(a) Article 3 of the State Technology Law, known as the Electronic Signatures and Records Act (ESRA), is intended to support and encourage electronic commerce and electronic government by allowing people to use electronic signatures and electronic records in lieu of handwritten signatures and paper documents. Administration of the State Technology Law is vested in the New York State Office of the Chief Information Officer and the New York State Office of Information Technology Services (CIO/ITS). CIO/ITS has promulgated regulations (9 NYCRR Subtitle N, Part 540) to establish rules governing the use of electronic signatures and records. CIO/ITS also issues policies, standards, and guidelines for technology usage.

(b) Section 807 of the Retirement and Social Security Law, enacted pursuant to chapter 506 of the Laws of 2005, authorizes public retirement systems to promulgate rules and regulations to provide for alternate means of authentication in place of any requirement that a filing be duly executed and acknowledged and, consistent with the provisions of the State Technology Law, to provide for the electronic filing of documents. The State Comptroller as the administrative head of the New York State and Local Employees' Retirement System and the New York State and Local Police and Fire Retirement System ("the retirement system") has the exclusive authority pursuant to sections 11, 74, 311, 374, 519 and 614 of the Retirement and Social Security Law to adopt rules and regulations for the administration of the retirement system.

(c) This Part is promulgated to set forth the procedures for the use of electronic signatures and records by the retirement system.