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

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Pat Fahy

The bill retroactively upgrades Joshua Olsen to Tier IV NYSLERS, authorizing benefits from 1999 if he applies within a year, with state funding for past and ongoing costs.

REFERRED TO CIVIL SERVICE AND PENSIONS

Bill Summary: S.9993 (2025-2026) – Grants retroactive Tier IV NYSLERS membership

Purpose and intent

The bill seeks to grant retroactive Tier IV membership in the New York state and local employees' retirement system (NYSLERS) to Joshua David Olsen, a current Tier VI member.

Olsen is employed by the New York state office for people with developmental disabilities and, due to circumstances not his fault, did not become a member of NYSLERS (or NY Teachers’ Retirement System) during prior periods in 1999–2003. The bill would deem him to have joined NYSLERS as of January 1, 1999, retroactively, provided he files an application within one year of the act’s effective date.

Key provisions

Section 1: Eligibility and retroactive membership

Joshua David Olsen, previously a part-time employee (1999–2001 with Schenectady City School District; 2002–2003 with SUNY Albany) and since 2015 a full-time attorney with the NYS office for people with developmental disabilities, would be deemed to have joined NYSLERS in January 1999 if he applies within one year after the act’s effective date.
Upon application, Olsen would be granted Tier IV status and receive all associated rights and benefits.

Section 2: Funding of past service costs

All past service costs associated with implementing the retroactive Tier IV status 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 would take effect immediately upon enactment.

Financial and actuarial impact

Fiscal note estimates:

Immediate one-time past service cost: approximately $78,000, payable around March 1, 2027.
Ongoing annual cost: state contributions would increase by about $14,000 starting fiscal year ending 2027 (FYE 2027), with future amounts fluctuating based on Olsen’s salary and retirement system rate changes.

The note clarifies that the projection uses NYSLRS membership data as of March 31, 2025 and includes standard actuarial assumptions and methods. No member-contribution refunds would occur.

Affected parties

Primary: Joshua David Olsen (current Tier VI member) and, more broadly, the NYSLRS retirement system and its funding.

State of New York would bear the incremental past service cost and ongoing annual contribution increases.

Other potential beneficiaries are not directly affected, as the bill targets a specific individual.

Procedural/timeline notes

Introduced April 21, 2026.

Referred to the Senate Committee on Civil Service and Pensions.

If enacted, Olsen must file within one year of the act’s effective date to obtain retroactive Tier IV status.

Overall framing

The bill is a targeted, individual benefit adjustment aimed at retroactively aligning one long-serving employee’s retirement tier with earlier eligibility, with specified funding responsibilities borne by the state and no provision for returning Olsen’s prior contributions.