SENATE BUDGET AND APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 4189

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  DECEMBER 16, 2021

      The Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee reports favorably Senate, No. 4189, with committee amendments.

      As amended, a former member of the Public Employees’ Retirement System who has been granted a retirement allowance prior to, or on or after, the effective date of this bill, for any cause other than disability, may return to an elective public office position with the former employer, either by appointment to fill a vacancy or by election, without cancellation of the retirement and reenrollment in the system if: (1) the return commences after the retirement allowance becomes due and payable; (2) the former member had attained the service retirement age, applicable to that member, as of the date of retirement; and (3) the compensation for the elective public office held is less than $12,000 per year. 

      This bill will be effective if the qualified status of the retirement system under federal law can be maintained upon its application, and such modifications to the system as may be available will be made to allow for its application. 

      As used in this bill, "former employer" means the public entity from which the former member retired from service performed immediately prior to retirement.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS

      The committee amendment changes the bill to allow a retired member of the PERS to return to an elective public office after retirement under certain conditions.

FISCAL IMPACT

Fiscal information for this bill is currently unavailable.