Governor Hochul Signs Bills to Support NYPD Officers and Strengthen Pension Benefits

Governor Kathy Hochul today signed two pieces of legislation to support members of the New York City Police Department (NYPD) by allowing experienced officers to serve longer and strengthening pension benefits for officers who have dedicated their careers to keeping New Yorkers safe.

"New York needs our police officers, and when experienced officers want to continue serving, we want them to stay on the job," Governor Hochul said. "I'm signing these bills to give our officers the opportunity to serve longer while ensuring their retirement benefits reflect their commitment to New York City. Their service is essential to the safety of our communities, and these bills recognize everything they do for New Yorkers."

NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch said, "To have a safe city, we must have the best and most experienced police officers who are committed to public service. When this department was facing a staffing shortage, we worked with our partners across government to open more pathways for talented people to join and stay on the job. This legislation will help improve retention and ensure our officers get what they deserve for their years of sacrifice and hard work. I thank Governor Hochul for continuing to support the NYPD."

S.5053B/A.8178B raises the mandatory retirement age from 63 to 65 for eligible Tier 2 and Tier 3 NYPD officers. The change allows experienced and highly-trained officers who would otherwise be required to retire to continue serving.

S.7808A/A.8322A allows Tier 2 officers who began service on or after July 1, 2000 to base their pension on either their final 12 months of pay or the average of their three highest-earning years, whichever is higher. Previously, only Tier 2 officers who began service before July 1, 2000 were provided with that option.

State Senator Jessica Scarcella-Spanton said, "One of my top priorities is ensuring that our members of law enforcement, past and present, have the benefits they need and deserve, in order to ensure that we have the finest police force in the world. With the signing of these bills, New York will be able to retain experienced officers for an increased amount of time, which will improve public safety and address staffing shortages while also granting officers more flexibility in their career choices, and will address compensation inequality for retired members by providing them pay parity. I am grateful that the Governor is signing these bills, for the benefit of our law enforcement community and the entire City of New York."

Assemblymember Stacey Pheffer Amato said, "As Chairwoman of the New York State Committee on Governmental Employees, I commend Governor Hochul on signing these two important bills. Both pieces of legislation seek to improve the lives of law-enforcement members and their families. My bill, A.8322A, specifically seeks to correct a disparity between NYPD pension members by clarifying that all members of the tier 1 and tier 2 fund will be subjected to the same calculation. These law-enforcement officers put in long and demanding hours to save and protect lives and this bill is the least we can do to ensure they receive their fair share."

Assemblymember Charles Fall said, "Our experienced NYPD officers bring decades of knowledge, leadership and mentorship to the job, and we should give them the opportunity to keep serving. This legislation gives dedicated NYPD members who are ready and able the choice to continue serving until age 65. I'm proud to have helped move this commonsense measure forward and see it signed into law, giving our officers greater flexibility while keeping valuable experience on the job."

NYPD Detectives Endowment Association President Scott Munro said, "For two years, the DEA fought to fix the inequity of the 2A pension tier. This reform gives our Detectives the ability to decide when the time is right for them to retire, instead of continuing to chase the carrot to secure the pension they've earned. That means more control over their future and more time with their families now. It will also help the NYPD retain experienced, highly skilled Detectives who are invaluable to keeping this city safe. We thank Governor Hochul and our partners in the Legislature for delivering for the men and women who have dedicated their careers to keeping New Yorkers safe."

NYPD Sergeants Benevolent Association President Vincent Vallelong said, "After an extensive lobbying effort over the course of many months that required numerous meetings between the SBA, the other NYPD unions, and legislative leaders in the Senate and the Assembly, I am very pleased to announce that S7808-A/A8322-A Tier 2 NYPD 3-year FAS bill has been signed into law by the Governor."

NYPD Lieutenants Benevolent Association President Louis Turco said, "We want to thank the Governor for recognizing the value in retaining experienced police officers which will translate into keeping New Yorkers safe."

NYPD Captain Endowment Association President Chris Monahan said, "Governor Hochul's support of the tier 2A bill giving pension equality to members of the NYPD who do a brave and dangerous job. In addition both bills give us parity with the members of the FDNY and will add retention of our members."

Police Conference of New York President Michael O'Meara said, "Thank you to Governor Hochul for signing these two important bills that will be instrumental in addressing the retention issues at the NYPD. We also thank the sponsors for their hard work on these important measures. Governor Hochul has led with common sense and respect for our Police Officers and our legislative needs and we applaud her action on these important matters."