S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
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6834--A
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
I N A S S E M B L Y
May 8, 2023
___________
Introduced by M. of A. JEAN-PIERRE -- read once and referred to the
Committee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions -- committee
discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted
to said committee
AN ACT to amend chapter 154 of the laws of 1921, relating to the port
authority of New York and New Jersey, in relation to military leave
for all represented and non-represented persons employed by the port
authority of New York and New Jersey
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Section 1 of chapter 154 of the laws of 1921, relating to
the port authority of New York and New Jersey, is amended by adding a
new article XXIII to read as follows:
ARTICLE XXIII
1. DEFINITIONS. THE TERM:
A. "EMPLOYEE" MEANS THOSE PERSONS EMPLOYED AT THE PORT AUTHORITY,
INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO: FULL-TIME AND PART-TIME EMPLOYEES, THOSE
EMPLOYEES ON PROBATION, AND TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES, WHETHER OR NOT REPRES-
ENTED BY A LABOR ORGANIZATION.
B. "ORDERED MILITARY DUTY", AS USED IN THIS ARTICLE, MEANS ANY MILI-
TARY DUTY PERFORMED IN THE SERVICE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK OR OF THE
UNITED STATES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ATTENDANCE AT ANY SERVICE
SCHOOL OR SCHOOLS CONDUCTED BY THE ARMED FORCES OF THE UNITED STATES, BY
A PORT AUTHORITY EMPLOYEE AS A MEMBER OF ANY FORCE OF THE ORGANIZED
MILITIA OR OF ANY RESERVE FORCE OR RESERVE COMPONENT OF THE ARMED FORCES
OF THE UNITED STATES, PURSUANT TO ORDERS ISSUED BY COMPETENT STATE OR
FEDERAL AUTHORITY, WITH OR WITHOUT THE CONSENT OF SUCH PORT AUTHORITY
EMPLOYEE. PARTICIPATION IN ROUTINE RESERVE OFFICER TRAINING CORPS
TRAINING IS NOT CONSIDERED TO BE MILITARY DUTY EXCEPT WHEN PERFORMING
ADVANCED TRAINING DUTY AS A MEMBER OF A RESERVE COMPONENT OF THE ARMED
FORCES.
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD10909-02-3
A. 6834--A 2
2. LEAVE OF ABSENCE WHILE ENGAGED IN PERFORMANCE OF ORDERED MILITARY
DUTY. EVERY EMPLOYEE SHALL BE ENTITLED TO ABSENT THEMSELVES AND SHALL BE
DEEMED TO HAVE A LEAVE OF ABSENCE FROM HIS OR HER DUTIES OR SERVICE AS
SUCH PUBLIC OFFICER OR EMPLOYEE WHILE ENGAGED IN THE PERFORMANCE OF
ORDERED MILITARY DUTY AND WHILE GOING TO AND RETURNING FROM SUCH DUTY.
3. LEAVE OF ABSENCE WHILE ATTENDING SERVICE SCHOOLS. EVERY EMPLOYEE
WHO IS OR BECOMES A VOLUNTARY MEMBER OF ANY FORCE OF THE ORGANIZED MILI-
TIA OR OF ANY RESERVE FORCE OR RESERVE COMPONENT OF THE ARMED FORCES OF
THE UNITED STATES SHALL BE ENTITLED TO ABSENT THEMSELVES AND SHALL BE
DEEMED TO HAVE A LEAVE OF ABSENCE FROM HIS OR HER DUTIES OR SERVICE AS
SUCH EMPLOYEE WHILE IN ATTENDANCE, AS A MEMBER OF SUCH FORCE OR RESERVE
COMPONENTS, AT ANY SERVICE SCHOOL OR SCHOOLS CONDUCTED BY THE ARMED
FORCES OF THE UNITED STATES, AND WHILE GOING TO AND RETURNING FROM SUCH
SCHOOL OR SCHOOLS, NOTWITHSTANDING THAT ORDERS FOR SUCH ATTENDANCE ARE
OR MAY BE ISSUED WITH THE CONSENT OF SUCH PUBLIC OFFICER OR EMPLOYEE.
