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43:16A-1. Definitions relative to Police and Firemen@s Retirement System.
1. As used in this act:
(1) ~Retirement system~ or ~system~ shall mean the Police and Firemen@s Retirement System of New Jersey as defined in section 2 of this act.
(2) (a) ~Policeman~ shall mean a permanent, full-time employee of a law enforcement unit as defined in section 2 of P.L.1961, c.56 (C.52:17B-67) or the State, other than an officer or trooper of the Division of State Police whose position is covered by the State Police Retirement System, whose primary duties include the investigation, apprehension or detention of persons suspected or convicted of violating the criminal laws of the State and who:
(i) is authorized to carry a firearm while engaged in the actual performance of his official duties;
(ii) has police powers;
(iii) is required to complete successfully the training requirements prescribed by P.L.1961, c.56 (C.52:17B-66 et seq.) or comparable training requirements as determined by the board of trustees; and
(iv) is subject to the physical and mental fitness requirements applicable to the position of municipal police officer established by an agency authorized to establish these requirements on a Statewide basis, or comparable physical and mental fitness requirements as determined by the board of trustees.
The term shall also include an administrative or supervisory employee of a law enforcement unit or the State whose duties include general or direct supervision of employees engaged in investigation, apprehension or detention activities or training responsibility for these employees and a requirement for engagement in investigation, apprehension or detention activities if necessary, and who is authorized to carry a firearm while in the actual performance of his official duties and has police powers.
(b) ~Fireman~ shall mean a permanent, full-time employee of a firefighting unit whose primary duties include the control and extinguishment of fires and who is subject to the training and physical and mental fitness requirements applicable to the position of municipal firefighter established by an agency authorized to establish these requirements on a Statewide basis, or comparable training and physical and mental fitness requirements as determined by the board of trustees. The term shall also include an administrative or supervisory employee of a firefighting unit whose duties include general or direct supervision of employees engaged in fire control and extinguishment activities or training responsibility for these employees and a requirement for engagement in fire control and extinguishment activities if necessary. As used in this paragraph, ~firefighting unit~ shall mean a municipal fire department, a fire district, or an agency of a county or the State which is responsible for control and extinguishment of fires.
(3) ~Member~ shall mean any policeman or fireman included in the membership of the retirement system pursuant to this amendatory and supplementary act, P.L.1989, c.204 (C.43:16A-15.6 et al.).
(4) ~Board of trustees~ or ~board~ shall mean the board provided for in section 13 of this act.
(5) ~Medical board~ shall mean the board of physicians provided for in section 13 of this act.
(6) ~Employer~ shall mean the State of New Jersey, the county, municipality or political subdivision thereof which pays the particular policeman or fireman.
(7) ~Service~ shall mean service as a policeman or fireman paid for by an employer.
(8) ~Creditable service~ shall mean service rendered for which credit is allowed as provided under section 4 of this act.
(9) ~Regular interest~ shall mean interest as determined by the State Treasurer, after consultation with the Directors of the Divisions of Investment and Pensions, the board of trustees and the actuary. It shall bear a reasonable relationship to the percentage rate of earnings on investments based on the market value of assets but shall not exceed the assumed percentage rate of increase applied to salaries plus 3%, provided however that the board of trustees shall not set the average percentage rate of increase applied to salaries below 6%.
(10) ~Aggregate contributions~ shall mean the sum of all the amounts, deducted from the compensation of a member or contributed by him or on his behalf, standing to the credit of his individual account in the annuity savings fund.
(11) ~Annuity~ shall mean payments for life derived from the aggregate contributions of a member.
(12) ~Pension~ shall mean payments for life derived from contributions by the employer.
(13) ~Retirement allowance~ shall mean the pension plus the annuity.
(14) ~Earnable compensation~ shall mean the full rate of the salary that would be payable to an employee if he worked the full normal working time for his position. In cases where salary includes maintenance, the retirement system shall fix the value of that part of the salary not paid in money which shall be considered under this act.
(15) ~Average final compensation~ shall mean the average annual salary upon which contributions are made for the three years of creditable service immediately preceding his retirement or death, or it shall mean the average annual salary for which contributions are made during any three fiscal years of his or her membership providing the largest possible benefit to the member or his beneficiary.
(16) ~Retirement~ shall mean the termination of the member@s active service with a retirement allowance granted and paid under the provisions of this act.
(17) ~Annuity reserve~ shall mean the present value of all payments to be made on account of any annuity or benefit in lieu of any annuity computed upon the basis of such mortality tables recommended by the actuary as shall be adopted by the board of trustees, and regular interest.
(18) ~Pension reserve~ shall mean the present value of all payments to be made on account of any pension or benefit in lieu of any pension computed upon the basis of such mortality tables recommended by the actuary as shall be adopted by the board of trustees, and regular interest.
(19) ~Actuarial equivalent~ shall mean a benefit of equal value when computed upon the basis of such mortality tables recommended by the actuary as shall be adopted by the board of trustees, and regular interest.
(20) ~Beneficiary~ shall mean any person receiving a retirement allowance or other benefit as provided by this act.
