New York City Local Law 12 of 2023 – Requires agencies to post a website accessibility statement, and develop and implement a five-year accessibility plan.

This law adds §23-1004 of the NYC Administrative Code requiring agencies to post a website accessibility statement, develop and implement a five-year accessibility plan, provide annual progress reports with regards to the five-year plan and provide updates to the plan every three years.

This law is effective as of January 21, 2023.

Chapter 55 of the Laws of 2023 (Budget Bill: Part V and Part HH)

Part V of this Budget Bill amends Part HH of Chapter 56 of the Laws of 2022, which waived retiree RSSL§§ 211 & 212 approval and income limitations for NY public school earnings, by pushing the date that Part HH expires and is deemed repealed 1 year to June 30, 2024.

Part V is effective May 03, 2023. 

Part HH of this Budget Bill amends the RSSL by authorizing members to transfer creditable service as an EMT to the New York City Fire Department Pension Fund. This provision is only applicable to NYCERS Members with 10 or more years of credited service. Members who make the above transfer of contributions or withdraws their contributions from NYCERS will cease to be a member of NYCERS and will not retain credited service in NYCERS.

Part HH is effective May 03, 2023.

Chapter 213 of the Laws of 2023 – Increases certain special accidental death benefits.

This law amends the Retirement and Social Security Law (RSSL) § 361-a(c) and General Municipal Law (GML) § 208-f(c) by adding an additional percentage to the deceased member’s salary used in the computation of the Special Accidental Death Benefit. The beneficiaries of the following NYCERS members are covered: Correction Officers, Housing and Transit Police, Uniformed Sanitation members, certain EMTs and TBTA members. 

This law is effective as of July 1, 2023. 

Chapter 689 of the Laws of 2023 - Reopens the 55/25 Plan for NYC Council Active Members and Retirees.

This Act amends the Retirement and Social Security Law (RSSL) to reopen the age 55 Improved Benefit Retirement Program and the 25-year Early Retirement Program to active and retired members and staff of the NYC Council who were in active service at the time of enactment of the programs.

This act is effective March 7, 2024.

Chapter 693 of the Laws of 2023 - Removes the age requirement for TBTA 20/50 Plan Members.

This Act amends the Retirement and Social Security Law (RSSL) §604-c for Tier 4 and Tier 6 TBTA 20/50 Plan members, removing the age 50 requirement for a Service Retirement, provided that within 120 days the TBTA elects to provide this incentive to its employees.

Chapter 693 is effective December 8, 2023, however, Section 1 of the act is effective April 6, 2024, as TBTA has elected to provide the incentive.

Chapter 708 of the Laws of 2023 - Provides an exemption for certain Tier 4 carpenter titles.

This Act amends the Retirement and Social Security Law (RSSL) to provide an exemption for certain Tier 4 carpenter titles who are participants in the 57/5 Plan from making the Physically Taxing Additional Member Contributions if their membership date makes it impossible for them to benefit from the early retirement provisions of their physically taxing titles.  The included titles are: Carpenter, Supervisor Carpenter, Ship Carpenter, Supervisor Ship Carpenter, Rigger, Dock Builder, Supervisor Dock Builder and General Supervisor Dock Builder. Members affected by this legislation would also be entitled to a refund of AMCs previously paid. 

This act is effective December 8, 2023.

Chapter 710 of the Laws of 2023 - Provides child care leave credit to NYC Uniformed Correction Revised Plan members.

This Act amends the Retirement and Social Security Law (RSSL) to include New York City Uniformed Correction Revised Plan members in the child care leave credit. Leave using this credit is pensionable.

This act is effective December 8, 2023.

Chapter 711 of the Laws of 2023 - Permits members of NYCTRS, NYCERS and BERS to join the system that is applicable to the second employment.

This Act amends the NYC Administrative Code to permit members of NYCTRS, NYCERS and BERS to join the system that is applicable to the second employment, provided such benefits in the first system of membership are suspended during their active membership in the subsequent retirement system.

This act is effective December 8, 2023.

Chapter 716 of the Laws of 2023 - Ensures continued compliance with requirements of Federal Older Workers’ Benefit Protection Act.

This Act amends the Retirement and Social Security Law (RSSL) to ensure continued compliance with the requirements of the Federal Older Workers’ Benefit Protection Act (Public Law 101-433). The purpose is to ensure that actuarially the costs of providing Ordinary Death benefits to older members are no less than the cost for younger members.

This act is deemed to have been in effect on and after July 1, 2021 (does not apply to death benefits for members who died prior to July 1, 2021).

Chapter 717 of the Laws of 2023 - Amends the membership transfer process for members with ten or more years of service credit.

This Act amends the Retirement and Social Security Law (RSSL), NYC Administrative Code, the Education Law and Chapter 666 of the Laws of 1990 to require a transfer of reserves in order to transfer a membership between certain New York City and State retirement systems when the member has ten or more years of service credit.

This act is effective December 8, 2023.

Chapter 720 of the Laws of 2023 - Provides certain special accidental death benefits.

This Act amends the General Municipal Law (GML) §208-f to provide Special Accidental Death Benefits to beneficiaries of Deputy Sheriff members employed by the NYC Sheriff’s Department.

This act is effective December 8, 2023.