Governor Murphy last night signed several pieces of legislation last night including several of interest to the State PBA:
Coronavirus Deaths and Illness eligible for Benefits
Most importantly the Governor signed a bill to provide that PFRS members who contract the coronavirus and develop serious health problems or pass away are eligible for PFRS accidental disability or death benefits. The final version of the bill, a State PBA priority, was crafted by us to ensure the membership was offered the most access possible to these benefits. This will provide important protections for any officer who became ill or died and for those still facing the disease. To be eligible for the benefits a member must:
The member contracts COVID-19 and tests positive for SARS-CoV-2 during the public health emergency and is disabled from it as a result;
The member’s regular or assigned duties required the member to interact, and the member so interacted, with the public or to directly supervise other personnel so interacting with the public on any date during the public health emergency and within 14 calendar days prior to the appearance of symptoms consistent with COVID-19 that were confirmed in writing by a licensed health care provider on a form approved by the board of trustees and also confirmed by a positive test result for SARS-CoV-2;
A member who retired during the public health emergency may apply for a retirement allowance pursuant to this bill.
For an accidental death benefit, a member whose death is attributable to COVID-19, complications therefrom, or the aggravation or acceleration of a preexisting condition caused thereby will be deemed to have occurred as the result of an accident met in the actual performance of duty at some definite time and place if:
The member contracted COVID-19 and the member’s death occurs after receiving a positive test result for SARS-CoV-2 during thepublic health emergency;
The member’s regular or assigned duties required the member to interact, and the member so interacted, with the public or to directly supervise other personnel so interacting with the public on any date during the public health emergency and within 14 calendar daysprior to the appearance of symptoms consistent with COVID-19 that were confirmed in writing by a licensed health care provider on a form approved by the board of trustees and also confirmed by a positive test result for SARS-CoV-2;
Eligibility for consideration for these benefits is retroactive to March 9, 2020.
IA Files Must Be Reviewed By Prospective Department
The Governor also signed legislation to require local governments to transfer the Internal Affairs files for law enforcement officers who seek employment with a different law enforcement agency. The practice is already required by a new Attorney General rule. And the files must remain confidential under the new law.
Governor Signs NJEA Health Care Reform
Finally, the Governor signed the NJEA health care reform proposal. Our belief based on a review of the bill is that it would not benefit State PBA members or do away with the costs associated with their Chapter 78 contributions. In fact, this proposal could reduce benefits and still remain as costly for many State PBA members if applied to law enforcement. However, the Senate President has been steadfast in his commitment to work with the State PBA on our proposals for reducing the cost of health care while providing us Chapter 78 relief.