NYSCOPBA Legislative Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
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I’m interested in registering to vote. Can you provide additional information?I would like to write my legislator a letter, any suggestions on how it should be written?NYSCOPBA encourages all members to contact their legislators on a regular basis by writing (click here for tips on contacting your Legislators), calling, or visiting their local office. On special occasion, we have and will initiate letter writing campaigns to propel our legislation into the limelight, but remind you to use this tool sparingly to stop it from becoming repetitive and ineffective.
How can I receive my free NYSCOPBA license plate frame?Due to the tremendous success of our license plate frame contest, we have already given out over 10,000 frames to our members. If you would like a frame to put on your vehicle, please call our order line at 888-484-7279 or e-mail your request (mailto:sculliton@nyscopba.org). Leave your name, home phone number, and your facility or workplace name to verify that you are a member in good standing. Your frame will be mailed to the home address we have on record. I would like to attend a NYSCOPBA lobby day in Albany, can I get more information?Each year we schedule regional lobby days for you to come and talk to the legislators directly. The Legislators are in Albany for only 59 days during the legislative session. Tuesdays are set aside for lobbying, which means 21 days are available for members to meet with their legislators this year. Do I have to use my personal time to attend legislative/ political functions?Yes, the Governor’s Office of Public Relations (GOER) does not recognize political action as an official function of the union; therefore any political function must be attended on your own time. This also means the QWL buildings can not be used for anything related to a political/ legislative function and or seminar. Is there any truth to the many rumors concerning a 20 year retirement?NYSCOPBA has introduced legislation for the twenty-year retirement bill each year since our inception. Each year it is updated with a new fiscal note, which is currently at 770 million dollars. The substance of the legislation is not the reason for inactivity, it’s the significant cost associated with it. We are looking into the possibility of introducing legislation which would require the individual members to pay the cost of moving from the current 25-year to a 20 year plan. However, based on discussions between our lobbyists and the state’s actuaries, such a bill may very well be too costly for the membership. As a union, NYSCOPBA has been very cognizant of addressing tier III concerns. Some bills of interest, which are again being introduced this year, to benefit our members include, 1/60th FAS, Tier IV election, and FAS limitation increase. I would like to volunteer to work on my local Senator/ Assemblyperson election campaign. How does that work?The NYSCOPBA Legislative Committee encourages all members to volunteer for campaigns. By volunteering you compliment our political contributions, which have legal limits, and our effort in Albany to pass legislation that benefits all of us. During the 2002 election cycle, we offered prizes and financial incentives to those members who volunteered at least five (5) hours of their time on state level campaigns (Governor, Comptroller, Assembly, or Senate). If this sounds interesting to you, join our volunteer database by clicking here (Volunteer form). I’m getting close to retirement eligibility or have a retirement/ disability question. Who should I contact?NYSCOPBA has a retirement specialist, Gary Dommermuth, on duty that can assist you with your retirement related questions. He can be reached at 888-484- 7279 ext. 257 or e-mail gdommermuth@nyscopba.org. How many Democrats and Republicans are in the Assembly and Senate?Current breakdown for the NYS Legislature. Out of a total of 150 Assembly seats, there are 104 Democrats and 46 Republicans. Out of a total of 62 Senate seats, there are 35 Republicans and 27 Democrats. Therefore, the Democrats control the Assembly with Speaker Silver and the Republicans control the Senate with Majority Leader Bruno. Who is on the NYSCOPBA Legislative Committee?Every two years, Chief Sector Stewards form around the state, vote and elect other Chief Sector Stewards to the various committees’. One Executive Board Member sits on each committee and is able to appoint two (2) Chiefs to that committee. The members of the Legislative Committee are: Chairman Don Rowe- Hale Creek C.F., Treasurer Brian Shanagher- Executive Vice President NYSCOPBA, Chris Hansen- Washington CF, Chuck Restle- Marcy CF, Joe Kaczmarczyk- Gowanda CF, Walt Barr- Walkill CF, Nester Velez- Taconic CF. I’m interested in running for a political office, will NYSCOPBA support me?NYSCOPBA encourages all members to become involved in politics as much as possible and to some, this would include running for office. NYSCOPBA has had approximately 35 members seek and become elected around the state for many political offices (Town Councilman, Village Trustee, mayor, etc…). NYSCOPBA supports all members, in good standing running for a political office, with a $250.00 contribution towards the campaign. If you are running for office, simply send a signed letter stating your name, address and facility; so that we can confirm you are a member and in good standing. Please include in the letter what political office you are running for and in what municipality the office you are seeking is in. Send the request to: Chris Leo / NYSCOPBA Legislative Department 102 Hackett Blvd. Albany, NY 12209. Should I be concerned about tier 3 loans?As many of you are aware, certain NYSCOPBA members are permitted by law to borrow against their retirement funds. Under current law, members are permitted to borrow no more than once during a 12-month period an amount of up to 75% of the total contributions made. However, the amount borrowed cannot be less than $1,000 and the member must repay the balance, plus interest, in equal installments.
Members who fail to pay off any existing balance prior to retirement, however, become subject to a statutory life annuity. This life annuity, or “lifetime takeout,” is a fixed payment which reduces the amount of retirement income a retiree receives. Pursuant to statute, this reduction in pension continues even after a member has fully repaid the actual amount borrowed.
Take for example the following hypothetical which excludes interest and other additional fees: John Doe, who has borrowed funds from his retirement contributions, still owes $10,000 upon retirement. If an actuary of the retirement system determines that Doe has a 10-year life expectancy following retirement, his annual pension would be reduced by approximately $1,000. And as stated above, this reduction exists for Doe’s entire life, even after the original borrowed amount has been paid off. As such, if he lives for 20 years following retirement, Doe would end up paying approximately $10,000 in excess of what was owed at retirement time.
To avoid being subject to the lifetime takeout, members who have borrowed against their retirement should make every effort to pay off the borrowed amount prior to retirement. If a member does not have sufficient funds to pay off the amount borrowed at retirement time, he or she may want to consider additional means to pay off the loan.
Tier III members are fast approaching retirement eligibility and this issue can affect many NYSCOPBA members who have borrowed against their retirement funds. The New York State Retirement System can be reached at (518) 474- 7736 should you have any further questions on this and any retirement issue. |
