Budget & Taxes (Pensions)

This bill creates a temporary retirement incentive for eligible public school employees in New York State, specifically teachers and building-level administrators (like principals) who are members of the Teachers' Retirement System and meet the age 55/25 service requirement. It allows these employees to retire during a designated 60-day open period (starting no earlier than June 30, 2026, and ending by August 31, 2026) without facing the usual benefit reductions that apply under existing retirement laws. Educational employers must elect to participate by adopting a resolution, and the employer will cover the cost of the incentive over up to five years, beginning in the 2027-2028 state fiscal year. The incentive is strictly temporary and ends by August 31, 2026, with no expectation of future benefits for employees who do not qualify during this window.

Excludes from federal adjusted gross income the amount of any service award paid to a volunteer firefighter or volunteer ambulance worker, thereby exempting such payments from state income tax in like manner as a pension.

This bill (S 6638) increases the pension calculation percentage for certain New York state and local government employees from 35% to 40% of their final average salary. It directly affects members of the New York State and Local Employees' Retirement System who joined on or after April 1, 2012, and have at least 20 years of service at retirement. The key change modifies existing pension formulas to provide a higher benefit amount for these employees, specifically raising the percentage used in calculating their retirement income. The policy change applies to those retiring at age 63 or older with 20+ years of service, without altering retirement age requirements.

Enacts into law major components of legislation necessary to implement the state education, labor, housing and family assistance budget for the 2025-2026 state fiscal year; relates to contracts for excellence; relates to calculation of state aid to school districts; relates to a statewide dual enrollment policy; extends workforce education; relates to maximum class sizes for special education; extends chapter 82 of the laws of 1995; relates to foundation aid; provides for special apportionment for salary expenses; provides for special apportionment for public pension accruals; establishes a dual enrollment program; relates to universal pre-kindergarten and the Statewide universal full-day pre-kindergarten; extends provisions relating to paperwork reduction; relates to funding a program for work force education; extends provisions for monitors in the Hempstead union free school district, the Wyandanch union free school district and the Rochester city school district; relates to supplementary funding for the East Ramapo central school district; extends provisions authorizing the Roosevelt union free school district to finance deficits by the issuance of serial bonds; relates to requirements for zero emissions school buses; relates to certain instructional requirements for nonpublic schools (Part A); establishes a universal free school meals program; repeals provisions relating to the community eligibility provision state subsidy (Part B); relates to school policies regarding the use of internet-enabled devices during the school day (Part C); relates to scholarships awarded to part-time students by the New York state higher education services corporation; makes conforming changes; repeals provisions relating to tuition awards for part-time undergraduate students; relates to the New York state part-time scholarship award program (Part D); relates to authorizing the excelsior scholarship cover the cost of tuition in the state university of New York system (Part E); creates a New York opportunity promise scholarship for certain students who matriculated at a SUNY or CUNY community college, are over 25 years of age, have applied for certain tuition assistance programs, are eligible for resident tuition rates, and have not already obtained a postsecondary degree (Part F); provides for reduction of taxes pursuant to shelter rent (Part L); utilizes reserves in the mortgage insurance fund for the neighborhood preservation program, the rural preservation program, the rural rental assistance program, and the New York state supportive housing program (Part N); extends certain provisions relating to restructuring financing for residential school placements (Part O); authorizes child care support centers which are certified by the office of children and family services to place individuals as substitute caregivers at licensed and registered child care programs (Part P); relates to the provision of public assistance allowances to public assistance recipients upon the birth of a new child (Part Q); relates to increasing the standards of monthly need for aged, blind and disabled persons living in the community (Part R); relates to the effectiveness of provisions of law relating to the powers and duties of the commissioner of social services relating to the appointment of a temporary operator (Part S); relates to the healthy terminals act; amends certain definitions relating to covered airport location and covered airport workers; provides for the applicable standard rate as meaning the wage and benefit rates designated by the commissioner of labor (Part T); limits the amount of liquidated damages for certain frequency of pay violations (Part U); relates to civil penalties for violations of certain wage payment provisions (Part V); increases the civil penalties for violations of child labor laws (Part W); establishes a database for the employment of minors; allows for registration of minors and employers in such database; digitizes the process for minors to apply for employment (Part X); expands certain payments previously made to parents of deceased service members to spouses and minor children of such service members; authorizes the commissioner of veterans' affairs to conduct an outreach program for the purpose of informing the public and persons who may be eligible to receive an annuity (Part Y); requires submission of an annual report on the New York state museum (Part AA); decreases the length of the suspension period applicable to certain individuals who lose their jobs due to a labor dispute, such as a strike, and who seek to obtain unemployment insurance benefits (Part BB); requires social services for a city of a population of a million or more shall spend a certain amount of local funds for child care block grants (Part CC); establishes the crime of evading arrest by concealment of identity (Part DD); expands the merit time allowance and limited credit time allowance programs (Part EE); authorizes the commissioner of education to appoint a monitor to oversee the Mount Vernon city school district; requires such monitor to schedule three public hearings; requires the monitor and board of education to develop a proposed financial plan for the 2025--2026 school year and the four subsequent school years (Part FF); relates to the conversion to condominium ownership for the preservation of expiring affordable housing in the city of New York; provides expanded homeownership opportunities from the conversion of certain residential rental buildings to condominium status by property owners that commit to preserve the inventory of expiring affordable housing in the city of New York (Part GG); establishes the housing access voucher pilot program (Part HH); amends section 2 of chapter 868 of the laws of 1975 constituting the New York state financial emergency act for the city of New York, in relation to the effectiveness thereof (Part II); establishes the city of Buffalo parking authority; provides for its powers, duties and obligations (Part JJ); increases the maximum benefit rate for unemployment insurance (Part KK); amends provisions relating to discovery reform (Part LL); provides for the administration of certain funds and accounts related to the 2025-2026 budget; authorizes certain payments and transfers; relates to the administration of certain funds and accounts (Part MM).

