ASSEMBLY, No. 1190

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 1996 SESSION

By Assemblymen DALTON and DORIA

An Act concerning optional deductions from the retirement allowances of the Teachers' Pension and Annuity Fund and amending and supplementing subtitle 10 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.

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

    1. N.J.S.18A:66-54 is amended to read as follows:

    18A:66-54. If possible, whenever any beneficiary of the teachers' pension and annuity fund shall, in writing, request the Division of Pensions and Benefits to make deductions from [his] the beneficiary's retirement allowance or pension for the payment of premiums for the pensioners' group health or dental insurance plan or the State Health Benefits Program, the division may make such deductions and transmit the sum so deducted to the companies carrying the policies. Any such written authorization may be withdrawn by any beneficiary upon filing notice of such withdrawal with the division.

(cf: P.L.1971, c.121, s.29)

    2. (New section) Whenever any beneficiary of the retirement system shall request in writing that the Division of Pensions and Benefits make a deduction from the beneficiary's retirement allowance for the purpose of paying the beneficiary's dues to a bona fide professional organization, designated by the beneficiary in the request and of which the beneficiary is a member, the division shall make the deduction from the retirement allowance and transmit the sum so deducted to the designated organization. Any such written authorization may be withdrawn by any beneficiary upon filing notice of the withdrawal with the division.

    3. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

    This bill provides for optional deductions from the retirement allowance of a beneficiary of the Teachers' Pension and Annuity Fund (TPAF). Current law provides that, if possible, whenever any beneficiary of TPAF requests in writing that the Division of Pensions and Benefits make deductions from the beneficiary's retirement allowance or pension for the payment of premiums for the pensioners' group health insurance plan or the State Health Benefits Program, the division may make such deductions and transmit the sum so deducted to the companies carrying the policies. The bill would add a group dental insurance plan to the permitted deductions that may be requested.

    The bill also provides that whenever any TPAF beneficiary shall so request in writing, the Division of Pensions and Benefits shall make a deduction from the beneficiary's retirement allowance for the purpose of paying the beneficiary's dues to a bona fide professional organization, designated by the employee in the request and of which the beneficiary is a member, and shall transmit the sum so deducted to the designated organization. The bill provides to the retired members of TPAF the convenience of having dues for organizations such as the New Jersey Education Association or the New Jersey Retired Education Association deducted automatically from their retirement allowances.

Provides for optional deductions from TPAF retirement allowances.