Malliotakis, Abbate push bill to help veterans boost pensions

April 27, 2015 By Paula Katinas Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Assemblymembers Nicole Malliotakis and Peter Abbate review the proposed legislation for military veterans following a recent meeting of the Committee on Government Employees. Photo courtesy Malliotakis’s office

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Military veterans who worked for New York State will be able to get higher state pensions if a bill supported by the Assembly Committee on Government Employees is signed into law by Governor Andrew Cuomo.

But that’s a big if, supporters of the legislation admitted. Cuomo vetoed a similar bill last year.

The bill, called the Veterans Equality Act, would allow public employees who are veterans of the U.S. military to buy back state service credit toward their pensions. Public employees would be eligible if they had at least five years of service as state employees and were honorably discharged from the military. The legislation would cover veterans of all wars as well as veterans who served in the military but did it serve in war zones.

“It’s something we really should do for our veterans. It’s only fair,” Assemblymember Peter Abbate told the Brooklyn Eagle. Abbate (D-Bensonhurst-Sunset Park) is the chairman of the Committee on Government Employees.

Under current state law, many veterans who were state employees often lose out because if they served in the military during their state employment, their time in the military does not count toward their state pensions in many cases, Abbate said. In the past, the State Legislature has approved laws to rectify the pension status for veterans of certain military conflicts like World War II.

In addition to Abbate, several other Brooklyn assembly members have expressed strong support for the bill, including Assemblymember Nicole Malliotakis (R-C-Bay Ridge-Staten Island), the committee’s ranking member. Malliotakis is co-sponsoring of the bill with Abbate.

Despite the governor’s 2014 veto, the Veterans Equality Act has been reintroduced with the support of 103 assembly members from both sides of the aisle, Abbate and Malliotakis said.

“Our veterans have made tremendous sacrifices on behalf of New Yorkers and all Americans, and the least we can do is ensure they receive the benefits they deserve,” Malliotakis said. “It is absurd that our state does not provide equal benefits to all honorably-discharged veterans, regardless of where and when they served. All our veterans should be treated equally because they were all willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for our nation.”

The Albany Times Union reported that Cuomo vetoed the bill three days before last year’s election.

Abbate said he hopes Cuomo will sign the legislation this time around.

“Once again, the assembly has shown its concern for veterans by passing the Veterans Equality Act. It is our hope the governor will reconsider his opposition to this important piece of legislation for those who served,” he said.