Bill
Bill > S1661
NJ S1661
NJ S1661Permits purchase of service credit in PERS for time served as Eagleton Science and Politics Fellow.
summary
Introduced
01/13/2026
01/13/2026
In Committee
01/13/2026
01/13/2026
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
Introduced Session
2026-2027 Regular Session
Bill Summary
This bill allows for any current or future member of the Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS) to purchase service credit for time they previously spent in the Eagleton Science and Politics Fellowship Program at the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers, the State University, as a fellow. Members may purchase up to one year of service credit for this time by agreeing to pay the contributions required to cover the time in service. The bill provides that the member will be required to submit to the Division of Pensions and Benefits a statement, signed and attested to by the Director of the Eagleton Institute of Politics, detailing their time and the nature of their service in the fellowship program. The member will not be eligible to purchase this additional service if the member has a vested right to retirement benefits in another retirement system based in whole or in part upon that service. The public employer will not be responsible for any contributions to the retirement system based upon the member's prior service in the fellowship program.
AI Summary
This bill allows current and future members of the Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS), a state-run retirement plan for public workers, to purchase service credit for time spent as a fellow in the Eagleton Science and Politics Fellowship Program at Rutgers University, up to a maximum of one year. To do so, members must pay the required contributions for that period, which will be calculated based on their age and salary at the time of purchase or their highest prior salary, whichever is greater, and can be paid in a lump sum or installments. They will need to provide a signed statement from the Director of the Eagleton Institute detailing their fellowship service. Importantly, this option is not available if the member already has a vested right to retirement benefits from another system based on that same fellowship service, and the public employer will not be responsible for any of these contributions.
Committee Categories
Government Affairs
Sponsors (2)
Last Action
Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism & Historic Preservation Committee (on 01/13/2026)
Official Document
bill text
bill summary
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bill summary
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bill summary
| Document Type | Source Location |
|---|---|
| State Bill Page | https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bill-search/2026/S1661 |
| BillText | https://pub.njleg.gov/Bills/2026/S2000/1661_I1.HTM |
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