STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Senator ANTHONY M. BUCCO
District 25 (Morris and Passaic)
SYNOPSIS
Extends military leave of absence for public officers and employees to those serving on federal active duty in US Coast Guard Reserve.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act concerning military leave of absence for public officers and employees serving on federal active duty in the United States Coast Guard Reserve and amending R.S.38:23-1.
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, United States Coast Guard 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 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 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. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill extends military leave of absence granted to public officers and employees to those serving on Federal active duty in the United States Coast Guard Reserve. Under current law, public officers and employees serving in the United States Army Reserve, Navy Reserve, Air Force Reserve, Marine Corps Reserve, or National Guard are entitled to a leave of absence while on Federal active duty for up to 30 days a year without loss of pay or time.
Notably, those serving in the Coast Guard Reserve are not entitled to this benefit despite being members of the United States Armed Forces. This bill would correct this omission and allow members of the Coast Guard Reserve to enjoy the same benefit as those serving in other branches of the Armed Forces.