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Senate Civil Service Committee advances nine bills, including measure to create New York State Park Police
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Summary
On April 21, 2026 the Senate Standing Committee on Civil Service Intentions, chaired by Sen. Robert Jackson, moved nine bills forward — most to the finance committee or the floor — including S.9301 to establish a New York State Park Police and S.7916A addressing retirement for NYC EMTs.
Albany — On April 21, 2026, the Senate Standing Committee on Civil Service Intentions advanced nine bills after brief consideration and procedural votes, the committee chair said.
Sen. Robert Jackson, chair of the committee, opened the meeting and confirmed a quorum of the seven-member panel. The agenda covered measures on civil service pay parity, longevity pay, municipal benefit procedures, retirement calculations and a proposal to establish a New York State Park Police. "My name is Robert Jackson," he said at the outset, identifying himself as committee chair.
The committee read each bill title aloud and members moved the measures without substantive debate. Several bills were reported to the Senate finance committee for further consideration; others were reported to the floor. For example, S.1722 (sponsor: Jackson), which would amend the civil service law on salary schedule parity, was moved and "reported to finance," the chair said. S.1739 (Jackson) on longevity payments and S.5026B (Jackson) amending municipal procedures were likewise advanced to finance.
S.6598 (Jackson) would authorize geographic pay differentials for certain police officers and was reported to finance; S.7750A (transcript sponsor text: "senator, mayor") — a change to the Retirement and Social Security Law’s calculation method — was moved and reported to finance. S.7916A (Jackson) would create a 22.5-year retirement option for emergency medical technicians and advanced EMTs in the New York City Employees’ Retirement System; the chair announced it was being reported out to the committee indicated in the transcript. S.7986A (sponsor: Ryan) would permit members or officers of the state police who previously were firefighters to count that firefighter service toward police retirement credit and was reported to finance.
S.8234A (Jackson) would change the due date for the New York State Teachers’ Retirement System to submit its annual MWPP report and was reported to the floor. The committee also advanced S.9301 (sponsor: Martinez), which would amend parks, recreation and historic preservation law to establish the New York State Park Police; the chair announced a readout indicating seven members in favor and said the bill was reported to the floor.
Votes at a glance (as recorded in committee proceedings): - S.1722 (Jackson) — amend civil service law on salary schedule parity — moved; reported to finance (vote readout: not specified). - S.1739 (Jackson) — longevity payments — moved; reported to finance (vote readout: not specified). - S.5026B (Jackson) — municipal benefits procedures — moved; reported to finance (vote readout: not specified). - S.6598 (Jackson) — geographic pay for certain police officers — moved; reported to finance (vote readout: not specified). - S.7750A (transcript sponsor text: "senator, mayor") — retirement calculation change — moved; reported to finance (vote readout: not specified). - S.7916A (Jackson) — 22.5-year retirement program for NYC EMS employees (NYCERS) — moved; reported to committee indicated in transcript (vote readout: not specified). - S.7986A (Ryan) — count firefighter service toward state police retirement credit — moved; reported to finance (vote readout: not specified). - S.8234A (Jackson) — change NYSTRS MWPP due date — moved; reported to the floor (vote readout: not specified). - S.9301 (Martinez) — establish New York State Park Police — moved; readout reported seven members in favor; reported to the floor.
What happened and what’s next: most measures were advanced with no substantive questioning and will await consideration by their next referent committees or the full Senate. The committee adjourned after the readouts.
Quotation highlights from the record include the chair identifying himself: "My name is Robert Jackson," and multiple procedural readouts that "This bill is being reported to our finance committee." The meeting concluded with the chair thanking attendees and adjourning the session.
Notes on record quality: the transcript provides sponsors as spoken in committee and several readouts are garbled or shorthand; where numerical tallies are not clearly given in the transcript, vote counts are marked as "not specified."
