N.Y. RSS Law § 800

§ 800. Definitions. The following words and phrases as used in this\narticle shall have the following meanings unless a different meaning is\nplainly required by the context.\n a. "Public retirement system" shall mean the New York state and local\nemployees' retirement system, the New York state and local police and\nfire retirement system, New York state teachers' retirement system, New\nYork city employees' retirement system, New York city teachers'\nretirement system, New York city police pension fund, New York city fire\ndepartment pension fund and the New York city board of education\nretirement system.\n b. "Employer" or "participating employer" shall mean the state of New\nYork and any other unit of government or organization which makes\ncontributions to a public retirement system on behalf of its employees.\nProvided however, that the provisions of this article shall not apply to\nthe city of New York until such city enacts a local law adopting this\narticle in its entirety. Until such date (subject to the provisions of\nsection eight hundred six of this article), no member of a public\nretirement system: (i) who is an employee of the city of New York shall\nhave any rights created by the provisions of this article or (ii) who is\nnot an employee of the city of New York shall have any rights created by\nthis article resulting from any prior employment by the city of New\nYork. For the purposes herein: (i) the "city of New York" shall include:\n(a) every employer other than a state employer which participates in the\nNew York city employees' retirement system, New York city teachers'\nretirement system, New York city police pension fund, New York city fire\ndepartment pension fund or the New York city board of education\nretirement system, and (b) a city of New York funded college of the\nstate university of New York located within such city, the city of New\nYork libraries subject to section thirty-two of this chapter, and the\ncivilian and uniformed employees described in subdivision sixteen of\nsection twelve hundred four of the public authorities law; and (ii) a\n"state employer" shall mean the unified court system, the senior\ncolleges of the city university of New York and a public benefit\ncorporation, public corporation or subsidiary corporation a majority of\nthe members of which are appointed by the governor, designated by virtue\nof their state office or appointed or designated by any combination of\nthe foregoing.\n c. "Head of the retirement system" shall mean the state comptroller,\nwith respect to the state and local employees' retirement system and the\nstate and local police and fire retirement system, and the retirement\nboard of the other public retirement systems.\n