604-G - Twenty-five year/age fifty retirement program for automotive members.

§  604-g. Twenty-five year/age fifty retirement program for automotive  members. a. Definitions. The following words and phrases as used in this  section shall have the following meanings unless a different meaning  is  plainly required by the context.    1.  "Automotive  member"  shall mean a member of the retirement system  employed by the mayoral and non-mayoral agencies of the city of New York  as a senior automotive service worker, an automotive service worker,  an  auto  body  worker,  an auto mechanic, a marine maintenance mechanic, an  oil burner specialist, a supervisor of mechanics (mechanical equipment),  senior stationary engineer, stationary engineer, auto mechanic (diesel),  auto electrician, auto machinist, machinist or machinist helper.    2. "Twenty-five year/age fifty retirement program" shall mean all  the  terms and conditions of this section.    3.  "Starting  date  of  the  twenty-five  year/age  fifty  retirement  program"  shall  mean,  with  respect  to   supervisors   of   mechanics  (mechanical  equipment), the effective date of this section as such date  is certified pursuant to section forty-one of the legislative  law,  and  shall  mean December twelfth, two thousand one with respect to all other  automotive members.    4. "Participant in the twenty-five year/age fifty retirement  program"  shall mean any automotive member who, under the applicable provisions of  subdivision  b  of this section, is entitled to the rights, benefits and  privileges and is subject to the obligations of the twenty-five year/age  fifty retirement program, as applicable to him or her.    5. "Discontinued member" shall mean a participant in  the  twenty-five  year/age fifty retirement program who, while he or she was an automotive  member,  discontinued  service  as  such  a  member and has a right to a  deferred vested benefit under subdivision d of this section.    6. "Administrative code" shall mean the  administrative  code  of  the  city of New York.    b.  Participation in twenty-five year/age fifty retirement program. 1.  Subject  to  the  provisions  of  paragraphs  six  and  seven  of   this  subdivision, any person who is an automotive member on the starting date  of the twenty-five year/age fifty retirement program and who, as such an  automotive member or otherwise, last became subject to the provisions of  this  article  prior  to  such  starting  date,  may  elect  to become a  participant in the twenty-five  year/age  fifty  retirement  program  by  filing,  within  two hundred seventy days after the starting date of the  twenty-five  year/age  fifty  retirement  program,   a   duly   executed  application  for  such participation with the retirement system of which  such person is a member, provided he or she is such an automotive member  on the date such application is filed.    2. Subject to the provisions of  paragraphs  six  and  seven  of  this  subdivision,  any  person  who  becomes  an  automotive member after the  starting date of the twenty-five year/age fifty retirement  program  and  who,  as  such an automotive member or otherwise, last became subject to  the provisions of this article prior to such starting date, may elect to  become a  participant  in  the  twenty-five  year/age  fifty  retirement  program by filing within two hundred seventy days after becoming such an  automotive  member,  a  duly executed application for such participation  with the retirement system for which such person is a member provided he  or she is such an automotive member on  the  date  such  application  is  filed.    3.  Any election to be a participant in the twenty-five year/age fifty  retirement program shall be irrevocable.    4. Each automotive member who becomes subject  to  the  provisions  of  this  article  on or after the starting date of the twenty-five year/age  fifty retirement program shall become a participant in  the  twenty-fiveyear/age  fifty retirement program on the date he or she becomes such an  automotive member.    5.  Where any participant in the twenty-five year/age fifty retirement  program shall cease to be employed  by  the  city  of  New  York  as  an  automotive  member,  he  or she shall cease to be such a participant and  during any period in which such person is not so  employed,  he  or  she  shall  not be a participant in the twenty-five year/age fifty retirement  program and shall not be eligible for the benefits of subdivision  c  of  this section.    6.  Where any participant in the twenty-five year/age fifty retirement  program terminates service as an automotive member and returns  to  such  service  as  an  automotive member at a later date he or she shall again  become such a participant on that date.    7. Notwithstanding any other provision of law  to  the  contrary,  any  person  who  is  eligible  to  elect  to  become  a  participant  in the  twenty-five year/age fifty retirement program pursuant to paragraph  one  or  two  of this subdivision for the full two hundred seventy day period  provided for in such applicable paragraph and who fails to timely file a  duly executed application for such  participation  with  the  retirement  system, shall not thereafter be eligible to become a participant in such  program.    c.  Service  retirement  benefits. 