Bill > S2915

Introduced Session

This bill allows a member of the Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS) to apply for accidental disability benefits based upon an injury sustained while employed temporarily at Trenton Psychiatric Hospital, any other State psychiatric institution or any State correctional facility, which injury continues to be disabling after the person becomes a PERS member. Temporary public employees are not eligible for PERS membership until the employment becomes permanent or the passage of one year, whichever occurs first. Currently, persons employed temporarily at any State psychiatric institution or any State correctional facility who are injured while ineligible for PERS membership are eligible for workers compensation benefits only. They are not eligible for PERS accidental disability benefits even after attaining PERS member status because the injury occurred when not a PERS member. The bill provides that, for purposes of application for a PERS accidental disability benefit, a traumatic event (1) occurring during and as a result of the performance of a State employee's regular or assigned duties as, but not limited to, a doctor, nurse, healthcare worker, social worker, or correction officer caring for or guarding individuals who are permanently or temporarily incarcerated for any reason at Trenton Psychiatric Hospital, any other State psychiatric institution or any State correctional facility and (2) occurring when the employee is employed temporarily and not yet eligible for membership in the retirement system will be deemed as occurring during membership, if the employee becomes a member of the retirement system without interruption in that employment. The bill's provisions would apply retroactively to January 1, 2003. In addition, the bill also adds to the duties of the Civil Service Commission a personnel orientation program that informs new employees of State psychiatric institutions and State correctional facilities of the risk of injury occurring during and as a result of the performance of their regular or assigned duties.

AI Summary

Committee Categories

Linda Greenstein (D)*,  Loretta Weinberg (D)*,  Dawn Addiego (D),  Bob Andrzejczak (D),  Christopher Bateman (R),  Chris Brown (R),  Anthony Bucco (R),  Nilsa Cruz-Perez (D),  Joe Cryan (D),  Patrick Diegnan (D),  Michael Doherty (R),  Nia Gill (D),  Vin Gopal (D),  Tom Kean (R),  Joe Pennacchio (R),  Nellie Pou (D),  Ronald Rice (D),  Teresa Ruiz (D),  Bob Singer (R),  Troy Singleton (D),  Brian Stack (D),  Samuel Thompson (D),  Joe Vitale (D), 

Referred to Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee (on 02/21/2019)