Relates to disability retirement benefits to Stacie Stueber on behalf of her deceased husband, deputy sheriff Richard Stueber…

• Democratic1

◆ The sponsor's argument

Why Monica Martinez says this is needed

Suffolk County Sheriff's Officer Richard Stueber answered the call to serve his state and nation as part of the World Trade Center rescue, recovery and cleanup efforts in the weeks and months following the 9/11 attacks. Officer Stueber was accepted into the Zadroga World Trade Center Program and became incapacitated from performing all the duties of a police officer as a result of his participation. He applied for his WTC Accidental Disability retirement with the New York State and Local Retirement System in February 2019 which was processed by that System and granted March 12, 2020. He was awarded a 75% 911 accidental disabil- ity retirement by the System on March 12, 2020 by a favorable determi- nation made by the System. However, while this process was pending, Officer Stueber was forced to take his New York State Service pension in March 2019, one month after he filed for his Disability Retirement Application as the ability to stay on the Suffolk County Sheriff's payroll during the time it took to prosecute his 9/11 World Trade Center Accidental Retirement Application was not possible. On December 14, 2020, the New York State Retirement System sent a letter notifying Mr. Stueber that he was ineligible for the 75% portion of WTC Accidental Disability retirement benefit due to changes in the Law under the provisions of Section 605(d) (4) of the Retirement and Social Secu- rity Law, which took effect September 11, 2019. It was not the legisla- tive intent to reduce the class of eligible participants which is why this legislation is necessary. Officer Stueber suffered from mental illness as a result of his partic- ipation in the operations and since the introduction of this bill in 2021, he has taken his own life. Officer Stueber is survived by his wife, Stacie Stueber. This bill seeks to provide Stacie with the acci- dental disability retirement Richard died waiting for.

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.