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New York Codes, Rules and Regulations (NYCRR)

Title 4 Part 61

Department of Civil Service

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6 sections

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Source version current through Jan 31, 2026

All 6 displayed sections in this Part carry the same compiled date. Status and warnings stay on each section.

4 NYCRR 61.1 - Terms and conditions

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Dates and status
NYCRR title agency
Department of Civil Service
Section status
Section source receipt
Source version current through
Jan 31, 2026

The following terms and conditions shall apply to the value and payment of every merit award.

4 NYCRR 61.2 - Definitions

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Dates and status
NYCRR title agency
Department of Civil Service
Section status
Section source receipt
Source version current through
Jan 31, 2026

For the purpose of this Part, the terms following shall have the indicated meanings:

(a)Adopted suggestion means a suggestion, accepted for evaluation by the director of the state employee suggestion program pursuant to such policies and procedures defining suggester and suggestion eligibility as may be promulgated by the commission, which is actually put into use, in its original or substantially original form, by one or more State agencies or participating agencies, during the suggestion's equity period.
(b)Equity period means that period of time, as fixed by the commission, during which the author of a suggestion accepted for evaluation by the director of the state employee suggestion program retains award recognition rights for adoption of that suggestion.
(c)Intangible benefit means a benefit to the State, resulting from the implementation of a suggestion which is either primarily nonmonetary in nature or, if potentially monetary in nature, is such that the amount of such benefit cannot be reliably predicted or attributed with any reasonable degree of certainty.
(d)Meritorious service award means the form of recognition granted by the commission for an unusual and meritorious accomplishment by a State employee not otherwise eligible for award recognition pursuant to this Part.
(e)Net first year tangible savings or financial benefit to the State means the total gross savings reported during the first full year of the suggestion's use in one or more departments or agencies, less the capital, labor and other related costs necessary for its implementation, provided however, that the commission shall have discretion to amortize one time implementation costs over either the expected useful life of the suggestion or over five years, whichever period is less.

4 NYCRR 61.3 - Procedure

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Dates and status
NYCRR title agency
Department of Civil Service
Section status
Section source receipt
Source version current through
Jan 31, 2026

Any State employee or retiree may submit a suggestion to the suggestion program for review. If the suggestion is determined by the program to be eligible and original, it will be sent to the suggestion committee of the appropriate agency for evaluation. If that agency suggestion committee determines to implement the suggestion, an award recommendation, based on estimated amount of net first-year savings or intangible benefit, will be forwarded to the suggestion program. Following review by program staff, the suggestion will be presented to the commission for award determination.

4 NYCRR 61.4 - Minimum award

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Dates and status
NYCRR title agency
Department of Civil Service
Section status
Section source receipt
Source version current through
Jan 31, 2026

The commission may grant a basic minimum award of not more than $25 for adopted suggestion resulting in net first year tangible savings or monetary benefit to the State of $250 or less.

4 NYCRR 61.5 - Limit on awards

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Dates and status
NYCRR title agency
Department of Civil Service
Section status
Section source receipt
Source version current through
Jan 31, 2026
(a)The award paid for a suggestion adopted by the commission shall not exceed 10 percent of the net first year tangible savings or 10 percent of other financial benefit to the State. The maximum award payable for any single adopted suggestion resulting in tangible savings or benefit to the State shall be $50,000.
(b)The maximum award payable for any single suggestion deemed by the commission to result entirely or predominantly in intangible benefit to the State shall be $5,000.
(c)The maximum award to be paid for meritorious service of a State employee shall not exceed one percent of any reported net first year tangible saving or monetary benefit to the State. The maximum amount payable for any single meritorious service award shall be $5,000.
(d)Nothing in this Part shall act to preclude the commission from granting an award based on combined tangible and intangible benefit to the State, provided however, that the combined amount of such awards shall in no case exceed $50,000 or, in the case of a meritorious service award, $5,000.

4 NYCRR 61.6 - Installment award

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Dates and status
NYCRR title agency
Department of Civil Service
Section status
Section source receipt
Source version current through
Jan 31, 2026

The commission may direct that awards exceeding $10,000 be paid in equal installments over a period not to exceed five years.

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