ASSEMBLY APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 2355

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  JUNE 26, 2020

      The Assembly Appropriations Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Senate Bill No. 2355.

      This bill provides for the extension of the retirement date for a member of the State Police Retirement System (SPRS) who is required to retire upon attaining the age of 55 years.  If the retirement date falls during a period of a public health emergency or state of emergency declared by the Governor, the bill requires the retirement date to be extended, if the member makes such a request, for a short period of time following the end of the emergency.

      As amended, this bill provides that members of the 160th Class of the New Jersey State Police Academy, which commenced training on February 24, 2020, will become eligible for membership in the SPRS on August 7, 2020, the originally scheduled date of their academy graduation which was extended as a result of the Public Health Emergency and State of Emergency declared by the Governor in Executive Order No. 103 of 2020.

      The bill, as amended, also provides that upon completion of pre-service training and graduation from the Academy, members of the 160th Class will be eligible for appointment as members of the State Police regardless of age, notwithstanding the maximum age requirement of 35 years of age in R.S.53:1-9.

      As amended and reported by the committee, Senate Bill No. 2355 is identical to Assembly Bill No. 3963, which also was amended and reported by the committee on this date.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS

      The committee amended the bill to:

      (1)   specify that for the purposes of determining whether a retirement occurs before the end date of the period of a public health emergency or state of emergency, the end date will be that identified by the Federal Emergency Management Agency;

      (2) clarify that the bill will not be deemed to impair any entitlement to continued health benefits coverage during retirement for a member who has more than 20 but fewer than 25 years of creditable service at the time of retirement;

      (3)  permit members of the 160th Class of the New Jersey State Police Academy to become eligible for membership in the SPRS on the date originally scheduled for completion of the State Police Academy, which date was extended as a result of the coronavirus pandemic; and

      (4)   permit members of the 160th class to be appointed as members of the State Police upon graduation from the academy regardless of age, notwithstanding the maximum age requirement in current law. 

FISCAL IMPACT:

      This bill is not certified as requiring a fiscal note.