulting  from  the  decedent's  service
 retirement.
   If  this  bill  is  enacted during the 2025 Legislative Session, there
 will be an immediate past service cost of  approximately  $1.04  million
 which  will be borne by Suffolk County as a one-time payment. This esti-
 mate assumes that payment will be made on March 1, 2026.
   Summary of relevant resources:
   Membership data as of March 31, 2024 was used in measuring the  impact
 of the proposed change, the same data used in the April 1, 2024 actuari-
 al  valuation.  Distributions  and  other statistics can be found in the
 2024 Report of the Actuary and the 2024 Annual  Comprehensive  Financial
 Report.  The actuarial assumptions and methods used are described in the
 2024  Annual Report to the Comptroller on Actuarial Assumptions, and the
 Codes, Rules and Regulations  of  the  State  of  New  York:  Audit  and
 Control.  The  Market Assets and GASB Disclosures are found in the March
 31, 2024 New York State and Local Retirement System Financial Statements
 and Supplementary Information.
   This fiscal note does not constitute a legal opinion on the  viability
 of  the  proposed change nor is it intended to serve as a substitute for
 the professional judgment of an attorney.
   This estimate, dated June 8, 2025, and intended for  use  only  during
 the  2025  Legislative  Session, is Fiscal Note No. 2025-126 Revised. As
 Chief Actuary of the New York State  and  Local  Retirement  System,  I,
 Aaron  Schottin  Young,  hereby certify that this analysis complies with
 applicable Actuarial Standards of  Practice  as  well  as  the  Code  of
 Professional  Conduct  and Qualification Standards for Actuaries Issuing
 Statements of Actuarial Opinion of the American Academy of Actuaries, of
 which I am a member.