4. LEAVE OF ABSENCE WHILE PERFORMING FULL-TIME TRAINING DUTY OR ACTIVE
DUTY FOR TRAINING WITH OR IN AN ARMED FORCE OF THE UNITED STATES. EVERY
EMPLOYEE WHO IS OR BECOMES A MEMBER OF ANY FORCE OF THE ORGANIZED MILI-
TIA OR OF ANY RESERVE FORCE OR RESERVE COMPONENT OF THE ARMED FORCES OF
THE UNITED STATES SHALL BE ENTITLED TO ABSENT THEMSELVES AND SHALL BE
DEEMED TO HAVE A LEAVE OF ABSENCE FROM HIS OR HER DUTIES OR SERVICE AS
SUCH PUBLIC OFFICER OR EMPLOYEE WHILE PERFORMING, AS A MEMBER OF SUCH
FORCE OR RESERVE COMPONENT, INITIAL FULL-TIME TRAINING DUTY OR INITIAL
ACTIVE DUTY FOR TRAINING WITH OR IN AN ARMED FORCE OF THE UNITED STATES
UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF THIS CHAPTER OR THE LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES OR
BOTH, AND WHILE GOING TO AND RETURNING FROM SUCH FULL-TIME TRAINING DUTY
OR ACTIVE DUTY FOR TRAINING, NOTWITHSTANDING THAT ORDERS FOR SUCH DUTY
ARE OR MAY BE ISSUED WITH THE CONSENT OF SUCH PUBLIC OFFICER OR EMPLOY-
EE.
5. EMPLOYMENT RIGHTS. TIME DURING WHICH AN EMPLOYEE IS ABSENT PURSUANT
TO THE PROVISIONS OF SUBDIVISIONS TWO, THREE AND FOUR OF THIS ARTICLE
SHALL NOT CONSTITUTE AN INTERRUPTION OF CONTINUOUS EMPLOYMENT AND,
NOTWITHSTANDING THE PROVISIONS OF ANY GENERAL, SPECIAL OR LOCAL LAW OR
THE PROVISIONS OF ANY CITY CHARTER, NO SUCH EMPLOYEE SHALL BE SUBJECTED,
DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, TO ANY LOSS OR DIMINUTION OF TIME SERVICE,
INCREMENT, VACATION OR HOLIDAY PRIVILEGES, OR ANY OTHER RIGHT OR PRIVI-
LEGE, BY REASON OF SUCH ABSENCE, OR BE PREJUDICED, BY REASON OF SUCH
ABSENCE, WITH REFERENCE TO CONTINUANCE IN OFFICE OR EMPLOYMENT, REAP-
POINTMENT TO OFFICE, RE-EMPLOYMENT, REINSTATEMENT, TRANSFER OR
PROMOTION.
6. PAY FOR MILITARY DUTY. A. EVERY EMPLOYEE SHALL BE PAID THEIR SALARY
OR OTHER COMPENSATION AS A PORT AUTHORITY EMPLOYEE FOR ANY AND ALL PERI-
ODS OF ABSENCE WHILE ENGAGED IN THE PERFORMANCE OF ORDERED MILITARY
DUTY, AND WHILE GOING TO AND RETURNING FROM SUCH DUTY, NOT EXCEEDING A
TOTAL OF THIRTY DAYS OR TWENTY-TWO WORKING DAYS, WHICHEVER IS GREATER,
IN ANY ONE CALENDAR YEAR AND NOT EXCEEDING THIRTY DAYS OR TWENTY-TWO
WORKING DAYS, WHICHEVER IS GREATER, IN ANY ONE CONTINUOUS PERIOD OF SUCH
ABSENCE.
B. EVERY EMPLOYEE OF THE PORT AUTHORITY WHO SERVED IN A COMBAT THEATER
OR COMBAT ZONE OF OPERATIONS AS DOCUMENTED BY A COPY OF HIS OR HER
DD214, CERTIFICATE OF RELEASE OR DISCHARGE FROM ACTIVE DUTY, OR OTHER
APPLICABLE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE DOCUMENTATION, SHALL BE PAID HIS OR HER
SALARY OR OTHER COMPENSATION AS SUCH PORT AUTHORITY EMPLOYEE FOR ANY AND
ALL PERIODS OF ABSENCE WHILE UTILIZING ANY HEALTH CARE RELATED SERVICES
RELATED TO SUCH DUTY, NOT EXCEEDING FIVE WORKING DAYS, IN ANY ONE CALEN-
DAR YEAR.
