Authorizes Jonathan Myers to take the civil service examination for the position of police officer and be placed on the eligible list for employment as a civil service police officer for the village of Chatham

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Scott Bendett

The bill lets Jonathan Myers, a part-time Chatham police officer, take the civil service exam and, depending on his score, be placed on the eligible list for appointment.

REFERRED TO GOVERNMENTAL EMPLOYEES

Basic information

Jurisdiction: New York

Session: 2025-2026

Bill title: Authorizes Jonathan Myers to take the civil service examination for the position of police officer and be placed on the eligible list for employment as a civil service police officer for the village of Chatham

Introduced by: Assembly Member Benedetto (with co-sponsor Scott Bendett)

Status: Referred to the Committee on Governmental Employees (as of April 14, 2026)

Purpose and intent

The bill seeks to authorize Jonathan Myers, who has been continuously employed by the village of Chatham as a part-time police officer, to participate in the competitive civil service examination for the position of police officer and, contingent on his examination score, to be placed on the eligible list for appointment as a village police officer. In essence, it provides a specific exemption from certain civil service age and eligibility restrictions for a named individual to pursue a competitive entry/appointment process.

Key provisions

Eligibility to take the exam (Section 1):

Overrides standard civil service age requirements (and any other legal provisions) under Section 58 of the Civil Service Law.
Explicitly allows Jonathan Myers to take the competitive civil service examination for the position of police officer.
Contingent upon Myers’ examination score, he would be eligible to be placed on the eligible list for appointment as a civil service police officer with the Village of Chatham Police Department.

Merit and fitness standards (Section 2):

Myers would remain subject to the merit and fitness provisions applicable to civil service police officers under the Civil Service Law. In other words, beyond exam performance, he must meet the standard standards used to evaluate and appoint sworn officers.

Effective date (Section 3):

The act takes effect immediately upon enactment.

Who is affected

Primary beneficiary: Jonathan Myers, a part-time police officer employed by the Village of Chatham, Columbia County.

Indirect/other affected parties: The Village of Chatham Police Department and the village’s civil service processes, as Myers would participate in the competitive examination and, if successful, be added to the eligible list for appointment. The bill does not alter eligibility rules for other individuals beyond Myers.

Procedural and timeline aspects

Process: Must pass through the standard legislative steps (introduced, referred to committee, potential committee voting, floor votes, and potential enacted law).

Timeline: The bill explicitly states it shall take effect immediately upon enactment, with eligibility for the exam and eligibility list contingent on Myers’ exam performance.

Notes

The bill is narrowly tailored to authorize a specific individual (Jonathan Myers) to participate in a competitive civil service examination despite existing age or other eligibility restrictions.

If Myers scores well on the examination, he could be appointed as a civil service police officer for the Village of Chatham, subject to continued compliance with merit and fitness requirements.

This summary focuses on the substantive changes and practical implications for the named individual and the village’s hiring process.

Bill