SENATE, No. 137

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

219th LEGISLATURE

 

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2020 SESSION

 


 

Sponsored by:

Senator  JAMES W. HOLZAPFEL

District 10 (Ocean)

 

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS

     Requires suspension without pay and health care benefits if public officer or employee formally charged with crime involving or touching office, position, or employment.

 

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.

  


An Act concerning a public officer or employee charged with a crime that involves or touches the public office or employment and supplementing chapter 14 of Title 52 of the Revised Statutes.

 

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

 

     1.    Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, if a person who holds any public office, position, or employment in this State is formally charged with a crime or offense under the laws of this State, or of a substantially similar offense under the laws of another state or the United States which would have been such a crime under the laws of this State, that involves or touches such office, position or employment, as defined in section 2 of P.L.2007, c.49 (C.43:1-3.1), the person shall be suspended from that office, position, or employment without pay and without benefits including health care benefits, until either convicted or exonerated of the charges or upon dismissal of the charges.  A person who is not convicted of such a crime or offense, or who is exonerated of such a crime or offense, or for whom the crime or offense is dismissed, and who is restored to the public office, position, or employment shall be entitled to back pay and reimbursement for the cost of health care benefits for the period of the suspension. 

 

     2.    This act shall take effect immediately.

 

 

STATEMENT

 

     This bill provides that if a person who holds any public office, position, or employment is formally charged with a crime or offense under the laws of this State, or of a substantially similar offense under the laws of another state or the United States, that involves or touches the office, position or employment, the person will be suspended from that office, position, or employment without pay and without benefits including health care benefits, until either convicted or exonerated of the charges or upon dismissal of the charges.  A person who is not convicted or who is exonerated, or for whom the crime or offense is dismissed, and who is restored to the public office, position, or employment will be entitled to back pay and reimbursement for the cost of health care benefits for the period of the suspension.