“Veterans in New York State deserve to be recognized for their military service. Currently, only some veterans are eligible for pension credit in the New York State public retirement system. This unfairly leaves out too many of our military personnel, like those who have served in Afghanistan, Bosnia and Somalia and those who served in noncombat roles. Current law also excludes women who have served in the military, leaving them on uneven footing with their male counterparts.

“We need to recognize the hard work and sacrifice of all of our veterans. That’s why the Assembly passed legislation that allows veterans who work in public service for at least five years to buy up to three years of pension credit for time served in the military, no matter where or how they served (A.9531). It’s the least we can do to honor our veterans who have done so much to protect us and our freedom.”