Bill Text: NJ A5296 | 2026-2027 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Provides law enforcement officer benefits to certain public employees enrolled in PERS; prohibits appointment by State or county of public employees after age 35 in certain positions eligible for PFRS.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)
Status: (Introduced) 2026-06-23 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly State and Local Government Committee [A5296 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2026-A5296-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman ANTHONY ANGELOZZI
District 8 (Atlantic and Burlington)
SYNOPSIS
Provides law enforcement officer benefits to certain public employees enrolled in PERS; prohibits appointment by State or county of public employees after age 35 in certain positions eligible for PFRS.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning age restrictions and retirement benefits for certain public employees and amending and supplementing various parts of the statutory law.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. (New section) Notwithstanding any law, rule, or regulation to the contrary, any person employed on the effective date of P.L. , c. (pending before the Legislature as this bill) by the State, a county, fire district, school district, or a municipality, or agency thereof, who holds a position as a "law enforcement officer" as defined by section 1 of P.L.1955, c. 257 (C.43:15A-97) and who was enrolled in the Public Employees' Retirement System prior to the effective date of P.L. , c. (pending before the Legislature as this bill) shall be enrolled as a participant in the law enforcement officer category of the system within 90 days of that effective date, unless the member signs a waiver of participation. The Division of Pensions and Benefits in the Department of the Treasury shall provide notice to all individuals eligible to be enrolled in the law enforcement officer category of the system within 30 days following the effective date of P.L. , c. (pending before the Legislature as this bill) along with instructions on how a member may waive participation in the law enforcement officer category of the system. The member shall have 60 days to sign and return the provided waiver of participation form. A member who signs the waiver shall remain enrolled as a non-law enforcement officer in the Public Employees' Retirement System and the member shall not be subject to compulsory retirement as provided in section 3 of P.L.1955, c.257 (C.43:15A-99).
Any member who is enrolled as a participant of the law enforcement officer category of the system in accordance with this section shall be eligible for all the benefits and shall be subject to all the requirements set forth in P.L.1955, c.257 (C.43:15A-97 et seq.) from the date the member is made a participant. All service credit earned by the member in a position eligible for participation in the category shall be considered service credit as a law enforcement officer in that category when the member is enrolled as a participant of the law enforcement officer category.
In the event that the actuary of the Public Employee's Retirement System determines that a liability has been incurred by the provisions of P.L. , c. (pending before the Legislature as this bill), the employee shall be responsible for the amount equal to the difference between the value of their prior service and their transfer to the law enforcement section of the system. The payment may be made in a lump sum or in regular monthly installments equal to at least fifty percent of the employee's normal contribution to the retirement system over a period not to exceed 10 years, as the employee may elect, pursuant to rules and regulations as may be promulgated by the board of trustees.
2. (New section) Notwithstanding any other law, rule, or regulation to the contrary, on or after the effective date of P.L. , c. (pending before the Legislature as this bill), no person who is over the age of 35 years shall be appointed by a county or the State to a position that is eligible for enrollment in the Police and Firemen's Retirement System, established pursuant to P.L.1944, c.255 (C.43:16A-2 et seq.).
Wherein Title 11A (Civil Service) of the New Jersey Statutes is operative, any person who shall have met the age requirement herein at the announced closing date of a civil service examination for the position shall be considered within the age requirement while the civil service list promulgated as a result of that examination is in effect.
Nothing herein contained shall affect the employment or continuance in office of any person employed prior to the effective date of P.L. , c. (pending before the Legislature as this bill).
