Bill Text: NJ A2341 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Increases days of paid military leave for certain public employees who serve in United States Reserves.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-09 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Military and Veterans' Affairs Committee [A2341 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-A2341-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman CHRIS TULLY
District 38 (Bergen)
SYNOPSIS
Increases days of paid military leave for certain public employees who serve in United States Reserves.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act concerning paid military leave for certain members of the United States Reserves and amending R.S.38:23-1 and P.L.2001, c.351.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. R.S.38:23-1 is amended to read as follows:
38:23-1. a. A permanent or full-time temporary officer or employee of the State or of a board, commission, authority or other instrumentality of the State, or of a county, school district or municipality, who is a member of the organized reserve of the Army of the United States, United States Naval Reserve, United States Air Force Reserve or United States Marine Corps Reserve, or other organization affiliated therewith, including the National Guard of other states, shall be entitled, in addition to pay received, if any, as a member of a reserve component of the Armed Forces of the United States, to leave of absence from his or her respective duty without loss of pay or time on all work days on which he or she shall be engaged in any period of Federal active duty, provided, however, that such leaves of absence shall not exceed [30] 90 work days in any calendar year. Such leave of absence shall be in addition to the regular vacation or other accrued leave allowed such officer or employee. Any leave of absence for such duty in excess of [30] 90 work days shall be without pay but without loss of time.
b. Notwithstanding subsection a. of this section, a full-time temporary officer or employee who has served under such temporary appointment for less than one year shall receive for the service hereinabove described leave without pay but without loss of time.
(cf: P.L.2001, c.351, s.1)
2. Section 4 of P.L.2001, c.351 (C.52:13H-2.1) is amended to read as follows:
4. In accordance with the provisions of Article VIII, Section II, paragraph 5 of the New Jersey Constitution, upon application for reimbursement by a county or municipal governing body or a board of education to the State Treasurer for reimbursement and approval of the application by the Director of the Division of Budget and Accounting, reimbursement shall be made by the State for any costs incurred as a result of the provisions of P.L.2001, c.351 and as a result of the amendment to R.S.38:23-1, P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).
(cf: P.L.2001, c.351, s.4)
3. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
Under current law, a public employer provides a paid leave of absence for federal active duty to public employees who are members of the Reserves of the United States military, including the National Guard of other states. Current law requires the employer to provide paid leave for 30 work days per year. Leave after 30 work days is provided without pay.
This bill entitles a public employee who is a member of the Reserves of the United States military, including the National Guard of other states, to 90 work days of paid leave for federal active duty. Leave after 90 work days will be provided without pay.
This change will match the benefit currently given to an officer or employee of a State agency, county, school district, or municipality who is a member of the National Guard or other component of the organized militia of New Jersey, which is 90 work days per year.
The bill also provides that any costs incurred as a result of the provisions of the bill will be reimbursed by the State upon application for reimbursement by a local employer to the State Treasurer and approval of the application by the Director of the Division of Budget and Accounting.
