P.L. 2017, c.093 (S596 3R)

An Act concerning ¹[certain]¹ injured law enforcement officers ¹and certain other employees¹ and supplementing Title 34 of the Revised Statutes.

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. Any State corrections officer, juvenile corrections officer, or juvenile detention officer who, in the course of performing the officer’s official duties, suffers ³serious³ bodily injury as the ³direct³ result of ³[a riot or] an³ assault by the inmates or detainees under the officer’s custody or charge shall continue to receive full wages ³for up to six months or³ until the officer begins receiving compensation for that injury under R.S.34:15-1 et seq.³, whichever comes first.³

In addition to the compensation received under R.S.34:15-1 et seq., the injured officer shall receive regular supplemental payments from the officer’s employer in an amount that is sufficient, when added to the compensation received under R.S.34:15-1 et seq., to equal the net wage of the injured officer at the time of the injury. The supplemental ¹[payment] payments¹ authorized under this section shall continue ³for up to six months³ so long as the injured officer remains a State corrections officer, juvenile corrections officer, or juvenile detention officer and continues to be compensated under R.S.34:15-1 et seq.

The fringe benefits afforded an injured officer under the terms of a collective bargaining agreement, contract, or statute shall not be negated ¹[nor] or¹ impaired in any way and shall remain in full force and effect during the time that officer is receiving ¹[supplement] supplemental¹ payments pursuant to this section.

2. Any parole officer who, while in the course of performing ¹[his] the officer’s¹ official duties, suffers ³serious³ bodily injury as the ³direct³ result of an assault by an adult or juvenile parolee under the officer’s supervision shall continue to receive full wages ³for up to six months or³ until the parole officer begins receiving compensation for that injury under R.S.34:15-1 et seq.³, whichever comes first.³

In addition to the compensation received under R.S.34:15-1 et seq., the injured officer shall receive regular supplemental payments from the officer’s employer in an amount that is sufficient, when added to the compensation received under R.S.34:15-1 et seq., to equal the net wage of the injured officer at the time of the injury. The supplemental ¹[payment] payments¹ authorized under this section shall continue ³for up to six months³ so long as the injured officer remains a parole officer and continues to be compensated under R.S.34:15-1 et seq.

3. Any State Human Services police officer, State conservation officer, ²[or]² State park police officer ², Palisades Interstate Park officer appointed pursuant to R.S.32:14-21, or full-time campus police officer appointed by a county college or four-year public institution of higher education pursuant to P.L.1970, c.211 (C.18A:6-4.2 et seq.)² who, while in the course of performing the officer’s official duties, suffers ³serious³ bodily injury as the ³direct³ result of an assault during the arrest or transportation of a suspect or other person in the officer’s custody shall continue to receive full wages ³for up to six months or³ until the officer begins receiving compensation for that injury under R.S.34:15-1 et seq.³, whichever comes first.³

²Any senior, recruit, or assistant supervising medical security officer working under the authority of the Department of Human Services who, in the course of performing the officer’s official duties, suffers ³serious³ bodily injury as the ³direct³ result of an assault by a patient or resident who requires medical security shall continue to receive full wages ³for up to six months or³ until the officer begins receiving compensation for that injury under R.S.34:15-1 et seq.^2
3, whichever comes first.³

In addition to the compensation received under R.S.34:15-1 et seq., the injured officer shall receive regular supplemental payments from the officer’s employer in an amount that is sufficient, when added to the compensation received under R.S.34:15-1 et seq., to equal the net wage of the injured officer at the time of the injury. The supplemental ¹[payment] payments¹ authorized under this section shall continue ³for up to six months³ so long as the injured officer remains a State Human Services police officer, State conservation officer, ²[or]² State park police officer ², Palisades Interstate Park officer, campus police officer, or medical security officer² and continues to be compensated under R.S.34:15-1 et seq.

¹4. Any civilian employee who directly works with ²or teaches² inmates or detainees in a State correctional facility, juvenile correctional facility, or juvenile detention center who, in the course of performing the employee’s official duties, suffers ³serious³ bodily injury as the ³direct³ result of ³[a riot or] an³ assault by the inmates or detainees with whom the employee works ²or teaches² shall continue to receive full wages ³for up to six months or³ until the employee begins receiving compensation for that injury under R.S.34:15-1 et seq. ³, whichever comes first.³

In addition to the compensation received under R.S.34:15-1 et seq., the injured employee shall receive regular supplemental payments from the employer in an amount that is sufficient, when added to the compensation received under R.S.34:15-1 et seq., to equal the net wage of the injured employee at the time of the injury. The supplemental payments authorized under this section shall continue ³for up to six months³ so long as the injured employee remains employed by the State correctional facility, juvenile correctional facility, or juvenile detention center and continues to be compensated under R.S.34:15-1 et seq.

The fringe benefits afforded an injured employee under the terms of a collective bargaining agreement, contract, or statute shall not be negated or impaired in any way and shall remain in full force and effect during the time that employee is receiving supplemental payments pursuant to this section.¹

¹5. Any probation officer who, while in the course of performing the officer’s official duties, suffers ³serious³ bodily injury as the ³direct³ result of an assault by a person placed on probation who is under the officer’s supervision shall continue to receive full wages ³for up to six months or³ until the probation officer begins receiving compensation for that injury under R.S.34:15-1 et seq. ³, whichever comes first.³

In addition to the compensation received under R.S.34:15-1 et seq., the injured officer shall receive regular supplemental payments from the officer’s employer in an amount that is sufficient, when added to the compensation received under R.S.34:15-1 et seq., to equal the net wage of the injured officer at the time of the injury. The supplemental payments authorized under this section shall continue ³for up to six months³ so long as the injured officer remains a probation officer and continues to be compensated under R.S.34:15-1 et seq.

The fringe benefits afforded an injured officer under the terms of a collective bargaining agreement, contract, or statute shall not be negated or impaired in any way and shall remain in full force and effect during the time that officer is receiving supplemental payments pursuant to this section.¹

³6. As used in P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), “serious bodily injury” means bodily injury which creates a substantial risk of death or which causes serious, permanent disfigurement, or protracted loss or impairment of the function of any bodily member or organ.”³

¹[4.] ³[6.¹] 7.³ This act shall take effect on the first day of the third month following enactment.

Establishes compensation program for law enforcement officers and certain other employees injured while performing official duties.