A. 6834--A 3
7. RIGHTS AND CONTRIBUTIONS UNDER RETIREMENT SYSTEMS. A. THE AMOUNT OF
REQUIRED CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANY PENSION OR RETIREMENT SYSTEM OF WHICH AN
EMPLOYEE ABSENT WHILE ENGAGED IN THE PERFORMANCE OF ORDERED MILITARY
DUTY IS A MEMBER, SHALL BE DEDUCTED FROM THE SALARY OR OTHER COMPEN-
SATION PAID TO HIM OR HER AS SUCH EMPLOYEE AS PROVIDED IN THIS ARTICLE.
IF SUCH REQUIRED CONTRIBUTIONS EXCEED THE AMOUNT OF SUCH SALARY OR OTHER
COMPENSATION TO WHICH AN EMPLOYEE IS ENTITLED WHILE ENGAGED IN THE
PERFORMANCE OF MILITARY DUTY, THE AMOUNT OF SUCH SALARY OR OTHER COMPEN-
SATION SHALL BE APPLIED UPON SUCH REQUIRED CONTRIBUTIONS AND SUCH
EMPLOYEE SHALL HAVE THE RIGHT TO PAY TO SUCH PENSION OR RETIREMENT
SYSTEM THE AMOUNT BY WHICH SUCH CONTRIBUTIONS EXCEED SUCH SALARY OR
OTHER COMPENSATION. SUCH EMPLOYEE SHALL ALSO HAVE THE RIGHT TO PAY TO
SUCH SYSTEM, FOR ANY PERIOD OF THE ABSENCE DURING WHICH HE OR SHE SHALL
RECEIVE NO SALARY OR OTHER COMPENSATION AS AN EMPLOYEE OF THE PORT
AUTHORITY, THE AMOUNT THAT HE OR SHE WOULD HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO SUCH
SYSTEM IF HE OR SHE HAD BEEN PRESENT AND CONTINUOUSLY ENGAGED IN THE
PERFORMANCE OF THE DUTIES OF HIS OR HER POSITION DURING SUCH PERIOD.
B. SUCH PAYMENTS, OTHER THAN THOSE DEDUCTED FROM HIS OR HER SALARY OR
OTHER COMPENSATION AS SUCH EMPLOYEE, MAY BE PAID FROM TIME TO TIME AT
ANY TIME WHILE ENGAGED IN SUCH ORDERED MILITARY DUTY OR WITHIN FIVE
YEARS AFTER THE DATE OF TERMINATION OF SUCH ORDERED MILITARY DUTY, OR,
IN THE EVENT OF THE DEATH OF SUCH EMPLOYEE WHILE ENGAGED IN ORDERED
MILITARY DUTY, SUCH PAYMENTS, OR ANY PART THEREOF, MAY BE MADE BY THE
NAMED BENEFICIARY OR THE LEGAL REPRESENTATIVE OF SUCH EMPLOYEE'S ESTATE
WITHIN ONE YEAR FOLLOWING PROOF OF SUCH DEATH.
C. TO THE EXTENT THAT SUCH CONTRIBUTIONS ARE PAID, ABSENCE WHILE
ENGAGED IN THE PERFORMANCE OF MILITARY DUTY SHALL BE COUNTED IN DETER-
MINING THE LENGTH OF TOTAL SERVICE UNDER SUCH PENSION OR RETIREMENT
SYSTEM.
D. ANY EMPLOYEE, WHILE ENGAGED IN THE PERFORMANCE OF ORDERED MILITARY
DUTY, OR HIS OR HER BENEFICIARY, AS THE CASE MAY BE, SHALL BE ENTITLED
TO ALL THE BENEFITS OF THE PENSION OR RETIREMENT SYSTEM OF WHICH HE OR
SHE IS A MEMBER, EXCEPT ACCIDENTAL DISABILITY RETIREMENT AND ACCIDENTAL
DEATH BENEFIT.
§ 2. This act shall take effect upon the enactment into law by the
state of New Jersey of legislation having an identical effect with this
act, but if the state of New Jersey shall have already enacted such
legislation, this act shall take effect immediately; provided that the
state of New Jersey shall notify the legislative bill drafting commis-
sion upon the occurrence of the enactment of the legislation provided
for in section one of this act in order that the commission may maintain
an accurate and timely effective data base of the official text of the
laws of the state of New York in furtherance of effectuating the pro-
visions of section 44 of the legislative law and section 70-b of the
public officers law.