1. A participant in the twenty-five  year/age fifty retirement program:    (i) who has attained age fifty; and    (ii) who has completed twenty-five or more years of credited  service;  and    (iii)  who  has  paid  before  the  effective  date of retirement, all  additional member  contributions  and  interest  (if  any)  required  by  subdivision e of this section; and    (iv)  who  files  with  the  retirement system of which he or she is a  member an application for service retirement setting forth at what time,  not less than  thirty  days  subsequent  to  the  execution  and  filing  thereof, he or she desires to be retired; and    (v)  who  shall  be  a  participant  in the twenty-five year/age fifty  retirement program at the time so specified for his or  her  retirement;  shall  be  retired  pursuant to the provisions of this section affording  early service retirement.    2. (i) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, and  subject to the provisions of paragraph six  of  subdivision  e  of  this  section,  the  early  service retirement benefit for participants in the  twenty-five year/age fifty retirement program  who  retire  pursuant  to  paragraph  one  of  this  subdivision  shall  be  a retirement allowance  consisting of:    (A) an amount on account of the required  minimum  period  of  service  equal to fifty percent of his or her final average salary; plus    (B)  an amount on account of each additional year of credited service,  or fraction thereof, beyond such  required  minimum  period  of  service  equal to two percent of his or her final salary;    (ii)  the  maximum  retirement  allowance  computed  without  optional  modification payable pursuant to  subparagraph  (i)  of  this  paragraph  shall equal that payable upon completion of thirty years of service.    d.  Vesting.  1.  A  participant  in  the  twenty-five  year/age fifty  retirement program:    (i) who discontinues service as such  a  participant,  other  than  by  death or retirement; and    (ii)  who  prior  to such discontinuance, completed five but less than  twenty-five years of credited service; and(iii) who, subject to the provisions of paragraph seven of subdivision  e  of  this  section,  has  paid,  prior  to  such  discontinuance,  all  additional  member  contributions  and  interest  (if  any)  required by  subdivision e of this section; and    (iv)  who does not withdraw in whole or in part his or her accumulated  member contributions pursuant to section six hundred  thirteen  of  this  article unless such participant thereafter returns to public service and  repays  the  amounts  so  withdrawn, together with interest, pursuant to  such section six hundred  thirteen;  shall  be  entitled  to  receive  a  deferred vested benefit as provided in this subdivision.    2. (i) Upon such discontinuance under the conditions and in compliance  with  the provisions of paragraph one of this subdivision, such deferred  vested benefit shall vest automatically.    (ii) Such vested benefit shall become payable on the earliest date  on  which  such  discontinued  member could have retired for service if such  discontinuance had not occurred.    3. Subject to the provisions of paragraph seven of  subdivision  e  of  this  section,  such  deferred  vested  benefit  shall  be  a retirement  allowance  consisting  of  an  amount  equal  to  two  percent  of  such  discontinued  member's final average salary, multiplied by the number of  years of credited service.    e. Additional member contributions.  1.  In  addition  to  the  member  contributions  required by section six hundred thirteen of this article,  each participant in the twenty-five year/age  fifty  retirement  program  shall contribute to the retirement system of which he or she is a member  (subject  to  the  applicable provisions of subdivision d of section six  hundred thirteen of this article) an additional  four  and  eighty-three  one-hundredths  percent  of  his or her compensation earned from (i) all  credited service, as a participant in  the  twenty-five  year/age  fifty  retirement  program,  rendered on or after the date which is one hundred  eighty days prior to the starting date of the twenty-five year/age fifty  retirement program, and (ii) all  credited  service  after  such  person  ceases  to  be  a  participant  but  before  he  or  she again becomes a  participant pursuant to paragraph six of subdivision b of this  section.  The  additional  contributions  required by this subdivision shall be in  lieu of additional member contributions required  by  subdivision  d  of  section  six  hundred  four-c  of  this  article,  as  added  by chapter  ninety-six of the laws of nineteen hundred ninety-five,  and  no  member  making  additional  contributions  pursuant  to  this  section  shall be  required to make contributions pursuant to such subdivision d of section  six hundred four-c of this article.    2. A participant in the twenty-five year/age fifty retirement  program  shall  contribute additional member contributions until the later of (i)  the first anniversary of the starting date of the  twenty-five  year/age  fifty  retirement program, or (ii) the date on which he or she completes  thirty years of credited service as an automotive member.    