City lawmakers passed Councilman Eric Ulrich’s resolution supporting legislation in Albany that they said would better protect the state’s veterans. Photo courtesy William Alatriste/NYC Council
City legislators last week backed Councilman Eric Ulrich’s (R-Ozone Park) resolution calling on state lawmakers to pass and sign legislation that would allow veterans who served in the military during peacetime to more equitably participate in the state’s retirement systems.
The state legislation, sponsored by state Sen. William Larkin (R-New Larkin) and Assemblywoman Amy Paulin (D-Scarsdale), would allow veterans who rendered peacetime military service to purchase and apply up to a maximum of three years’ credit towards the state’s retirement systems. Current law permits active public employees who served in the military during specific conflicts to purchase credit for their military service. No individuals who served after Feb. 28, 1991 are eligible for buyback – including those who were in Iraq, Afghanistan, Bosnia, and Somalia.
As a result, Ulrich, who is chairman of the Council’s Veterans Committee, said the law in its current form excludes all peacetime veterans.
“This bill acknowledges the value of all veterans who served our country,” Ulrich said. “These brave men and women were ready for action if their country beckoned, and they should be entitled to buy back their military time. Albany should pass this legislation swiftly and give all our veterans the respect they deserve.”
Paulin said that the bill is “about the equal and fair treatment that all veterans deserve.”
“If you are in the armed services, you are called upon to put your life on the line at a moment’s notice,” Paulin continued. “That, above all else, entitles you to certain things. The pension buyback is one such program. To put restrictions on when you can participate in the pension buyback program is not acceptable.”
The state legislation has not only drawn support from the City Council, but from a number of other groups, including the Jewish War Veterans, the Transit Workers Union, the AFL-CIO, the New York State Council of Vietnam War Veterans of America, and the Public Employees Federation.
“The people who serve do so voluntarily, and we need to do everything we can to show our appreciation for their service to this country,” Paulin said. “They are the ones who are called upon to protect us. It is up to us to protect them as well whenever possible.”
By Anna Gustafson
