New Jersey Assembly Bill A5381

New Jersey 2024-2025 Regular Session

• Introduced: 3/6/25
• Refer: 3/6/25
• Refer: 4/10/25
• Report Pass: 6/19/25
• Engrossed: 6/30/25
• Enrolled: 6/30/25
• Chaptered: 7/23/25
• Passed: 7/23/25

Caption

Provides medical documentation requirement for certain members of PERS, PFRS, and SPRS to receive accidental disability retirement allowance for participation in 9/11 World Trade Center rescue, recovery, or cleanup operations; removes filing deadline.

Impact

The enactment of A5381 is intended to enhance the support available to first responders and public employees who suffered health impairments while participating in significant and hazardous operations following the 9/11 attacks. By allowing for the recalculation of retirement allowances without stringent filing deadlines, it seeks to ensure that individuals who were unjustly denied benefits due to timing issues can receive appropriate compensation for their service and sacrifices. This legislative change could set a precedent for how similar cases are handled in the future and promote a more favorable environment for acknowledging the health impacts of such critical work.

Summary

Assembly Bill A5381 aims to amend provisions related to the accidental disability retirement allowance for specific members within the Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS), the Police and Firemen's Retirement System (PFRS), and the State Police Retirement System (SPRS). The key focus of the bill is to provide medical documentation requirements for these members who participated in the World Trade Center rescue, recovery, or cleanup operations and have since incurred disabilities due to those activities. Notably, it removes previous filing deadlines which may have hindered access to benefits for certain individuals.

Sentiment

General sentiment around A5381 appears supportive among those advocating for the rights of first responders and public service members. Supporters emphasize the necessity of recognizing and compensating those who have endured significant health challenges as a result of their service during the recovery efforts at the World Trade Center site. However, there may be concerns from fiscal conservatives regarding the implications of increased costs associated with broader disability claims and retirement benefits that could arise from the bill's enactment.

Contention

While A5381 generally enjoys support, potential areas of contention may arise regarding the expansion of eligibility criteria for accidental disability claims and the extent of the medical documentation required. Stakeholders may still need to monitor the impacts on state pension systems and budgets, with discussions focusing on balancing the need for comprehensive benefits against the financial sustainability of the retirement systems involved. How the bill will be interpreted and implemented by the board of trustees also remains a point of discussion.