3. Commencing with the first full payroll  period  after  each  person  becomes  a  participant  in  the  twenty-five  year/age fifty retirement  program, additional  member  contributions  at  the  rate  specified  in  paragraph  one  of  this  subdivision  shall be deducted (subject to the  applicable provisions of subdivision d of section six  hundred  thirteen  of  this  article) from the compensation of such participant on each and  every payroll of such participant for each and every payroll period  for  which he or she is such a participant.    4.  (i)  Each participant in the twenty-five year/age fifty retirement  program shall he charged with a contribution  deficiency  consisting  of  the  total  amounts  of  additional  member contributions such person is  required to make pursuant to paragraphs one and two of this  subdivisionwhich  are  not  deducted  from  his  or  her  compensation  pursuant to  paragraph three of this subdivision,  if  any,  together  with  interest  thereon,  compounded  annually,  and  computed  in  accordance  with the  provisions of subparagraphs (ii) and (iii) of this paragraph.    (ii)(A) The interest required to be paid on each such amount specified  in  subparagraph  (i) of this paragraph shall accrue from the end of the  payroll period for which such  amount  would  have  been  deducted  from  compensation  if  he  or  she had been a participant at the beginning of  that payroll period and  such  deduction  had  been  required  for  such  payroll period, until such amount is paid to the retirement system.    (B)  The rate of interest to be applied to each such amount during the  period for which interest accrues on that amount shall be equal  to  the  rate  or  rates  of interest required by law to be used during that same  period to credit interest on the accumulated  deductions  of  retirement  system members.    (iii)   Except  as  otherwise  provided  in  paragraph  five  of  this  subdivision, no interest shall be due on any  unpaid  additional  member  contributions  which are not attributable to a period prior to the first  full payroll period referred to in paragraph three of this subdivision.    5. (i) Should  any  person  who,  pursuant  to  subparagraph  (ii)  of  paragraph  ten  of  of this subdivision, has received a refund of his or  her additional member contributions including any interest paid on  such  contributions,  again  become  a participant in the twenty-five year/age  fifty retirement program pursuant to paragraph six of subdivision  b  of  this   section,   an  appropriate  amount  shall  be  included  in  such  participant's contribution deficiency  (including  interest  thereon  as  calculated  pursuant  to  subparagraph  (ii)  of this paragraph) for any  credited service for  which  such  person  received  a  refund  of  such  additional  member contributions (including any amount of an unpaid loan  balance deemed  to  have  been  returned  to  such  person  pursuant  to  paragraph  twelve  of  this  subdivision),  as if such additional member  contributions never had been paid.    (ii) (A) Interest on a participant's additional  member  contributions  included  in  such  participant's  contribution  deficiency  pursuant to  subparagraph (i) of this  paragraph  shall  be  calculated  as  if  such  additional member contributions had never been paid by such participant,  and  such  interest  shall  accrue from the end of the payroll period to  which an amount of such additional member contributions is attributable,  until such amount is paid to the retirement system.    (B) The rate of interest to be applied to each such amount during  the  period  for  which interest accrues on that amount shall be five percent  per annum compounded annually.    6.  Where  a  participant  who  is  otherwise  eligible  for   service  retirement  pursuant  to subdivision c of this section did not, prior to  the  effective  date  of  retirement,  pay  the  entire  amount   of   a  contribution  deficiency chargeable to him or her pursuant to paragraphs  four and five of this subdivision, or repay the entire amount of a  loan  of  his  or  her  additional  member contributions pursuant to paragraph  eleven of this subdivision (including accrued interest  on  such  loan),  that  participant  nevertheless, shall be eligible to retire pursuant to  subdivision c of this section, provided however, that such participant's  service retirement benefit calculated pursuant to paragraph two of  such  subdivision  c  shall  be  reduced  by  a  life  annuity  (calculated in  accordance with the method set forth in subdivision  i  of  section  six  hundred thirteen-b of this article) which is actuarially equivalent to:    (i)  the  amount  of  any unpaid contribution deficiency chargeable to  such member pursuant to paragraphs four and five  of  this  subdivision;  plus(ii)  the  amount  of  any  unpaid  balance  of  a  loan of his or her  additional member contributions pursuant to  paragraph  eleven  of  this  subdivision (including accrued interest on such loan).    