ALBANY — Veterans in public employment have won a pension fight that has gone on for years.
CSEA achieved a major legislative goal in getting the Veterans Equality Act passed, giving all public employee military veterans who were honorably discharged, regardless of where or when they performed military duty, the ability to buy back up to three years of military service time for pension credit.
Previously, only public employees who served in conflicts could buy back pension credit. The new law recognizes that all military service, including that in peace time, matters and is valued by New York state. The new law goes into effect immediately.
“This action addresses a long-standing inequity among military veterans serving in public services and recognizes the importance of respecting all. I am proud that CSEA veterans were in the forefront of efforts to ensure this fairness,” said CSEA President Danny Donohue.
“The unwavering efforts of state Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, Senator William Larkin and Assemblywoman Amy Paulin were essential to this tremendous benefit for our veterans becoming law,” Donohue said.
“It’s excellent news! Great work, everyone who fought so many years for this. This recognizes that all military service matters,” said CSEA Veterans Committee Chair Maryann Phelps.
Veterans Equality Act
(S. 7160 – Larkin / A. 9531 – Paulin)
In order to buy back the credit, a public employee must:
- Be honorably discharged from the military;
- Have five years of credited public service; and
- Pay either three percent (Tiers 1-5) or six percent (Tier 6) of salary for each year of credit that they are purchasing.
Note: The buy back does not apply to retirees. If you are drawing a retirement check, you are ineligible to buy back pension time for service credit.
For more information, visit: www.osc.state.ny.us/retire/members/military-service-credit.php
Above, CSEA Long Island Region Veterans Committee member Steve Abramson, left, and CSEA Veterans Committee Chair Maryann Phelps, right, are joined by CSEA member Susanna Lo Voi as they salute the service of a former CSEA member in Calverton National Cemetery. The Long Island Region Veterans Committee places American flags on the graves of former CSEA members who had served in the armed forces each year for Memorial Day.
