ASSEMBLY PUBLIC SAFETY AND PREPAREDNESS
COMMITTEE
STATEMENT TO
[First Reprint]
ASSEMBLY, No. 2884
with committee amendments
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
DATED: JUNE 17, 2024
The Assembly Public Safety and Preparedness Committee reports
favorably and with committee amendments Assembly Bill No. 2884
(1R).
As amended and reported by the committee, this bill permits a
member of the Police and Firemen's Retirement System (PFRS) to
purchase credit for service as a class two special law enforcement
officer with a public employer in this State, rendered prior to
becoming a member. The member may purchase credit for all or a
portion of the service, including time taken during such public
employment to complete a basic police training course required for
that employment.
The member will be required to pay both the member’s and
employer’s share of the cost for the purchase.
The process and cost for the purchase will be the same as the
current process and cost for purchase of service in federal employment
or with the United States military except as otherwise provided.
Purchase of credit for service as a class two special law
enforcement officer will be permitted only if the break between service
as such an officer and the date of their enrollment in the PFRS is less
than 365 days. Members of the retirement system who are enrolled on
the effective date of this bill will have only one year from that
effective date to apply for such a purchase.
A class two special law enforcement officer is required to complete
a course approved by the Police Training Commission. They are
trained in physical fitness, criminal law, patrol concepts, firearms,
vehicle operations, defensive tactics, handcuffing, and arrest, search,
and seizure. They have similar powers to that of full-time police
officers but on a restricted basis.
2
COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS :
The committee amended the bill to provide that the purchase of
credit for service as a class two special law enforcement officer will
be permitted only if the break between service as such an officer
and the date of their enrollment in the PFRS is less than 365 days,
instead of 120 days.