MIDDLETOWN, N.Y.—Orange County politicians gathered at the Orange County Correctional Facility on July 30 to announce the passage of a pair of bills aimed at supporting the families of correctional officers and deputy sheriffs.
The lawmakers said the bills, known as the “death gamble” bills, had passed both chambers of the state Legislature, and are heading back to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s desk after she vetoed them in 2025.
The two bills—the Orange County correction officers bill and the Orange County deputy sheriffs bill—would make it so that if someone passes away after reaching retirement age and is still working, that person’s family will receive his pension.
Under current law, if someone employed in those positions dies before he retires, his family does not get the government pension, and is instead given a one-time death benefit.
This incentivizes many to retire as soon as they can after their 20-year to 25-year retirement threshold is met, even though these people would often stay in the position otherwise.
Democratic state Sen. James Skoufis said that in many cases, deputy sheriffs and correctional officers love their work and would prefer to continue doing it, but feel that they have to retire to make sure that their family is taken care of.
“They do incredibly important work,” he said. “They also at times do incredibly dangerous work ... and they do so for decades.”
Both bills are sponsored by Skoufis, who represents much of Orange County, and are cosponsored by Republican state Sen. Rob Rolison, who represents New York Senate District 39.
The bills will affect 91 deputies and 300 correctional officers, all of whom are employed by Orange County. It is expected to cost the county $56,000 per year starting in 2027.
The bills had passed the Legislature in 2025, but were vetoed by the governor, who cited a lack of appropriated funding sources at the time to cover the costs.
Skoufis said he believes that the bills will be signed now, because the same benefits were provided to state correctional officers in the 2027 budget that was recently approved.
Skoufis said that few other counties have this benefit for their employees, so if the bills are signed into law, they could be used to help attract new people to a field that is struggling for recruits.
The news conference drew many local leaders, including Rolison; New York state Assemblymembers Paula Kay, Jonathan Jacobson, Karl Brabenec, and Chris Eachus; Orange County Sheriff Paul Arteta; Orange County Correction Officers Benevolent Association President Armond Della Pia; and several county legislators.
County legislator DeShanda Carter, a retired correctional officer who worked at Rikers Island for 20 years, called it a “phenomenal bill.”
“What we do behind these walls is dangerous, and we deserve every benefit that the state, the county, the government can provide,” she told The Epoch Times.
She added that the effort will help with recruitment and retention of the correctional officers, because they like their jobs and want to stay.
