Establishes EMS part of PERS; provides enhanced benefits for emergency medical services employees.

A2099

ASSEMBLY, No. 2099

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman LINDA S. CARTER

District 22 (Somerset and Union)

Assemblywoman TENNILLE R. MCCOY

District 14 (Mercer and Middlesex)

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblymen Simonsen, Sampson, Rodriguez, Assemblywomen
Collazos-Gill, Bagolie, Assemblyman DeAngelo, Assemblywoman Quijano,
Assemblymen Miller, McClellan and Assemblywoman Speight

SYNOPSIS

���� Establishes EMS part of PERS; provides enhanced
benefits for emergency medical services employees.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative
Counsel.

��

An Act

concerning retirement benefits for emergency
medical services employees and supplementing P.L.1954, c.84 (C.43:15A-1 et
seq.).

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

���� 1.��� As used in this act,
P.L.��� , c.��� (C.������� ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill):

���� �Emergency medical services
employee" means an employee serving in one of the following positions:
emergency medical technician; mobile intensive care paramedic; paramedic;
flight paramedic; mobile intensive care nurse; flight nurse; emergency medical
services supervisor or deputy supervisor; emergency medical services chief or
deputy chief; emergency medical services hazardous materials responder
technician; emergency medical services coordinator, dispatcher, or instructor;
or any position the primary or essential duties of which require the employee
to be trained in basic or advanced life support services, as defined in section
1 of P.L.1984, c.146 (C.26:2K-7) or section 1 of P.L.1985, c.351 (C.26:2K-21),
and who is certified or licensed by the Department of Health to perform these
services.

���� "Beneficiary" means
any person entitled to receive any benefit pursuant to the provisions of this
act by reason of the death of a member or retirant of the EMS Part.

���� "Final compensation"
means the annual salary received by the member of the EMS Part at the time of
retirement or death.

���� "Retirant" means any
former member of the EMS Part receiving a pension or retirement allowance as
provided by this act, P.L. , c. (C. )
(pending before the Legislature as this bill).

���� 2.��� a. Notwithstanding the
provisions of any other law, an emergency medical services employee shall be a
member of the EMS Part established pursuant to this act, P.L.��� , c.���
(C.������� ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), of the Public Employees'
Retirement System, established pursuant to P.L.1954, c.84 (C.43:15A-1 et seq.),
and shall be subject to the same membership and benefit provisions as State,
county, or municipal employees, except as provided by this act, P.L.����� ,
c.����� (C.������ �) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).�

���� Membership in the retirement
system shall be a condition of employment for service as an emergency medical
services employee.� Any service credit which has been established in the Public
Employees' Retirement System prior to the effective date of this act, P.L.��� ,
c.��� (C.������� ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), shall be
established in the EMS Part without further assessment of cost to the member.

���� b.��� All outstanding
obligations, such as loans, purchases and other arrearage, shall be satisfied
by member as previously scheduled for payment to the Public Employees'
Retirement System.

���� 3.��� a.� Notwithstanding the
provisions of section 25 of P.L.1954, c.84 (C.43:15A-25) to the contrary, a
separate account shall be established in the annuity savings fund for each
member of the EMS Part and all contributions based on the member�s salary shall
be credited to this account.

���� b.��� A member of the EMS Part
shall contribute at a rate established by the board, which contribution shall
be deducted from the salary at the time or times it is paid, and which shall be
exclusive of any other contribution required of the member for Social Security,
contributory death benefits, or deductions for any other purpose.� The
contribution rate shall be 10 percent of the member�s salary on and after the
effective date of this act, P.L. , c. (C. )
(pending before the Legislature as this bill).

���� c.���� A member of the EMS
Part who is enrolled in the retirement system on the basis of other public
service before, during, or after service as an emergency medical services
employee shall contribute for such other service at the rate of contribution
required of other members as provided by section 25.

���� 4.��� a.� Any member of the
EMS Part who has attained age 55 years may retire on a service retirement
allowance by filing with the retirement system a written application, duly
attested, stating at what time subsequent to the execution and filing thereof
the member desires to be retired.� The board of trustees shall retire the
member at the time specified or at such other time within one month after the
date so specified as the board finds advisable.

���� Any member in service who
attains age 70 years shall be retired by the board of trustees on a service
retirement allowance forthwith on the first day of the next calendar month or
at such time within one month thereafter as it finds advisable, except that a member
attaining age 70 years may be continued in service on an annual basis upon
written notice to the retirement system by the employer if the member is a
State employee, or governing body of the county or municipality, as
appropriate, if the member is a county or municipal employee.

���� b.��� Upon retirement for
service, a member of the EMS Part shall receive a service retirement allowance
which shall consist of:

���� (1)�� An annuity which shall
be the actuarial equivalent of the member�s aggregate contributions and

���� (2)�� A pension in the amount
which, when added to the member's annuity, will provide a total retirement
allowance of one-sixtieth of average final compensation multiplied by the
number of years of creditable service, or 2 percent of average final
compensation multiplied by the number of years of creditable service up to 30
plus 1 percent of average final compensation multiplied by the number of years
of creditable service over 30, or 50 percent of final compensation if the
member has established 20 or more years of creditable service, whichever is
greater.

���� c.���� Any member as of the
effective date of this act, P.L. , c. (C. )
(pending before the Legislature as this bill), who has 20 or more years of
creditable service at the time of retirement shall be entitled to receive a
retirement allowance equal to 50 percent of final compensation plus, in the
case of a member required to retire pursuant to the provisions of subsection a.
of this section, 3 percent of final compensation multiplied by the number of
years of creditable service over 20 but not over 25.

