89-T*2 - Alternative retirement benefits for safety officers.

* §  89-t.  Alternative  retirement  benefits  for safety officers. a.  Definitions. For purposes of this section:    1. "Qualifying member" shall mean any member who is in  service  as  a  safety  officer under the jurisdiction of the office of mental health or  the office of mental  retardation  and  developmental  disabilities,  an  institutional  safety  officer, or a special policeman designated by the  director of a state hospital.    2. "Qualifying  creditable  service"  shall  mean  creditable  service  rendered while a member is a qualifying member.    b.  Eligibility. 1. Any qualifying member, as defined in subdivision a  of this section, shall be eligible to retire pursuant to the  provisions  of  this  section.  Such  eligibility  shall  be  an  alternative to the  eligibility provisions available under any other plan of this article to  which such member is subject. The comptroller may request certifications  from  agency  officials,  as  appropriate,  to  identify  such  eligible  members.    2.  Any  such  qualifying member shall be entitled to retire after the  completion of twenty-five years  of  qualifying  creditable  service  by  filing  an  application therefor in a manner similar to that provided in  section seventy of this article; provided, however, no such member shall  be eligible to retire until he or she has a  minimum  of  ten  years  of  qualifying creditable service.    c.  Retirement  allowance.  A  member retiring under the provisions of  this section shall  receive  a  retirement  allowance  consisting  of  a  pension  equal  to  one-fiftieth  of his or her final average salary for  each year of qualifying creditable service.  This  retirement  allowance  shall not exceed fifty percent of such member's final average salary.    d.  Computation  of  service.  In  computing  the twenty-five years of  completed service of a qualifying member for purposes of  this  section,  full  credit shall be given and full allowance shall be made for service  of such member in war after World  War  I,  as  defined  in  subdivision  thirty  of section two of this chapter, provided such member at the time  of his or her entrance into the armed forces was in state service.    e. Nothing herein shall be construed to prevent a member, who does not  retire pursuant to  the  provisions  of  this  section,  from  utilizing  service  which  is creditable service pursuant to the provisions of this  section for the service credit  pursuant  to  any  other  plan  of  this  article to which such member is subject.    f.  The  increased  costs of the benefits provided for in this section  shall be paid from additional contributions made by the employer.    g. The provisions in this section shall be controlling notwithstanding  any other provision in this article to the contrary.    * NB There are 2 § 89-t's