7. Where a participant who is otherwise eligible for a vested right to  a  deferred  benefit  pursuant to subdivision d of this section did not,  prior to the date of discontinuance of service, pay the entire amount of  a  contribution  deficiency  chargeable  to  him  or  her  pursuant   to  paragraphs  four and five of this subdivision or repay the entire amount  of a loan of his or her  additional  member  contributions  pursuant  to  paragraph eleven of this subdivision (including accrued interest on such  loan),  that  participant,  nevertheless, shall be eligible for a vested  right to a deferred benefit pursuant to subdivision d of  this  section,  provided,  however, that the deferred vested benefit calculated pursuant  to paragraph three of such subdivision d shall  be  reduced  by  a  life  annuity   (calculated  in  accordance  with  the  method  set  forth  in  subdivision i of section six hundred thirteen-b of this  article)  which  is actuarially equivalent to:    (i)  the  amount  of  any unpaid contribution deficiency chargeable to  such member pursuant to paragraphs four and five  of  this  subdivision;  plus    (ii)  the  amount  of  any  unpaid  balance  of  a  loan of his or her  additional member contributions pursuant to  paragraph  eleven  of  this  subdivision (including accrued interest on such loan).    8.  The head of a retirement system which includes participants in the  twenty-five year/age fifty retirement program  in  its  membership  may,  consistent   with   the   provisions  of  this  subdivision,  promulgate  regulations for the payment of such additional member contributions, and  any interest thereon, by such participants (including the  deduction  of  such  contributions,  and  any  interest thereon, from the participant's  compensation).    9. Subject to the provisions of  paragraphs  six  and  seven  of  this  subdivision,  where  a participant has not paid in full any contribution  deficiency chargeable to him or her pursuant to paragraphs four and five  of this subdivision, and a  benefit,  other  than  a  refund  of  member  contributions  pursuant  to section six hundred thirteen of this article  or a refund of additional member contributions pursuant to  subparagraph  (ii)  of  paragraph  ten of this subdivision, becomes payable under this  article to the participant or to his or her  designated  beneficiary  or  estate,  the  actuarial  equivalent  of  any such unpaid amount shall be  deducted from the benefit otherwise payable.    10.  (i)  Such  additional  member  contributions  (and  any  interest  thereon)  shall  be  paid  into  the  contingent  reserve  fund  of  the  retirement system of which the participant is a member and shall not for  any  purpose  be  deemed  to  be  member  contributions  or  accumulated  contributions  of  a  member  under section six hundred thirteen of this  article or otherwise while he or she is a participant in the twenty-five  year/age fifty retirement program or otherwise.    (ii) Should a participant in the twenty-five year/age fifty retirement  program who has rendered less than five years of credited service  cease  to  hold  a  position as an automotive member for any reason whatsoever,  his or her accumulated additional member contributions made pursuant  to  this  subdivision  (together  with  any  interest  thereon  paid  to the  retirement system) may be withdrawn by him or her pursuant to procedures  promulgated in regulations of the board of trustees  of  the  retirement  system,  together  with interest thereon at the rate of five percent per  annum compounded annually.    (iii) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary,  (A)  no  person shall be permitted to withdraw from the retirement system anyadditional member contributions paid pursuant to this subdivision or any  interest paid thereon, except pursuant to and  in  accordance  with  the  preceding  subparagraphs  of this paragraph; and (B) no person, while he  or  she  is  a  participant in the twenty-five year/age fifty retirement  program, shall be permitted  to  withdraw  any  such  additional  member  contributions  or  any  interest  paid  thereon  pursuant  to any of the  preceding subparagraphs of this paragraph or otherwise.    11. A participant in the twenty-five year/age fifty retirement program  shall  be  permitted  to  borrow  from  his  or  her  additional  member  contributions  (including  any interest paid thereon) which are credited  to the additional contributions account established for such participant  in the contingent reserve fund of the retirement system.  The  borrowing  from  such  additional  member  contributions pursuant to this paragraph  shall be governed by the rights, privileges, obligations and  procedures  set forth in section six hundred thirteen-b of this article which govern  the  borrowing  of  member  contributions  made  pursuant to section six  hundred  thirteen  of  this  article.  The  board  of  trustees  of  the  retirement   system   may,   consistent  with  the  provisions  of  this  subdivision and the provisions of section six hundred thirteen-b of this  article as made applicable to this subdivision,  promulgate  regulations  governing the borrowing of such additional member contributions.    12.  Whenever  a  person has an unpaid balance of a loan of his or her  additional member contributions pursuant to  paragraph  eleven  of  this  subdivision at the time he or she becomes entitled to a refund of his or  her  additional  member  contributions  pursuant to subparagraph (ii) of  paragraph ten of this  subdivision,  the  amount  of  such  unpaid  loan  balance  (including  accrued  interest)  shall  be  deemed  to have been  returned to such member, and the refund of such additional contributions  shall be the net amount of such contributions,  together  with  interest  thereon in accordance with the provisions of such subparagraph (ii).