Grants retroactive tier IV membership in the New York state and local employees' retirement system to Joshua David Olsen

2025 Regular Session

The bill retroactively upgrades Joshua Olsen’s NYSLERS membership to Tier IV dating from Jan 1, 1999, with the state covering past and future costs if he applies within one year.

REFERRED TO GOVERNMENTAL EMPLOYEES

Bill Summary: A11551 (2025-2026, New York)

Purpose and main intent

Grant retroactive Tier IV membership in the New York State and Local Employees' Retirement System (NYSLERS) to Joshua David Olsen.

Olsen is currently a Tier VI member employed by the New York state office for people with developmental disabilities.

The bill retroactively assigns Olsen’s membership start date to January 1, 1999, effectively aligning his service with Tier IV eligibility.

Key provisions and changes

Section 1: Eligibility and retroactive membership

Olsen, who previously did not join NYSLERS (or the NY teachers’ retirement system) in 1999 or 2002 due to circumstances not attributable to his own negligence, would be deemed to have joined NYSLERS on January 1, 1999 if he files an application within one year of the act’s effective date.
Upon application, Olsen would be granted Tier IV status and receive all rights and benefits of that tier.

Section 2: Funding and contributions

All past service costs required to implement the retroactive change would be borne by the State of New York.
There would be no refund of Olsen’s member contributions.

Section 3: Effective date

The act takes effect immediately upon enactment.

Affected parties

Primary beneficiary: Joshua David Olsen, a current Tier VI NYSLERS member (employee of the NYS Office for People With Developmental Disabilities).

Fiscal impact: State of New York would incur costs associated with the retroactive Tier IV status.

Fiscal and timing details

Immediate past service cost: One-time payment estimated at $78,000, expected to be paid on March 1, 2027.

Ongoing annual cost: State contributions to NYSLERS would increase by approximately $14,000 starting Fiscal Year Ending 2027 (FYE 2027). Actual annual costs may vary with Olsen’s salary and changes in billing rates.

No refunds of Olsen’s existing member contributions.

The fiscal note (April 15, 2026) provides the actuarial and financial context, including assumptions and data sources used for the estimate.

Procedural status and timeline

Introduced and referred to the Assembly Committee on Governmental Employees (Rules committee action noted).

Action history shows the bill was referred on June 1, 2026.

The bill includes a one-year window from the act’s effective date for Olsen to file the retrospective membership application.

Plain-language takeaway

The bill retroactively upgrades Joshua Olsen’s NYSLERS membership to Tier IV dating from January 1, 1999, recognizing past employment circumstances and ensuring he gains the corresponding benefits, with the state covering the associated past service costs and additional future costs. Olsen must apply within one year of the act’s effective date to receive the Tier IV status.