Bill Text: NJ S3348 | 2020-2021 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Provides accidental death benefit to surviving spouse, surviving child, or surviving parent of a State Police recruit who dies during required pre-service training.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-01-12 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism & Historic Preservation Committee [S3348 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2020-S3348-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator ANTHONY M. BUCCO
District 25 (Morris and Somerset)
Senator FRED H. MADDEN, JR.
District 4 (Camden and Gloucester)
SYNOPSIS
Provides accidental death benefit to surviving spouse, surviving child, or surviving parent of a State Police recruit who dies during required pre-service training.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning the accidental death benefit in the State Police Retirement System and supplementing P.L.1965, c.89 (C.53:5A-1 et seq.).
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. For the purposes of subsection a. of section 14 of P.L.1965, c.89 (C.53:5A-14) and notwithstanding the provisions of section 5 of P.L.1965, c.89 (C.53:5A-5) or any other law, rule, or regulation to the contrary, a death of a State Police recruit during any required pre-service training, or complications therefrom, at the New Jersey State Police Academy shall be deemed to have occurred as the result of an accident met by a member in the actual performance of duty at some definite time and place.
b. If a State Police recruit died during pre-service training or complications therefrom, prior to the enactment of P.L. , c. (C ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), a surviving spouse, surviving child, or surviving parent may apply to receive the accidental death benefits as set forth in section 14 of P.L.1965, c.89 (C.53:5A-14) and, if approved, the benefits under this section shall be made retroactive to the date of the death of the State Police recruit. The surviving spouse, surviving child, or surviving parent shall have no more than 12 months following the enactment of P.L. , c. (C ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) to file an accident report with the State Police Retirement System and an application for an accidental death benefit pursuant to this section.
c. A pension paid in accordance with this section to the surviving spouse shall not be less than $50,000. If there is no surviving spouse, a final compensation of not less than $50,000 shall be used to calculate the death benefit to the surviving child or surviving parent, as the case may be. If there is no surviving spouse or in case the spouse dies, 70 percent of final compensation shall be payable to the surviving child or surviving children in equal shares. If there is no surviving spouse or child, 25 percent of final compensation shall be payable to one surviving parent or 40 percent of final compensation shall be payable to two surviving parents in equal shares.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
Under current law, State Police recruits are not sworn members of the New Jersey State Police until the recruits complete the required training and graduate from the New Jersey State Police Academy. As a result, the death cannot be classified as a death of a member and therefor benefits cannot be provided to the survivors.
This bill classifies the death of a State Police recruit who dies during required pre-servicing training, or complications therefrom, as a death in the line of duty and provides an accidental death benefit to the surviving spouse, surviving child, or surviving parent of the State Police recruit. Under the bill, the benefit paid to the surviving spouse must be at least $50,000. The bill provides that if there is no surviving spouse, a final compensation of at least $50,000 would be used to calculate the death benefit to the surviving child or surviving parent, as the case may be.
On December 1, 2020, Lucas C. Homeijer, 27, of Boonton, succumbed to injuries sustained during a training exercise at the New Jersey State Police Academy. Mr. Homeijer, the son and nephew of retired troopers, was an Eagle Scout, a past attendee of Trooper Youth Week, and a member of the 161st Class of the New Jersey State Police Academy. It is the sponsor's belief that this bill will honor the commitment and sacrifices of State Police recruits who die while training to become State Troopers.
