New York Codes, Rules and Regulations
Title 4 - DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL SERVICE
Chapter IV - Regulations Of The State Civil Service Commission (commission's Regulations)
Part 61 - Merit Awards
Section 61.2 - Definitions

(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.