S 6473 amends New York's real property tax law to allow senior citizens and people with disabilities living in rent-controlled or rent-regulated housing to use certain pension and benefit income for tax abatement calculations. The bill changes how income is calculated by permitting deductions for income taxes and social security taxes, and including retirement benefits, Social Security, and public assistance while excluding gifts, inheritances, and certain benefit increases. To qualify, tenants must have a pre-July 1, 2024, rent increase exemption order, and the new income calculation must result in a lower tax amount than the previous method. This directly affects eligible residents in regulated housing by potentially reducing their property tax burden based on revised income rules.

Prohibits the diminution of health insurance benefits of public employee retirees and their dependents or reducing the employer's contributions for such insurance; defines employers to include the state, municipalities, school districts, and public authorities and commissions.

This bill amends federal tax law to expand an existing exclusion from taxable income to include pensions from traditional employer pension plans (defined benefit plans). Currently, certain pension income is excluded from federal adjusted gross income, but this bill would extend that exclusion to cover these specific pensions. It would apply to taxable years beginning after the effective date, directly affecting retirees receiving payments from defined benefit plans. The change would reduce the taxable income for these retirees by including their pension payments in the exclusion.

Enacts into law major components of legislation necessary to implement the state education, labor, housing and family assistance budget for the 2025-2026 state fiscal year; relates to contracts for excellence; relates to calculation of state aid to school districts; relates to a statewide dual enrollment policy; extends workforce education; relates to maximum class sizes for special education; extends chapter 82 of the laws of 1995; relates to foundation aid; provides for special apportionment for salary expenses; provides for special apportionment for public pension accruals; establishes a dual enrollment program; relates to universal pre-kindergarten and the Statewide universal full-day pre-kindergarten; extends provisions relating to paperwork reduction; relates to funding a program for work force education; extends provisions for monitors in the Hempstead union free school district, the Wyandanch union free school district and the Rochester city school district; relates to supplementary funding for the East Ramapo central school district; extends provisions authorizing the Roosevelt union free school district to finance deficits by the issuance of serial bonds; relates to requirements for zero emissions school buses; relates to certain instructional requirements for nonpublic schools (Part A); establishes a universal free school meals program; repeals provisions relating to the community eligibility provision state subsidy (Part B); relates to school policies regarding the use of internet-enabled devices during the school day (Part C); relates to scholarships awarded to part-time students by the New York state higher education services corporation; makes conforming changes; repeals provisions relating to tuition awards for part-time undergraduate students; relates to the New York state part-time scholarship award program (Part D); relates to authorizing the excelsior scholarship cover the cost of tuition in the state university of New York system (Part E); creates a New York opportunity promise scholarship for certain students who matriculated at a SUNY or CUNY community college, are over 25 years of age, have applied for certain tuition assistance programs, are eligible for resident tuition rates, and have not already obtained a postsecondary degree (Part F); provides for reduction of taxes pursuant to shelter rent (Part L); utilizes reserves in the mortgage insurance fund for the neighborhood preservation program, the rural preservation program, the rural rental assistance program, and the New York state supportive housing