BILL NUMBER: S9730

SPONSOR: HOYLMAN-SIGAL
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend chapter 1 of the laws of 2023 relating to terms and
conditions of employment of certain nonjudicial officers and employees
of the unified court system and amending chapter 400 of the laws of 2014
relating to terms and conditions of employment of certain nonjudicial
officers and employees of the unified court system, relating to annual
longevity payments for certain employees, in relation to the annual
maintenance allowance received by employees who are required to wear an
employer-approved blazer

 
SOURCE OF BILL:

This bill is being introduced at the request of the Judiciary.

 
PURPOSE OF BILL::

This bill would correct an oversight in the statutory implementation of
recent collective bargaining agreements between the Unified Court System
              

("UCS") and employee organizations representing nonjudicial UCS officers
and employees.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS::

Section 1 of the bill adds a new section 8-b to chapter 1 of the Laws of
2023 to provide that the annual maintenance allowance ("blazer allow-
ance") received by a court employee in the court clerk title series who
is required to wear an employer-approved blazer while performing offi-
cial duties shall not be part of the employee's salary but shall be
pensionable.

Section 2 of the bill sets the bill's effective date retroactively at
April 1, 2021 - which was the effective date of chapter 1 of the Laws of
2023.

 
JUSTIFICATION::

Chapter 1 of the Laws of 2023 implements collective bargaining agree-
ments between the Judiciary and employee organizations representing
nonjudicial UCS officers and employees. These collective bargaining
agreements provide salary increases and other benefits for the period
from April 1, 2021 through March 31, 2026. Among the benefits provided
by these collective bargaining agreements is an annual maintenance
allowance ("blazer allowance") for those court employees in the court
clerk title series in the UCS's classification plan who are required to
wear an employer-approved blazer while performing their official duties.
This allowance, while not treated as an addition to affected employees'
salaries, is to be pensionable. Inadvertently, however, chapter one
failed to provide therefor. This measure would correct this omission.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY::

None. This is a new proposal.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS::

This bill would have no meaningful State fiscal impact.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE::

This bill would take effect immediately and would be deemed to have been
in full force and effect on and after April 1, 2021.