ASSEMBLY, No. 1239

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 1996 SESSION

By Assemblyman AZZOLINA

An Act granting to certain persons veterans' preference in the Civil Service.

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

    1. Notwithstanding the provisions of N.J.S.11A:5-1 or any other law or regulation to the contrary, any person who, having received passing scores on an open competitive examination, was notified of and granted status as a veteran for purposes of veterans' preference pursuant to N.J.S.11A:5-5 by the Department of Personnel after January 16, 1992, who was either placed or repositioned, if already placed, on the employment list in order of that person's respective score immediately after any disabled veterans, and who, before October 1, 1993, was notified that veteran status was withdrawn because the status had been granted mistakenly due to administrative error shall be granted the status of veteran and the appropriate rank on the employment list.

    2. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

    This bill grants to certain persons veteran status for the purposes of Civil Service veterans' preference. The enactment of P.L.1992, c.390 on January 16, 1992, expanded the definition of veteran to include persons who participated, during listed periods of time, in missions in Lebanon, Grenada, Panama, or the Persian Gulf, including persons who served "on board any ship actively engaged in patrolling the territorial waters" of these areas, and the Department of Personnel notified certain persons that they were eligible for veteran status. The department, however, mistakenly employed an eligibility criterion of receipt of an overseas deployment "ribbon." The criterion should have been receipt of an overseas deployment "medal." The ribbon was given to service personnel deployed on any ship, the medal to those who were deployed specifically in the relevant combat zones. The department discovered its error in the summer of 1993 and notified certain persons of a reverse of their status in September of 1993. This bill restores veteran status for purposes of Civil Service veterans' preference to that group of persons who were on an open competitive employment list, were given that status and were re-ranked accordingly as veterans only to have the veteran status withdrawn in the fall of 1993.

Grants veteran status to certain persons on Civil Service employment lists.