Assemblymember Phil Steck (D-Colonie) has co-sponsored a bill (A.6974-A) that would fix a loophole that does not properly credit service members who go on to work for the state. The legislation passed the Governmental Employees committee today, and Steck said he will continue advocating for the bill to reach a full vote of the Assembly before session concludes.

“Our military personnel do so much for us and they should be credited for their sacrifice regardless of when they served,” Assemblymember Steck said. “Correcting the law to ensure that these peacetime veterans have access to the same benefits is the right thing for us to do. They volunteered themselves for anything that could happen. It is our responsibility to recognize that.”

Current law limits the veteran’s retirement credit to those who served during designated war times to be eligible for up to three years of service to be transferred to their state retirement calculations. This legislation would extend the program to military members who served during peacetime as well. The Veterans Service Law was originally created in 2000 as a way to allow former military members who were involved in combat to buy back up to three years of state service.