Allows Christopher Strattner, a retired police officer, to serve as chief of police for the town of Fishkill police department without diminution of retirement benefits

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Rob Rolison

The bill creates a one-person carve-out allowing retired Fishkill police chief Christopher Strattner to serve without his retirement benefits or earnings limits being reduced.

REFERRED TO CIVIL SERVICE AND PENSIONS

Bill Summary: S 10231 (2025-2026) — New York

Purpose and intent

This bill seeks to allow Christopher Strattner, a retired police officer, to serve as chief of police for the Town of Fishkill Police Department without diminution of retirement benefits.

It amends New York’s Retirement and Social Security Law to create a narrowly tailored exception for this individual, ensuring his post-retirement employment as police chief does not reduce retirement benefits or trigger standard earnings limitations.

Key provisions and changes

New exception to retirement earnings rules (Section 1 and 3)

Adds a new subparagraph (8) to the list of allowed post-retirement public employment without automatic benefit diminution, explicitly authorizing Christopher Strattner, in his capacity as chief of police for Fishkill, to be employed after retirement.
Establishes a new subdivision (10) clarifying that, for purposes of certain in-service pension rules, Strattner will not be considered “in service of a former employer” while serving as Fishkill’s chief of police after retirement.

Earnings and eligibility adjustments (Section 2 and 4)

Modifies the earnings eligibility language to accommodate Strattner’s unique circumstances, ensuring his compensation as chief does not trigger typical ineligibility or benefit diminution, despite earning more than $1,000 in a year (a standard threshold for some retired public employees).
Adds a new subdivision (4) to Section 212, granting the Town of Fishkill supervisor the authority to determine, under the framework of section 211, that applicable earnings limitations shall not apply to Strattner while serving as chief of police.

Scope and applicability (Section 5)

Specifies that the act’s provisions apply only to Christopher Strattner and are not intended to set a precedent for other individuals.

Effective date (Section 6)

Takes effect immediately upon enactment.

Who is affected

Primary beneficiary: Christopher Strattner, the retired Fishkill police officer appointed as town chief of police.

Other potential indirect effects: The Town of Fishkill, the NYS Retirement and Social Security System, and the supervisory authority (Town supervisor) who administers retirement-earnings determinations for this specific case.

Procedural and timeline aspects

Introduced in the New York Senate on May 7, 2026 by Senator Rolison.

Referred to the Senate Committee on Civil Service and Pensions.

If enacted, the act would become effective immediately.

Potential impact and considerations

Removes typical retirement earnings constraints for a single named individual, allowing continued public service leadership in Fishkill without reducing retirement benefits.

Creates a highly individualized legislative carve-out; the text explicitly limits applicability to Christopher Strattner and does not create a broad policy exception for other retirees.

Could prompt policy discussions about retirement benefit protections for public officials returning to leadership roles and the balance between pension integrity and public sector staffing flexibility.

If you’d like, I can provide a plain-language synopsis for lay readers or a side-by-side comparison with current law to illustrate the exact changes.