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Senate bill · S4725 (2025-26)

Authorizes Michael Winston Hoard, the widower of Kathy Marie Dwyer-Hoard, to file a new service retirement application and election form with the New York…

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Authorizes Michael Winston Hoard, the widower of Kathy Marie Dwyer-Hoard, to file a new service retirement application and election form with the New York state and local employees' retirement system

The heading above is this same sentence with its legal opening removed. No words were added, changed or reordered.

Latest action Jun 3, 2026

New York State Senate

Same as A5670, the matching bill in the Assembly.

Sponsor

James Skoufis

State Senator, District 42 · Democratic

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Summary

Authorizes Michael Winston Hoard, the widower of Kathy Marie Dwyer-Hoard, to file a new service retirement application and an option election form on behalf of his deceased wife with the New York state and local employees' retirement system.

Summary from NY Open Legislation. How we handle summaries

From NY Open Legislation, the NY Senate and Assembly, and official rosters. This record was last updated Oct 21, 2026. About our data

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Purpose, from the sponsor's memo

To authorize Michael Winston Hoard, the widower of Kathy Marie Dwyer- Hoard, to file a new service retirement application and election form with the New York state and local employees' retirement system

Filed with the bill. Read it on nysenate.gov (opens in a new tab)

Where it stands

Passed one of the two chambers; it still needs the other.

  1. Introduced
  2. In committee
  3. Up for a vote
  4. Passed one chamber
  5. Passed
  6. Enacted

Committee

Civil Service And Pensions · New York State Senate

Also referred to Governmental Employees · New York State Assembly.

The sponsor's argument

Why James Skoufis says this is needed

Currently, members of the State and Local Employees Retirement System who file a retirement application must wait a minimum of 15 days before their retirement becomes active. Unfortunately, this waiting period has led to tragic situations in which members who have submitted their retirement applications pass away before the application becomes effec- tive. In such cases, their families are deprived of the pension benefits they would have been entitled to, instead receiving only the death bene- fit, which is a significantly lower payment. One such heartbreaking case involves Kathy Dwyer-Hoard and her husband, Michael Hoard. Kathy served the State of New York for 38 years. On Octo- ber 18, 2019, while in her hospital room at Orange Regional Medical Center in Middletown, NY, Kathy signed her retirement paperwork in the presence of a notary. The following day, October 19, 2019, her husband mailed the forms to the New York State and Local Retirement System, selecting October 21, 2019, as her retirement date. Tragically, Kathy passed away on October 25, 2019-just eight days before the current law would have allowed her retirement to become effective. Kathy's retirement application was not deemed effective because the required 15-day waiting period had not passed. As a result, her husband, Michael, was only entitled to the death benefit rather than the pension benefits Kathy had earned. This bill seeks to rectify this injustice by allowing Mr. Hoard to receive the full pension benefits he rightfully deserves, providing some relief during this difficult time.

This is the sponsor's own case for the bill, quoted from their memorandum. It is not Agora's description of what the bill does.

Recorded votes

  • Vote: Floor vote

    NY SenateJun 3, 2026Result: passed

    (61) (0) (0) (2)

  • Vote: Floor vote

    NY SenateJun 12, 2025Result: passed

    (59) (0) (0) (4)

  • Vote: Committee vote · Rules

    Senate RulesJun 12, 2025Result: passed

    (20) (0) (0) (1)

  • Vote: Committee vote · Civil Service And Pensions

    Senate Civil Service And PensionsMay 27, 2025Result: passed

    (6) (0) (0) (1)

Full history

  1. Jun 3, 2026

    In committee

    COMMITTEE DISCHARGED AND COMMITTED TO RULES

    NY Senate

  2. Jun 3, 2026

    Sent to the executive

    DELIVERED TO ASSEMBLY

    NY Senate

  3. Jun 3, 2026

    Ordered to Third Reading CAL.1614

    ORDERED TO THIRD READING CAL.1614

    NY Senate

  4. Jun 3, 2026

    Passed a chamber

    PASSED SENATE

    NY Senate

  5. Mar 31, 2026

    Amend and Recommit to Governmental Employees

    AMEND AND RECOMMIT TO GOVERNMENTAL EMPLOYEES

    NY Assembly

Show full history (12 earlier events)
  1. Feb 11, 2026

    Amend and Recommit to Civil Service and Pensions

    AMEND AND RECOMMIT TO CIVIL SERVICE AND PENSIONS

    NY Senate

  2. Jan 7, 2026

    Died in Assembly

    DIED IN ASSEMBLY

    NY Assembly

  3. Jan 7, 2026

    Referred to committee

    REFERRED TO CIVIL SERVICE AND PENSIONS

    NY Senate

  4. Jan 7, 2026

    Referred to committee

    REFERRED TO GOVERNMENTAL EMPLOYEES

    NY Assembly

  5. Jun 12, 2025

    In committee

    COMMITTEE DISCHARGED AND COMMITTED TO RULES

    NY Senate

  6. Jun 12, 2025

    Sent to the executive

    DELIVERED TO ASSEMBLY

    NY Senate

  7. Jun 12, 2025

    Ordered to Third Reading CAL.1877

    ORDERED TO THIRD READING CAL.1877

    NY Senate

  8. Jun 12, 2025

    Passed a chamber

    PASSED SENATE

    NY Senate

  9. Jun 12, 2025

    Referred to committee

    REFERRED TO GOVERNMENTAL EMPLOYEES

    NY Assembly

  10. May 27, 2025

    Reported out of committee

    REPORTED AND COMMITTED TO FINANCE

    NY Senate

  11. Feb 19, 2025

    Referred to committee

    REFERRED TO GOVERNMENTAL EMPLOYEES

    NY Assembly

  12. Feb 12, 2025

    Referred to committee

    REFERRED TO CIVIL SERVICE AND PENSIONS

    NY Senate