Legislative Agenda

Statement of Principles

  • Oppose any reduction in or elimination of retiree health benefits for those who have already retired.
  • Oppose any action to transfer retirees from a traditional Medicare plan to a Medicare Advantage plan without the consent of the retiree.

New York State Issues

2026 Legislative Session

Click here to view RPEA’s State Legislative Priorities One-Pager

Top Priorities:

  • IRMAA Reimbursement, RPEA opposes the proposal to eliminate IRMAA reimbursement for NYSHIP retirees. This change unfairly shifts federally imposed Medicare costs onto retirees, increasing long-term health care
    expenses starting in 2026.
  • Increase the pension Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA): RPEA’s bill contains a “catch up” provision to authorize the actual COLA for the past 23 years, and increases the pension earnings threshold from $18,000 to $21,000.
  • Ensure Equal Coverage for Care in Skilled Nursing Facilities: Ensure that NYSHIP Empire Plan Medicare-primary retirees receive benefits equal to those non-Medicare-primary retirees receive for care in skilled nursing facilities. Senator Patricia Fahy has introduced RPEA’s Skilled Nursing Facilities Bill (S.4724 Fahy/A.6091 McDonald).
  • Support increasing the earnings cap for retired public servants: RPEA supports legislation (S.6956 Ryan) that would increase the earnings limitation for retired public officials employed in public service positions. This bill would raise the current cap from $35,000 to $50,000 under Section 212 of the Retirement and Social Security Law. Municipalities across the state have reported difficulty recruiting and retaining experienced public officials due to the existing earnings limit. These individuals bring critical expertise and institutional knowledge to the job, often serving as mentors to the next generation of public servants.
  • Support the State Comptroller as sole trustee of the Pension Fund, and oppose legislation that would diminish that role.

Other items of Interest:

  • Ensure that all NYSHIP Medicare charges (including Part D IRMAA) are reimbursed.
  • Provide that legislation implementing collective bargaining agreements apply only to the bargaining unit. This would prevent what happened in 2011, when a section of the bill implementing the CSEA contract contained a provision authorizing the Commissioner of Civil Service to administratively increase NYSHIP contribution rates for retirees.
  • Oppose the New York Health Act as written, due to its uncertainty regarding existing retiree benefits, especially for those out of state: A1466 (Paulin).
  • Permit retired members to authorize a deduction from retirement benefits for membership dues in the Retired Public Employees Association, Inc.
  • Provide certain employees designated managerial or confidential to receive a rebate payment for salary increases that were authorized, yet ultimately withheld by New York State.

RPEA Testimony MAde at and to Prior Legislative Hearings

Joint Legislative Fiscal Committee Hearing on Workforce Development on February 26, 2025: Click Here to Read the Testimony.

Joint Legislative Fiscal Committee Hearing on Workforce Development on January 30, 2024: Click Here to Read Testimony.

Senate Standing Committee on Civil Service and Pensions on October 11, 2023: Click Here to Read Testimony.

Joint Legislative Fiscal Committee Hearing on Workforce Development on March 1, 2023: Click Here to Read Testimony.

Joint Legislative Fiscal Committee on January 31, 2022: Click Here to Read Testimony.

Joint Legislative Fiscal Committees on February 2, 2021: Click Here to Watch Testimony.

Joint Legislative Fiscal Committees on February 5, 2020: Click Here to Watch Testimony.

Senate Finance Committee: Divesting the State Pension Fund from Fossil Fuels: April 30, 2019: Click Here to Read Testimony.

New York State Senate and Assembly on the New York Health Act: May 28, 2019: Click Here to Read Testimony.

Federal Issues

  • Oppose any reductions in Medicare and Social Security.
  • Support measures designed to ensure the long-term financial security of the Social Security program and oppose those that are detrimental to the continuation of Social Security.
  • Support federal legislation that would change the measure of inflation currently used to calculate the Social Security COLA from the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners (CPI) and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) to the Consumer Price Index for the Elderly (CPI-E), which more accurately reflects costs borne by seniors, such as medical care.

Support Right to Medicare Act: RPEA supports this federal legislation introduced in the House by Representatives Torres and Malliotakis (H.R. 5518). This bill would prohibit employers, both public and private, from involuntarily forcing seniors to shift away from traditional Medicare to Medicare Advantage Plans without an affirmative opt-in on the part of the senior. The bill is a direct response to the efforts by New York City to move its retirees into a health plan provided by a private company.

RPEA has contacted the other members of the New York Congressional delegation to support the bill, and also requested that Senators Schumer and Gillibrand introduce the bill in the Senate. Click here to see RPEA’s letters to New York’s representatives.

 

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