N.Y. RSS Law § 60-C

§ 60-c. Death benefit for vested members who die prior to retirement.\na. A death benefit plus the reserve-for-increased-take-home-pay shall be\npayable upon the death of a member who:\n 1. Died before the effective date of retirement while a member of the\nretirement system;\n 2. Had at least ten years of credited service at the time of death;\nand\n 3. Died at a time and in a manner which did not result in the\neligibility of the member's estate or any beneficiary to receive any\nother retirement system death benefits on account of such death.\n b. Benefits provided under this section shall be payable to the\nmember's estate or the beneficiary or beneficiaries nominated by the\nmember on a designation of beneficiary form filed with the comptroller\npursuant to section sixty of this title, who would have been eligible to\nreceive benefits if benefits had become payable pursuant to such\nsection.\n c. The amount of the benefit payable pursuant to this section shall be\nequal to one-half of the amount of the ordinary death benefit which\nwould have been payable pursuant to section sixty of this title had the\nmember's death occurred on the last day of service upon which membership\nwas based.\n