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S 10636

Relates to increasing certain special accidental death benefits paid to widows and orphaned children of members

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Andrew Gounardes

Raises the special accidental death benefit for survivors of NYC uniformed members, with a defined year-by-year increase schedule starting July 1, 2026.

REFERRED TO RULES
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WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · S 10636

Bill Overview

  • Bill: S 10636 (New York)
  • Session: 2025-2026
  • Sponsor: Sen. Gounardes (co-sponsor: Andrew Gounardes)
  • Title: Relates to increasing certain special accidental death benefits paid to widows and orphaned children of members
  • Status: Introduced June 1, 2026; referred to Rules

Purpose and Intent

The bill seeks to raise the special accidental death benefit (SADB) paid to eligible survivors of deceased members. It applies to survivors of members in specified New York City retirement systems and funds (including NYCERS, police, and fire systems) and ties the increase to a defined schedule of percent increases tied to the death year. The bill also extends the same increase framework to related sections within the General Municipal Law and the Retirement and Social Security Law, ensuring consistency across applicable benefits.

Key Provisions

  • Effective Date: July 1, 2026.
  • Beneficiaries: Widows/widowers, and the deceased member’s children under 18 (or under 23 if a student); if there is no spouse or eligible child, the benefit may go to the member’s parents or other eligible individuals as specified.
  • Benefit Calculation: The SADB is increased by an additional percentage of the deceased member’s salary (salary used in the SADB calculation, as increased under subdivision b of the relevant section).
  • Increase Schedule: The bill provides a detailed year-by-year escalator for the percentage increase, with the percentage rising for earlier death years and tapering for more recent years. The schedule shows substantially higher multipliers for earlier decades (e.g., 1977 or prior: 325.6% for the General Municipal Law and 325.6% for the Retirement and Social Security Law; progressively lower percentages apply for later years, down to 3.0% by 2025, and 0.0% for 2026 and onward in the current table).
  • Parallel Amendments: Subdivision c of section 361-a of the Retirement and Social Security Law is amended to mirror the same escalation schedule as the General Municipal Law section 208-f, ensuring consistency across related systems.
  • Scope of Impacted Systems: Applies to SADB payable to survivors of NYCERS, Police, and Fire retirement systems and funds, covering employees in uniformed positions across various NYC agencies (e.g., Police Department, Fire Department, Department of Sanitation, Housing Authority, Transit Authority, Department of Correction, Health and Hospitals Corporation, NYCEMS, Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority, and Deputy Sheriff in the Sheriff’s Department).

Affected Parties

  • Beneficiaries: Surviving spouses, minor or student-age children, and eligible parents or guardians if no spouse/children are alive.
  • Employers/Systems: New York City retirement systems (NYCERS, Police, Fire) and related NYC and local employers funding those systems; changes influence the present value of benefits and required employer contributions.

Procedural and Timeline Aspects

  • Effective Date: July 1, 2026.
  • Fiscal Impact: The bill’s fiscal note estimates an increase in the present value of benefits for NYC-specific retirement systems by approximately $9.86 million, with corresponding changes in annual employer contributions (approximately a 0.02% increase in billing rates, or about $180,000 state and $760,000 local annually). Costs are tied to the 3.0% annual SADB cost-of-living adjustments historically applied and assumed to continue.
  • Funding: Increases in annual employer contributions to NYSLRS/NYCRS to fund the enhanced SADB, allocated via higher billing rates to participating employers.

Summary

S 10636 expands and harmonizes the escalation of the special accidental death benefit for survivors of certain NYC uniformed employees, beginning July 1, 2026. It increases the base benefit by a defined schedule tied to the deceased member’s death year and ensures consistency across General Municipal Law and Retirement and Social Security Law provisions. The bill includes a detailed actuarial and fiscal note outlining expected impacts on present value, employer contributions, and budgetary considerations.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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