ASSEMBLY, No. 2485

 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

 

INTRODUCED NOVEMBER 7, 1996

 

 

By Assemblywoman WEINBERG, Assemblymen ZISA, DiGaetano, T. Smith, Augustine, Arnone, DeSopo, Pascrell, Steele, Wisniewski and Roma

 

 

An Act concerning the accidental death benefit payable under the Police and Firemen's Retirement System of New Jersey and amending P.L.1944, c.255.

 

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

 

    1. Section 10 of P.L.1944, c.255 (C.43:16A-10) is amended to read as follows:

    10. (1) Upon the death of a member in active service as a result of an accident met in the actual performance of duty at some definite time and place, and such death was not the result of the member's willful negligence, an accidental death benefit shall be payable if a report of the accident is filed in the office of the retirement system within 60 days next following the accident, but the board of trustees may waive such time limit, for a reasonable period, if in the judgment of the board the circumstances warrant such action. No such application shall be valid or acted upon unless it is filed in the office of the retirement system within five years of the date of such death.

    The provisions of this subsection shall apply to a member who is a policeman and who dies as a result of an accident or the intentional act of another that occurs during and in the course of the member's attempt to prevent a felony or to apprehend a felon, notwithstanding that the member shall not at the time have been on duty in the service of a public employer. The provisions of this subsection shall also apply to a member who is a fireman and who dies as a result of an accident met in the actual performance of duty as a volunteer fireman in any municipality in the State, provided the member's death was not the result of the member's willful negligence.

    (2) Upon the receipt of proper proofs of the death of a member on account of which an accidental death benefit is payable, there shall be paid to his widow or widower a pension of 70% of the compensation, upon which contributions by the member to the annuity savings fund were based in the last year of creditable service, for the use of herself or himself and the children of the deceased member, to continue during her or his widowhood; if there is no surviving widow or widower or in case the widow or widower dies or remarries, 20% of such compensation will be payable to one surviving child, 35% of such compensation to two surviving children in equal shares and if there be three or more children, 50% of such compensation will be payable to such children in equal shares.

    If there is no surviving widow, widower or child, 25% of the compensation upon which contributions by the member to the annuity savings fund were based in the last year of creditable service, will be payable to one surviving dependent parent or 40% of such compensation will be payable to two surviving parents in equal shares.

    In the event of accidental death occurring in the first year of creditable service, the benefits, payable pursuant to this subsection, shall be computed at the annual rate of compensation.

    (3) If there is no surviving widow, widower, child or dependent parent, there shall be paid to any other beneficiary of the deceased member, his aggregate contributions at the time of death.

    (4) In no case shall the death benefit provided in subsection (2) be less than that provided under subsection (3).

    (5) In addition to the foregoing benefits payable under subsection (2) or (3), there shall also be paid in one sum to such beneficiary, if living, as the member shall have nominated by written designation duly executed and filed with the retirement system, otherwise to the executor or administrator of the member's estate, an amount equal to 3 « times the compensation upon which contributions by the member to the annuity savings fund were based in the last year of creditable service.

    (6) In addition to the foregoing benefits, the State shall pay to the member's employer-sponsored health insurance program all health insurance premiums for the coverage of the member's surviving widow or widower and dependent children.

(cf: P.L.1996, c.89, s.2)

 

    2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall be retroactive to April 1, 1996.

 

 

STATEMENT

 

    This bill provides for the payment of the accidental death benefit under the Police and Firemen's Retirement System if a member of PFRS who is a policeman dies as a result of an accident or the intentional act of another that occurs during and in the course of the member's attempt to prevent a felony or to apprehend a felon, notwithstanding that the member shall not at the time have been on duty in the service of a public employer. Under current law, the accidental death benefit is payable upon the death of a police officer member only if the officer's death is the result of an accident met in the actual performance of duty as a police officer.

    The PFRS accidental death benefit is 70% of the decedent's compensation during the last year of service, payable to the surviving spouse of the decedent. If there is no surviving spouse or the spouse dies or remarries, then specified percentages of such compensation are payable to any surviving children of the officer, the amount depending upon the number of children.

 

 

                             

Provides PFRS accidental death benefit for policeman dying as result of accident or intentional act of another during member's attempt to prevent felony or apprehend felon.