(21) ~Child~ shall mean a deceased member@s or retirant@s unmarried child (a) under the age of 18, or (b) 18 years of age or older and enrolled in a secondary school, or (c) under the age of 24 and enrolled in a degree program in an institution of higher education for at least 12 credit hours in each semester, provided that the member died in active service as a result of an accident met in the actual performance of duty at some definite time and place, and the death was not the result of the member@s willful misconduct, or (d) of any age who, at the time of the member@s or retirant@s death, is disabled because of mental retardation or physical incapacity, is unable to do any substantial, gainful work because of the impairment and his impairment has lasted or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months, as affirmed by the medical board.
(22) ~Parent~ shall mean the parent of a member who was receiving at least one-half of his support from the member in the 12-month period immediately preceding the member@s death or the accident which was the direct cause of the member@s death. The dependency of such a parent will be considered terminated by marriage of the parent subsequent to the death of the member.
(23) (a) ~Widower,~ for employees of the State, means the man to whom a member or retirant was married, or a domestic partner as defined in section 3 of P.L.2003, c.246 (C.26:8A-3), on the date of her death and who has not since remarried or established a domestic partnership. In the event of the payment of accidental death benefits, pursuant to section 10 of P.L.1944, c.255 (C.43:16A-10), the restriction concerning remarriage or establishment of a domestic partnership shall be waived.
(b) Subject to the provisions of paragraph (c) of this subsection, ~widower,~ for employees of public employers other than the State, means the man to whom a member or retirant was married on the date of her death and who has not remarried.
(c) A public employer other than the State may adopt a resolution providing that the term ~widower~ as defined in paragraph (b) of this subsection shall include domestic partners as provided in paragraph (a) of this subsection.
(24) (a) ~Widow,~ for employees of the State, means the woman to whom a member or retirant was married, or a domestic partner as defined in section 3 of P.L.2003, c.246 (C.26:8A-3), on the date of his death and who has not since remarried or established a domestic partnership. In the event of the payment of accidental death benefits, pursuant to section 10 of P.L.1944, c.255 (C.43:16A-10), the restriction concerning remarriage or establishment of a domestic partnership shall be waived.
(b) Subject to the provisions of paragraph (c) of this subsection, ~widow,~ for employees of public employers other than the State, means the woman to whom a member or retirant was married on the date of his death and who has not remarried.
(c) A public employer other than the State may adopt a resolution providing that the term ~widow~ as defined in paragraph (b) of this subsection shall include domestic partners as provided in paragraph (a) of this subsection.
(25) ~Fiscal year~ shall mean any year commencing with July 1, and ending with June 30, next following.
(26) ~Compensation~ shall mean the base salary, for services as a member as defined in this act, which is in accordance with established salary policies of the member@s employer for all employees in the same position but shall not include individual salary adjustments which are granted primarily in anticipation of the member@s retirement or additional remuneration for performing temporary duties beyond the regular workday.
(27) ~Department~ shall mean any police or fire department of a municipality or a fire department of a fire district located in a township or a county police or park police department or the appropriate department of the State or instrumentality thereof.
(28) ~Final compensation~ means the compensation received by the member in the last 12 months of creditable service preceding his retirement or death.
(29) (Deleted by amendment, P.L.1992, c.78).
(30) (Deleted by amendment, P.L.1992, c.78).
(31) (a) ~Spouse,~ for employees of the State, means the husband or wife, or domestic partner as defined in section 3 of P.L.2003, c.246 (C.26:8A-3), of a member.
(b) Subject to the provisions of paragraph (c) of this subsection, ~spouse,~ for employees of public employers other than the State, means the husband or wife of a member.
(c) A public employer other than the State may adopt a resolution providing that the term ~spouse~ as defined in paragraph (b) of this subsection shall include domestic partners as provided in paragraph (a) of this subsection.
L.1944,c.255,s.1; amended 1945, c.148, s.1; 1951, c.267; 1967, c.250, s.1; 1968, c.435; 1970, c.57, s.9; 1971, c.175, s.1; 1971, c.439, s.2; 1973, c.156, s.1; 1975, c.302, s.1; 1976, c.111, s.2; 1976, c.139, s.2; 1977, c.207, s.1; 1979, c.86, s.17; 1979, c.407; 1980, c.84, s.1; 1981, c.301, s.1; 1981, c.462, s.50; 1981, c.524, s.1; 1981, c.532, s.1; 1982, c.198, s.1; 1983, c.439, s.1; 1984, c.57; 1985, c.29, s.1; 1985, c.221, s.1; 1985, c.262, s.2; 1985, c.377, s.1; 1985, c.470, s.1; 1985, c.525; 1986, c.165, s.1; 1989, c.204, s.1; 1991, c.414, s.1; 1992, c.41, s.23; 1992, c.78, s.1; 1992, c.125, s.13; 1996, c.89, s.1; 1999, c.428, s.1; 2003, c.181, s.1; 2003, c.246, s.43.
