NY State Senate Bill 2025-S6598

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Civil Service And Pensions Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Mar 18, 2025	referred to civil service and pensions

2025-S6598 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A7721
Current Committee:: Senate Civil Service And Pensions
Law Section:: Civil Service Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §134, Civ Serv L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2021-2022: S8912, A9835
2023-2024: S5460, A3754

2025-S6598 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Relates to authorizing geographic pay differentials for certain police officers; authorizes a pay differential for regional state park police, forest ranger, environmental conservation officer, and university police officer titles when wage rates of police officers in a given location are substantially higher than the wage rates paid by the state.

2025-S6598 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S6598

SPONSOR: JACKSON
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the civil service law, in relation to authorizing
geographic pay differentials for certain police officers

 
PURPOSE:

This legislation would provide the authorization for a geographic pay
adjustment for forest rangers, park police, environmental conservation
officers and university (SUNY) police officers.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 adds a new subdivision 8 to Section 134 of the Civil Service
Law that authorizes the Commissioner of Parks, Recreation and Historic
Preservation, the Commissioner of Environmental Conservation and the
Chancellor of the State University of New York - with the approval of
the Director of the Budget, to provide geographic pay for forest
rangers, park police, environmental conservation officers and university

(SUNY) police officers.

Section 2 is the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Forest rangers, park police, environmental conservation officers and
university (SUNY) police officers work and reside in some areas of New
York State where the cost of living index far exceeds that of their
colleagues who work and reside in other areas of the state.  Notwith-
standing this fact, the compensation structure for these public employ-
ees does not provide geographic pay. This legislation would remedy this
shortcoming by authorizing the Commissioner of Parks, Recreation and
Historic Preservation, the Commissioner of Environmental Conservation
and the Chancellor of the State University of New York - with the
approval of the Director of the Budget, to provide a geographic pay
adjustment for these employees who work and live in high-cost areas of
the state.

The lack of a geographic pay adjustment benefit for these employees has
created significant attrition, diversity, and recruitment problems with-
in each of these state agencies. Statistics show that every year, dozens
of highly trained (at state expense) diverse employees working in these
state agencies are lured away from state service by local municipal law
enforcement agencies. These state employees are offered superior sala-
ries, better benefits and retirement packages that reflect the cost of
living by local law enforcement agencies. When state employees leave
these state agencies to take a job in local law enforcement, there are
negative consequences to the state. For example, the state not only
loses a highly trained, qualified officer - requiring the state to train
a new officer at significant taxpayer expense, it also loses individuals
who have valuable experience.

If enacted, this legislation would help to achieve our state's goal of
having more diversity in our state's police agencies. Moreover, the
state has addressed similar cost of living disparities in state nursing
titles and the Division of State Police. It is also important to note
that this legislation does not mandate these employers provide geograph-
ic pay; rather, it only provides the authorization to make this adjust-
ment to their pay structures.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2023-2024: S.5460 - Referred to Civil Service and Pensions/A. 3754
Referred to Governmental Employees

2021-2022: S.8912 - Reported and Committed to Finance/A.9835 Referred to
Governmental Employees

 
STATE AND LOCAL FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

To be determined.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

2025-S6598 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   6598
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              March 18, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. JACKSON -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Civil Service and Pensions
 
 AN ACT to amend the  civil  service  law,  in  relation  to  authorizing
   geographic pay differentials for certain police officers
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Section 134 of the civil service law is amended by adding a
 new subdivision 8 to read as follows:
   8.  NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER PROVISION OF LAW TO THE CONTRARY,  WHEN-
 EVER  THE  COMMISSIONER  OF PARKS, RECREATION AND HISTORIC PRESERVATION,
 COMMISSIONER OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION OR CHANCELLOR  OF  THE  STATE
 UNIVERSITY  OF  NEW  YORK  FINDS  THAT UNDER COMMUNITY WAGE PRACTICES OF
 POLICE OFFICERS IN PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT IN ONE OR MORE AREAS  OR  LOCATIONS
 IN  THE  STATE,  WAGE  RATES  OF POLICE OFFICERS IN A GIVEN LOCATION ARE
 SUBSTANTIALLY HIGHER THAN THE WAGE RATES PAID BY THE STATE, SUCH COMMIS-
 SIONER MAY, SUBJECT TO THE APPROVAL  OF  THE  DIRECTOR  OF  THE  BUDGET,
 AUTHORIZE  A PAY DIFFERENTIAL TO BE ADDED AS AN ADJUSTMENT TO THE ESTAB-
 LISHED SALARY RATES FOR THE SAME OR RELATED OCCUPATIONS IN THE  REGIONAL
 STATE  PARK  POLICE,  FOREST RANGER, ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION OFFICER,
 AND UNIVERSITY POLICE OFFICER TITLES WHERE SUCH INDIVIDUALS ARE REQUIRED
 TO WORK IN SUCH AREAS OR  LOCATIONS  WHICH  ARE  UNDER  EACH  RESPECTIVE
 COMMISSIONER  AND  CHANCELLOR. A PAY DIFFERENTIAL UNDER THIS SUBDIVISION
 SHALL BE A PERCENTAGE OR A FIXED DOLLAR AMOUNT  AS  PRESCRIBED  IN  EACH
 CASE  BY  THE  RESPECTIVE  COMMISSIONER  OR  CHANCELLOR  SUBJECT  TO THE
 APPROVAL OF THE DIRECTOR OF THE BUDGET. SUCH DIFFERENTIALS SHALL  BE  IN
 ADDITION TO AND SHALL NOT BE PART OF SUCH OFFICER'S BASIC ANNUAL SALARY,
 AND  SHALL  NOT  AFFECT  OR IMPAIR ANY PERFORMANCE ADVANCEMENT PAYMENTS,
 PERFORMANCE AWARDS, LONGEVITY PAYMENTS, OR OTHER RIGHTS OR  BENEFITS  TO
 WHICH SUCH OFFICER MAY BE ENTITLED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF THIS CHAPTER,
 PROVIDED, HOWEVER, THAT ANY DIFFERENTIAL PAYABLE PURSUANT TO THIS SUBDI-
 VISION  SHALL  BE  INCLUDED  AS COMPENSATION FOR OVERTIME AND RETIREMENT
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD11121-01-5

 S. 6598                             2
 
 PURPOSES. A PAY DIFFERENTIAL SHALL BE TERMINATED FOR  ANY  OFFICER  WHEN
 SUCH OFFICER CEASES TO BE EMPLOYED IN THE POSITION, OR AREA, OR LOCATION
 FOR WHICH SUCH PAY DIFFERENTIAL WAS AUTHORIZED. A PAY DIFFERENTIAL SHALL
 REMAIN  IN  EFFECT  UNTIL  TERMINATED BY THE COMMISSIONER OR CHANCELLOR,
 WITH THE CONSENT OF THE DIRECTOR OF THE  BUDGET,  OR  UNTIL  A  NEW  PAY
 DIFFERENTIAL IS AUTHORIZED PURSUANT TO THIS SUBDIVISION. THE DIRECTOR OF
 THE  BUDGET  MAY  ADOPT  SUCH  REGULATIONS AS THEY MAY DEEM NECESSARY TO
 CARRY OUT THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SUBDIVISION.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

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Senate Bill S6598

Sponsored By

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Civil Service And Pensions Committee

2025-S6598 (ACTIVE) - Details

2025-S6598 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2025-S6598 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S6598 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments

Senate Bill S6598

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Sponsored By

Robert Jackson

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Civil Service And Pensions Committee

2025-S6598 (ACTIVE) - Details

2025-S6598 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2025-S6598 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S6598 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments