N.Y. General Municipal Law § 219-f: Contributions and benefits

§ 219-f. Contributions and benefits. 1. The sponsor of a service award

program shall contribute to the program a fixed amount of money, as

determined by the sponsor, on behalf of each participant who is credited

with a year of ambulance service. The minimum contribution shall be one

hundred twenty dollars per year of ambulance service. The maximum

contribution shall be twelve hundred dollars per year of ambulance

service.

2. A service award program may provide for contributions for ambulance

service rendered by a participant during one or more of the five

calendar years immediately preceding the year in which the program is

adopted, but only to the extent authorized pursuant to section two

hundred nineteen-d of this article. In order to determine eligibility

for such contributions, each ambulance company shall review its prior

membership rosters and service records to determine the number of years

for which each participant is entitled to a contribution. In making such

determination, the point system established pursuant to subdivision

three of section two hundred nineteen-e of this article shall be used.

The president, secretary and chief or comparable officers of the

ambulance company shall submit to the governing board of the sponsor a

certified list of participants who are entitled to such contributions

and the number of years for which each participant is entitled to a

contribution, and such membership and service records as the governing

board may require. The list shall be submitted to and approved by the

governing board, and posted by the ambulance company, at the same time

and in the same manner as provided in subdivisions nine through eleven

of section two hundred nineteen-e of this article, and each person named

on the list approved by the governing board shall be entitled to the

number of contributions indicated thereon. A person whose name does not

appear on the list as submitted to or approved by the governing board

shall have the administrative and judicial remedies set forth in

subdivision eleven of section two hundred nineteen-e of this article.

3. The maximum number of years for which a participant may receive a

contribution shall be forty years. The governing board of a political

subdivision may extend the maximum number of years of service for which

a participant may receive a contribution for up to an additional ten

years, to a maximum of fifty years, and such increases in the number of

years may be added in multiple increments or in a single action,

pursuant to the adoption of the required resolution or resolutions of

the governing board, receiving the affirmative vote of at least sixty

percent of the governing board of the political subdivision, and the

approval of any mandatory referendum or referenda authorizing the

extension of benefits under the program by eligible voters within such

political subdivision.

4. A service award shall be the amount resulting from the

contributions made by the sponsor on behalf of a participant less

necessary administrative costs and shall include interest and/or other

earnings resulting from investment of the contributions, determined as

of the valuation date or dates provided for in the program. Service

awards shall be paid in the form of a lump sum, a life annuity with or

without survivor benefits, a period certain annuity, or any other form

provided under the program, provided, that all forms of payment shall be

actuarially equivalent to each other. The program may limit the forms of

payment or impose conditions concerning the availability of a form of

payment.

5. Except as otherwise provided in this section, a participant shall

be entitled to apply for and receive a service award only when the

participant has acquired a nonforfeitable right to a service award and

has reached entitlement age.

6. In the event that a participant becomes totally and permanently

disabled, as certified by the workers' compensation board or other

competent authority approved by the administrator, and the disability

prevents the participant from pursuing his or her normal occupation, the

participant shall be entitled to apply for and receive a service award,

regardless of whether the participant has reached entitlement age or has

acquired a nonforfeitable right to a service award.

7. In the event of the death of a participant who has acquired a

nonforfeitable right to a service award and who has not previously

received all or a portion of a service award, the beneficiaries

designated by the participant or, if no beneficiaries have been so

designated, the participant's estate, shall be entitled to apply for and

receive the participant's service award, regardless of whether the

participant reached entitlement age before death.

8. A service award shall be paid only after an application is made to

the program administrator and the administrator approves the

application. In the event that a participant dies after receiving a

portion of a service award, the remaining portion, if any, shall be paid

in accordance with the terms and conditions of the form of payment

selected by the participant prior to death.

9. No service award may be assigned or alienated except to provide for

the legally obligated support of minor children or a spouse.

10. Payment of a service award shall not impair any rights of

volunteer ambulance workers under the volunteer ambulance workers'

benefit law or any other law.