Sponsored by:
Senator JAMES W. HOLZAPFEL
District 10 (Ocean)
SYNOPSIS
Requires suspension without pay and health care benefits if public officer or employee formally charged with crime involving or touching office, position, or employment.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning a public officer or employee charged with a crime that involves or touches the public office or employment and supplementing chapter 14 of Title 52 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, if a person who holds any public office, position, or employment in this State is formally charged with a crime or offense under the laws of this State, or of a substantially similar offense under the laws of another state or the United States which would have been such a crime under the laws of this State, that involves or touches such office, position or employment, as defined in section 2 of P.L.2007, c.49 (C.43:1-3.1), the person shall be suspended from that office, position, or employment without pay and without benefits including health care benefits, until either convicted or exonerated of the charges or upon dismissal of the charges. A person who is not convicted of such a crime or offense, or who is exonerated of such a crime or offense, or for whom the crime or offense is dismissed, and who is restored to the public office, position, or employment shall be entitled to back pay and reimbursement for the cost of health care benefits for the period of the suspension.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill provides that if a person who holds any public office, position, or employment is formally charged with a crime or offense under the laws of this State, or of a substantially similar offense under the laws of another state or the United States, that involves or touches the office, position or employment, the person will be suspended from that office, position, or employment without pay and without benefits including health care benefits, until either convicted or exonerated of the charges or upon dismissal of the charges. A person who is not convicted or who is exonerated, or for whom the crime or offense is dismissed, and who is restored to the public office, position, or employment will be entitled to back pay and reimbursement for the cost of health care benefits for the period of the suspension.