Grants retroactive membership with Tier IV status in the New York state and local employees' retirement system to Christine Fernandez

2025 Regular Session

The bill retroactively grants Christine Fernandez Tier IV NYSLRS membership from her 1986 SUNY Buffalo date, contingent on applying within a year, with state costs and higher emplo

REFERRED TO GOVERNMENTAL EMPLOYEES

Bill overview

Bill: A 11469 (2025-2026 Session, New York)

Introduced by: Committee on Rules (at request of Assembly Member Bendett)

Committee referral: Governmental Employees

Purpose: Grant retroactive NYSLRS (New York State and Local Retirement System) Tier IV membership to Christine Fernandez, with a specific set of conditions and timing.

Main purpose and intent

The bill seeks to retroactively treat Christine Fernandez as a member of NYSLRS with Tier IV status starting from her initial SUNY Buffalo employment date (September 11, 1986).

Fernandez, formerly Christine Lennard, did not have the opportunity in 1986 to join NYSLRS, did not file until April 2, 2020, and would have been placed in Tier VI due to late enrollment or timing.

If enacted, Fernandez would be deemed a NYSLRS member as of September 11, 1986, and would receive Tier IV status, contingent on filing an application within one year from the act’s effective date.

Key provisions and changes

Section 1: Retrospective membership

Fernandez, current employee of the New York State Thruway Authority, shall be deemed a NYSLRS member beginning with her SUNY Buffalo employment date (Sept. 11, 1986).
She would receive Tier IV status, subject to filing an application with the NYSLRS head within one year of the act’s effective date.
If retroactive membership is granted, she will not receive a refund of any employee contributions already made.

Section 2: Fiscal responsibility

All past service costs related to implementing the act would be borne by the State of New York.

Section 3: Effective date

The act takes effect immediately upon enactment.

Who is affected

Direct beneficiary: Christine Fernandez (formerly Christine Lennard), currently employed by the New York State Thruway Authority.

Indirect fiscal impact: NYSLRS and NY state costs associated with granting retroactive Tier IV status.

Agencies involved: NYSLRS as the administering retirement system; the NY Thruway Authority as Fernandez’s current employer.

Procedural and timeline aspects

Application deadline: Within one year from the act’s effective date, Fernandez must file the required NYSLRS application to qualify for retroactive Tier IV status.

Past service costs: One-time past service cost estimated at $29,400, payable by the State of New York (assumed to be due March 1, 2027).

Ongoing costs: Annual member contributions from the NY Thruway Authority are expected to increase by about $11,000 starting Fiscal Year End (FYE) 2027; actual amounts will vary with Fernandez’s salary and billing rates.

Fiscal notes and assumptions

The fiscal note estimates:

Immediate past service cost: $29,400 (one-time, state cost).
Ongoing annual cost: Approximately $11,000 added to the NY Thruway Authority’s employer contributions, beginning in 2027.

Notes clarify that the bill does not provide for any refund of Fernandez’s existing member contributions.

Data used for actuarial impact reflects membership data as of March 31, 2025.

Summary assessment

The bill provides a narrowly targeted retroactive retirement benefit change for a specific individual, aligning her NYSLRS status with her original employment date and granting Tier IV status upon timely application.

It imposes a one-year window to apply, places the initial past-service cost on the state, and outlines ongoing employer contribution impacts.

As with similar retroactive membership bills, the change hinges on the presumed fairness of retroactive eligibility and the fiscal implications for the administering system and employer.