program (Part N); extends certain provisions relating to restructuring financing for residential school placements (Part O); authorizes child care support centers which are certified by the office of children and family services to place individuals as substitute caregivers at licensed and registered child care programs (Part P); relates to the provision of public assistance allowances to public assistance recipients upon the birth of a new child (Part Q); relates to increasing the standards of monthly need for aged, blind and disabled persons living in the community (Part R); relates to the effectiveness of provisions of law relating to the powers and duties of the commissioner of social services relating to the appointment of a temporary operator (Part S); relates to the healthy terminals act; amends certain definitions relating to covered airport location and covered airport workers; provides for the applicable standard rate as meaning the wage and benefit rates designated by the commissioner of labor (Part T); limits the amount of liquidated damages for certain frequency of pay violations (Part U); relates to civil penalties for violations of certain wage payment provisions (Part V); increases the civil penalties for violations of child labor laws (Part W); establishes a database for the employment of minors; allows for registration of minors and employers in such database; digitizes the process for minors to apply for employment (Part X); expands certain payments previously made to parents of deceased service members to spouses and minor children of such service members; authorizes the commissioner of veterans' affairs to conduct an outreach program for the purpose of informing the public and persons who may be eligible to receive an annuity (Part Y); requires submission of an annual report on the New York state museum (Part AA); decreases the length of the suspension period applicable to certain individuals who lose their jobs due to a labor dispute, such as a strike, and who seek to obtain unemployment insurance benefits (Part BB); requires social services for a city of a population of a million or more shall spend a certain amount of local funds for child care block grants (Part CC); establishes the crime of evading arrest by concealment of identity (Part DD); expands the merit time allowance and limited credit time allowance programs (Part EE); authorizes the commissioner of education to appoint a monitor to oversee the Mount Vernon city school district; requires such monitor to schedule three public hearings; requires the monitor and board of education to develop a proposed financial plan for the 2025--2026 school year and the four subsequent school years (Part FF); relates to the conversion to condominium ownership for the preservation of expiring affordable housing in the city of New York; provides expanded homeownership opportunities from the conversion of certain residential rental buildings to condominium status by property owners that commit to preserve the inventory of expiring affordable housing in the city of New York (Part GG); establishes the housing access voucher pilot program (Part HH); amends section 2 of chapter 868 of the laws of 1975 constituting the New York state financial emergency act for the city of New York, in relation to the effectiveness thereof (Part II); establishes the city of Buffalo parking authority; provides for its powers, duties and obligations (Part JJ); increases the maximum benefit rate for unemployment insurance (Part KK); amends provisions relating to discovery reform (Part LL); provides for the administration of certain funds and accounts related to the 2025-2026 budget; authorizes certain payments and transfers; relates to the administration of certain funds and accounts (Part MM).

Includes retirement plans in the exemption for pensions and annuities for certain persons; increases such exemption to one hundred thousand dollars as adjusted by the consumer price index annually.

Allows localities the option to exclude income from any disability pension or benefit in computation of income for purposes of determining eligibility for the partial real property tax exemption granted to persons 65 years of age or over.