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Newsline: June/July/August 2005 The Fight for Equal Treatment Among Uniformed Services Moves Forward Pataki Urged to Sign Bill Giving Accident Pensions to Peace Officers
“We’ve been down this road several times already,” President Haynes said. “It’s not for lack of trying that we are still fighting for equal treatment for our peace officers when it comes to a disability pension. Clearly, the City Council and the State Legislature appreciate the dangers faced by peace officers in the course of doing their job to safeguard life and property. Yet, each time the bill has arrived at his desk Governor Pataki has vetoed it. We need the members to back us up in Albany. Write and tell the Governor to sign this bill.” The legislation, S. 4067, by Senator Frank Padavan, and its companion bill in the Assembly, A. 7021, by Assemblyman Peter J. Abbate, would amend the state retirement and Social Security law to allow the New York City Employee Retirement System (NYCERS) and the Board of Education Retirement System to provide accidental disability retirement benefits to peace officers who become physically or mentally incapacitated during the performance of their duty as a result of an accident not caused by the officer’s own willful negligence. Who the Bill Covers The bill covers peace officers who are members of the city’s pension systems and are employed as special officers of any rank by a mayoral or non-mayoral agency of the City of New York, CUNY, New York City Department of Education, Health and Hospitals Corporation, Taxi and Limousine Commission, New York City Police Department, and New York City Housing Authority. Titles include: parking control specialists, school safety agents, campus peace officers, and New York City taxi and limousine inspectors and special officers. Local 237 Secretary-Treasurer and Citywide Director Gregory Floyd, who testified at the City Council committee hearing on May 24, urged the Council to support the measure, noting that “a serious inequity is now apparent. The Legislature has previously granted deputy sheriffs, paramedics, firefighters, police and correction officers” accidental disability benefits. “This bill seeks to remedy this inequity and recognizes the inherent risks associated with these [law enforcement] professions.” Floyd added: “These individuals are justly deserving of these benefits, as are their families should the individual suffer a disabling injury or death.” The City Council gave its support by passing SLR 54 – which is also called a Home Rule Message. SLR 54 was sponsored by State and Federal Legislation Committee Chair Joel Rivera, Council Members Lewis Fidler, Hiram Monserrate, Larry Seabrook and Kendall Stewart. Members should write immediately to the governor at the address or e-mail below. Letters should stress that peace officers risk life and limb during the course of doing their job. Where possible, members should also give examples of specific incidents during which they risked their lives to confront dangerous individuals or armed intruders.
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The fate of a bill that would grant peace officers, disabled due to an accident sustained in the line of duty, an accident disability pension equal to three-quarters of final average compensation rests with Governor Pataki. The bill easily passed both houses of the State Legislature in June.