Authorizes Christopher Walser to take the competitive civil service examination for the position of police officer in the village of Chittenango and be placed on the eligible list for employment as such

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Brian Miller

The bill allows Christopher Walser to take the competitive police officer exam and be eligible for a full-time position in Chittenango based on his score, despite standard age/elig

REFERRED TO GOVERNMENTAL EMPLOYEES

Overview

Purpose: To authorize Christopher Walser, a part-time police officer for the Village of Chittenango, to take the competitive civil service examination for the position of police officer and, based on his examination score, be placed on the eligible list for appointment as a full-time police officer for the village.

Jurisdiction: New York

Status: Introduced in the Assembly on April 24, 2026; referred to the Committee on Governmental Employees.

Key Provisions

Eligibility to Take Examination (Section 1)

Overrides certain civil service constraints (specifically Section 58 of the Civil Service Law and any age restrictions in that section or other laws) to allow Christopher Walser to:
- Take the competitive civil service examination for the position of police officer.
- Be eligible, contingent on his examination score, to be placed on the eligible list for appointment as a full-time police officer with the Village of Chittenango Police Department.

Qualification Standards (Section 2)

Walser will be subject to the merit and fitness provisions of the Civil Service Law applicable to full-time police officers. This ensures that, beyond examination score, he must meet the standard requirements for the role.

Effective Date (Section 3)

The act provides it takes effect immediately upon enactment.

Affected Parties

Individual: Christopher Walser (the named applicant)

Currently employed as a part-time police officer for the Village of Chittenango.
Would be eligible to participate in the competitive exam and, if scoring appropriately, be placed on the eligible list for a full-time position.

Village of Chittenango Police Department & Village Government

Potentially benefits from a more streamlined path for staffing a full-time officer if Walser attains a suitable exam score.
Must adhere to standard merit-based hiring processes once placed on the eligible list.

Procedural & Timeline Considerations

Process: The bill creates a targeted carve-out allowing Walser to take and be considered from the competitive exam pool for a full-time position, subject to existing merit-based requirements.

Immediate Effect: Upon enactment, the act would apply (no transition period) and Walser could proceed with the examination and eligibility process.

Review Path: Referred to the Assembly Committee on Governmental Employees for study and consideration, per the standard legislative process.

Potential Impact

Provides a specific exception to general civil service age or eligibility constraints for one individual, enabling advancement to a full-time officer role pending exam success and compliance with merit standards.

If Walser attains a qualifying score and is placed on the eligible list, the Village could appoint him to a full-time position consistent with civil service rules.

If you’d like, I can provide a side-by-side comparison with current civil service requirements to highlight exactly what the carve-out changes.

Bill