3. Section 1 of P.L.1955, c.257 (C.43:15A-97) is amended to read as follows:
1. "Law enforcement officer" shall mean any permanent and full-time employee of the State of New Jersey holding one of the following titles: motor vehicles officer, motor vehicles sergeant, motor vehicles lieutenant, motor vehicles captain, assistant chief, bureau of enforcement, and chief, bureau of enforcement in the Division of Motor Vehicles, and highway patrol officer, sergeant highway patrol bureau, lieutenant highway patrol bureau, captain highway patrol bureau, assistant chief highway patrol bureau, chief highway patrol bureau in the Division of State Police, and inspector, investigator, and administrative inspector in the Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control, and inspector recruit alcoholic beverage control, inspector alcoholic beverage control, senior inspector alcoholic beverage control, principal inspector alcoholic beverage control, supervising inspector alcoholic beverage control in the Division of State Police, and conservation police officer, assistant district conservation police officer and district conservation police officer in the Division of Fish and Wildlife in the Department of Environmental Protection, and assistant chief marine police and senior marine patrolman in the Division of Resource Development, and marine police officer, senior marine police officer, principal marine police officer in the Division of State Police, and inspector, officer, senior inspector, and principal inspector in the Division of Shell Fisheries, any permanent and full-time active county detective, sergeant of county detectives, lieutenant of county detectives, captain of county detectives, chief of county detectives, and county investigator in the offices of the county prosecutors, and sheriff's officer, sergeant sheriff's officer, lieutenant sheriff's officer, captain sheriff's officer, chief sheriff's officer, and sheriff's investigator in the offices of the county sheriffs, and any patrolman or other police officer of the Board of Commissioners of the Palisades Interstate Park appointed pursuant to R.S.32:14-21. The term shall also mean county corrections police officer, county corrections police sergeant, county corrections police lieutenant, county corrections police captain, and investigator in a county department of corrections, and officer, detective, sergeant, lieutenant, and captain of a county police department, State corrections officer and detective and investigator in the Division of Criminal Justice in the Department of Law and Public Safety, sheriff's corrections police officer, sheriff's corrections police sergeant, sheriff's corrections police lieutenant, and sheriff's corrections police captain, Burlington County Bridge Commission police officer, Burlington County Bridge Commission police sergeant, Burlington County Bridge Commission police lieutenant, and Burlington County Bridge Commission police captain, Cherry Hill campus police officer, any permanent and full time firefighter, emergency medical technician, and public safety dispatcher employed by the State, a county, fire district, or a municipality, or agency thereof, Parole Officer, Senior Parole Officer, Parole Sergeant or Assistant District Parole Officer, Parole Lieutenant or District Parole Supervisor, Parole Captain, Deputy Chief of Parole and Chief of Parole.
If the Prison Officers' Pension Fund is terminated as provided in section 10 hereof, "law enforcement officer" shall also mean any permanent and full-time active employee of the State of New Jersey holding the title of correction officer, correction sergeant, correction lieutenant, correction captain or deputy keeper in the Division of Correction and Parole, or any member of the Prison Officers' Pension Fund on the date of such termination.
(cf: P.L.2019, c.407, s.20)
4. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill provides for law enforcement officer benefits for certain public employees enrolled in the Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS) and prohibits hiring by the State or any county of public employees after age 35 in positions eligible for enrollment in the Police and Firemen's Retirement System (PFRS).
Under current law, certain individuals holding specified titles are eligible to receive enhanced benefits through the law enforcement officer category of PERS, known as PERS-LEO. This bill amends the definition of "law enforcement officer" to include additional titles.
Under the bill, any person employed on the effective date of the bill by the State, a county, fire district, school district, or a municipality, who holds a position as a "law enforcement officer" and who was enrolled in PERS prior to the bill's effective date will be enrolled as a participant in the law enforcement officer category of PERS within 90 days of that effective date, unless the member signs a waiver of participation. The Division of Pensions and Benefits in the Department of the Treasury will provide notice to all individuals eligible to be enrolled in the law enforcement officer category of the system within 30 days following the bill's effective date, along with instructions on how a member may waive participation in the law enforcement officer category of the system. The member will have 60 days to sign and return the waiver of participation form provided. A person who waived enrollment will remain enrolled as a non-law enforcement officer in PERS and the member will not be subject to compulsory retirement as provided under current law.
Under the bill, any member who is enrolled as a participant of the law enforcement officer category of the system will be eligible for all the benefits and subject to all the requirements for members of that category from the date the member is made a participant. All service credit earned by the member in a position eligible for participation in the law enforcement category will be considered service credit as a law enforcement officer in that category when the member is enrolled as a participant of the law enforcement officer category.
The bill further provides that, in the event that the PERS actuary determines that a liability has been incurred by the provisions of this bill, the employee will be responsible for the amount equal to the difference between the value of their prior service and their transfer to the law enforcement section of the system. The payment may be made in a lump sum or in regular monthly installments equal to at least fifty percent of the employee's normal contribution to the retirement system over a period not to exceed 10 years, as the employee may elect, pursuant to rules and regulations as may be promulgated by the board of trustees.
The bill also prohibits the State or counties from appointing any individual over the age of 35 to a position that is eligible for enrollment in Police and Firemen's Retirement System (PFRS). However, where civil service laws apply, any person who meets the age requirements at the announced closing date of a civil service examination will be considered within the age requirement while the civil service list promulgated as a result of that examination is in effect.