���� d.��� Upon the receipt of
proper proofs of the death of a member of the EMS Part who has retired on a
service retirement allowance, there shall be paid to the member�s beneficiary
an amount equal to one-half of the compensation upon which contributions by the
member to the annuity savings fund were based in the last year of creditable
service.

���� 5.��� Should a member of the
EMS Part resign after having established 25 years of creditable service, the
member may elect "special retirement," provided, that such election
is communicated by the member to the retirement system by filing a written application,
duly attested, stating at what time subsequent to the execution and filing
thereof the member desires to be retired.� The member shall receive, in lieu of
the payment provided in section 4 of P.L.��� , c.������� (C.������� ) (pending
before the Legislature as this bill), a retirement allowance which shall
consist of:

���� (1)�� An annuity which shall
be the actuarial equivalent of the member's aggregate contributions and

���� (2)�� A pension in the amount
which, when added to the member�s annuity, will provide a total retirement
allowance of 65 percent of final compensation, plus 1 percent of final
compensation multiplied by the number of years of creditable service over 25
but not over 30.

���� The board of trustees shall
retire the member at the time specified or at such other time within one month
after the date so specified as the board finds advisable.

���� Upon the receipt of proper
proofs of the death of such a retirant, there shall be paid to the retirant's
beneficiary an amount equal to one-half of the final compensation received by
the retirant.

���� 6.��� Should a member of the
EMS Part, after having established 10 years of creditable service, be separated
voluntarily or involuntarily from the service, before reaching age 55, and not
by removal for cause on charges of misconduct or delinquency, such person may
elect to receive the payments provided for in section 4 or 5 of P.L.��� ,
c.������� (C.������ ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), or a
deferred retirement allowance, beginning on the first day of the month
following the member�s attainment of age 55 and the filing of an application
therefor, which shall consist of:

���� (1)�� An annuity which shall
be the actuarial equivalent of the member�s aggregate contributions at the time
of severance from the service and

���� (2)�� A pension in the amount
which, when added to the member�s annuity, will provide a total retirement
allowance of 2 percent of final compensation multiplied by the number of years
of creditable service up to 30 plus 1 percent of final compensation multiplied
by the number of years of creditable service over 30, provided that such
inactive member may elect to receive payments provided under section 4 or 5 of P.L.���
, c.������� (C.������ ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), if the
member qualified under that section at the time of leaving service, except that
in order to avail themselves of the option, the member shall exercise such
option at least 30 days before the effective date of retirement.� If such
inactive member shall die before attaining age 55, the member�s aggregate
contributions shall be paid in accordance with subsection c. of section 41 of
P.L.1954, c.84 (C.43:15A-41).� If such inactive member shall die after
attaining age 55 but before filing an application for retirement benefits
pursuant to this section or section 5 of P.L.������ , c.�������� (C.������ )
(pending before the Legislature as this bill) and has not withdrawn the
member�s aggregate contributions, or in the event of death after retirement, an
amount equal to the accumulated deductions plus one-half of the compensation
upon which contributions by the member to the annuity savings fund were based
in the last year of creditable service shall be paid to such member�s
beneficiary.

���� Any member who, having elected
to receive a deferred retirement allowance, again becomes an emergency medical
services employee covered by the EMS Part of the retirement system while under
the age of 55, shall thereupon be reenrolled.� If the member had discontinued
service for more than two consecutive years, subsequent contributions shall be
at the member�s former rate increased for the years of inactive membership.�
The member shall be credited with all service as a member of the EMS Part
standing to the member's credit at the time of an election to receive a
deferred retirement allowance.

���� 7.��� The State shall be
liable for any increased pension costs to a county or municipality as a result
of the enrollment of an emergency medical services employee in the EMS Part
established pursuant to this act, P.L.��� , c.��� (C.������� ) (pending before
the Legislature as this bill), of the Public Employees' Retirement System,
established pursuant to P.L.1954, c.84 (C.43:15A-1 et seq.).� The actuary for
the Public Employees' Retirement System shall determine the unfunded accrued
liability for the EMS Part of the retirement system and the benefits provided
for members under that part in the same manner provided for the determination
of the unfunded accrued liability of the retirement system by section 24 of
P.L.1954, c.84 (C.43:15A-24).� This unfunded accrued liability shall be
amortized in the manner provided by section 24 over an amortization period of
30 years.

���� 8.��� This act shall take
effect immediately.

STATEMENT

���� This bill creates an EMS Part
in the Public Employees� Retirement System (PERS) to provide enhanced pension
benefits under terms identical to those provided to prosecutors under the
Prosecutors Part of the PERS, including mandatory retirement at age 70.

���� The members of the EMS Part
will include State, county, or municipal employees serving in one of the
following positions: emergency medical technician; mobile intensive care
paramedic; paramedic; flight paramedic; mobile intensive care nurse; flight
nurse; emergency medical services supervisor or deputy supervisor; emergency
medical services chief or deputy chief; emergency medical services hazardous
materials responder technician; emergency medical services coordinator,
dispatcher, or instructor; or any position the primary or essential duties of
which require the employee to be trained in basic or advanced life support
services and who is certified or licensed by the Department of Health to
perform these services.

���� The State will be liable for
the increased pension costs payable by counties or municipalities as a result
this bill.