2020 New York Laws
GMU - General Municipal
Article 11-AAA - Defined Benefit Service Award Program for Volunteer Ambulance Workers
219-N - Benefits.

§  219-n.  Benefits.  1.  The  benefit  payable  under a service award
program shall be the actuarial equivalent of an annual payment for  life
in one of the following amounts as selected by the sponsor:
  (a) sixty dollars per year of ambulance service;
  (b) one hundred twenty dollars per year of ambulance service;
  (c) one hundred eighty dollars per year of ambulance service;
  (d) two hundred forty dollars per year of ambulance service; or
  (e) three hundred sixty dollars per year of ambulance service.
  2.  Service  awards  shall  be  paid in the form of a lump sum, a life
annuity with or without survivor benefits, a period certain annuity,  or
any  other  form provided under the program, provided, that all forms of
payment shall be actuarially equivalent to each other. The  program  may
limit   the  forms  of  payment  or  impose  conditions  concerning  the
availability of a form of payment.
  3. Except as otherwise provided in this section, a  participant  shall
be  entitled  to  apply  for  and  receive a service award only when the
participant has acquired a nonforfeitable right to a service  award  and
has reached entitlement age.
  4.  In  the  event  that a participant becomes totally and permanently
disabled, as certified by  the  workers'  compensation  board  or  other
competent  authority  approved  by the administrator, and the disability
prevents the participant from pursuing his or her normal occupation, the
participant shall be entitled to apply for and receive a service  award,
regardless of whether the participant has reached entitlement age or has
acquired a nonforfeitable right to a service award.
  5.  In  the  event  of  the  death of a participant who has acquired a
nonforfeitable right to a service award, the beneficiaries designated by
the participant or, if no beneficiaries have  been  so  designated,  the
participant's  estate, shall be entitled to apply for and receive a lump
sum  death  benefit,  regardless  of  whether  the  participant  reached
entitlement  age  before  death. Such benefit shall be equal to the lump
sum equivalent of the service award earned by  the  participant  at  the
date  of  death,  provided  that  the  benefit provided pursuant to this
subdivision shall not be paid following commencement  of  payment  of  a
service award.
  6.  A service award shall be paid only after an application is made to
the  program  administrator   and   the   administrator   approves   the
application.
  7. No service award may be assigned or alienated except to provide for
the legally obligated support of minor children or a spouse.
  8. Payment of a service award shall not impair any rights of volunteer
ambulance  workers under the volunteer ambulance workers' benefit law or
any other law.