43:16A-1.1. Reclassified members
Any member of the Police and Firemen@s Retirement System of New Jersey who holds one of the titles set forth in section 1 of P.L. 1944, c. 255 (C. 43:16A-1) and who is reclassified to another of the titles set forth in that section, shall continue his membership with the same rights and benefits and subject to the same conditions as any other member who holds the title into which he has been reclassified.
L. 1985, c. 29, s. 2, eff. Feb. 1, 1985.
43:16A-1.2. Review of positions of all members; eligibility, enrollment
a. The Director of the Division of Pensions shall review the positions of all members of the retirement system on the effective date of this amendatory and supplementary act, P.L.1989, c.204 (C.43:16A-15.6 et al.), and shall recommend to the board of trustees whether or not a position shall continue to be covered under the retirement system based upon the definitions of ~policeman~ and ~fireman~ in this act. The board shall determine which positions shall continue to be covered under the retirement system. A member whose position was covered prior to the effective date of this amendatory and supplementary act shall continue to be eligible for membership in the retirement system while in the same position. Any person appointed after the effective date of this amendatory and supplementary act to a position which is removed from coverage under the retirement system is not eligible for membership.
b. Upon the recommendation of the Director of the Division of Pensions, the board of trustees shall determine if a position of a law enforcement unit or firefighting unit or the State in existence on the effective date of this amendatory and supplementary act but not covered by the retirement system or established after the effective date of this amendatory and supplementary act is covered by the retirement system.
If the board determines that a position is covered by the retirement system, any person in the position is eligible to become a member of the retirement system. If the person is a member of another State-administered or county or municipal retirement system, the person may transfer membership in the other retirement system to the Police and Firemen@s Retirement System in accordance with the provisions of P.L.1973, c.156 (C.43:16A-62 et seq.). Any time period under P.L.1973, c.156 calculated from the effective date of that act shall be calculated from the effective date of this amendatory and supplementary act for the purposes of this act.
A person employed in a position on or after the effective date of a determination by the board of trustees that the position is covered by the retirement system is required to enroll in the retirement system as a condition of employment, provided the person is otherwise eligible for membership by meeting the appointment, age and health requirements prescribed for all members. A person employed in a position covered by the retirement system and eligible for membership in the retirement system is ineligible for membership in any other State-administered or county or municipal retirement system.
c. Nothing in this amendatory and supplementary act shall be construed as authorizing:
(1) the transfer to or enrollment in the retirement system of any person who was ineligible for membership in or elected not to transfer to or enroll in the system prior to the effective date of this amendatory and supplementary act, unless the person is employed on or after the effective date in a new position which is not the same or related to the position in which the person was determined to be ineligible for membership in or elected not to transfer to or enroll in the system; or
(2) the participation in the retirement system of an employee of any county, municipality or political subdivision thereof which has not adopted P.L.1944, c.255 (C.43:16A-1 et seq.).
L.1989,c.204,s.9.
43:16A-1.3. Report on titles covered, number of members affected, actuarial status
On or before the 90th day after enactment of this amendatory and supplementary act, P.L.1989, c.204 (C.43:16A-15.6 et al.), the Director of the Division of Pensions shall report in writing to the Governor, the Senate Revenue, Finance and Appropriations Committee, the Senate State Government, Federal and Interstate Relations and Veterans Affairs Committee, the Assembly Appropriations Committee, and the Assembly State Government Committee, or their successors, concerning the titles that will and will not continue to be covered by the retirement system and the number of people that will be affected and are projected to be affected thereby as a result of this act. The director shall provide reports to the Governor and the committees annually thereafter which shall include information concerning, but not limited to, the titles covered by the retirement system, any changes in title coverage, the number of members affected by any changes, and the actuarial status of the retirement system.
L.1989,c.204,s.10.
43:16A-1.4 Enrollment of parole officers.
3. If the Board of Trustees of the Police and Fireman@s Retirement System of New Jersey makes a determination, pursuant to section 9 of P.L.1989, c.204 (C.43:16A-1.2), that the parole officers employed by the State Parole Board are eligible for membership in the Police and Firemen@s Retirement System pursuant to section 1 of P.L.1944, c.255 (C.43:16A-1), the enrollment of those parole officers shall occur no earlier that one year after the effective date of this section pursuant to P.L.1993, c.246 (C.43:16A-1.4 et al.).
L.1993,c.246,s.3; amended 2001, c.79, s.13.
43:16A-1.5 Membership in PFRS for certain jail wardens.
1. a. As used in this act, ~jail warden~ means any paid, permanent, uniformed, full-time employee of a county correctional facility who is engaged in the protection, custody, and discipline of facility inmates and who is subject to the training and physical and mental fitness requirements established by the employer. ~Jail warden~ also means any administrative or supervisory employee of a county correctional facility whose duties include general or direct supervision or training of employees engaged in the protection, custody, and discipline of facility inmates.
b. Notwithstanding any law, rule or regulation to the contrary, any corrections officer who is enrolled and vested in the Police and Firemen@s Retirement System on or after the effective date of this act may, at the election of the officer, remain in the Police and Firemen@s Retirement System if the officer is promoted or transferred to the position of jail warden.
L.1999,c.398,s.1.
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