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A228 • 2026

Requires public employers that offer deferred compensation retirement plans to also offer Roth contribution option.

Requires public employers that offer deferred compensation retirement plans to also offer Roth contribution option.

Labor
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Azzariti Jr., John V., M.D.
Last action
2026-01-13
Official status
Introduced, Referred to Assembly State and Local Government Committee
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Requires public employers that offer deferred compensation retirement plans to also offer Roth contribution option.

Requires public employers that offer deferred compensation retirement plans to also offer Roth contribution option.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires public employers that offer deferred compensation retirement plans to also offer Roth contribution option.
  • Topic: State and Local Government Fiscal note: This bill has been certified by OLS for a fiscal note.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2026-01-13 New Jersey Legislature

    Introduced, Referred to Assembly State and Local Government Committee

Official Summary Text

Requires public employers that offer deferred compensation retirement plans to also offer Roth contribution option.
Topic:
State and Local Government
Fiscal note:
This bill has been certified by OLS for a fiscal note.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
A228

ASSEMBLY, No. 228

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman JOHN V. AZZARITI JR., M.D.

District 39 (Bergen)

SYNOPSIS

���� Requires public employers that offer deferred
compensation retirement plans to also offer Roth contribution option.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

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

��

An Act

requiring public employers that offer a deferred
compensation retirement plan to their employees to also offer a Roth
contribution option and supplementing P.L.1977, c.381 (C.43:15B-1 et seq. ),
P.L.1978, c.39 (C.52:18A-163 et seq.), and chapter 66 of Title 18A of the New
Jersey Statutes.

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

���� 1.� a.� As used in this
section, �Roth contribution option� means an employee retirement plan that
permits employees to make after-tax contributions to a retirement account
through salary deductions in a manner consistent with the federal Internal
Revenue Code and regulations.

���� b.��� Any municipality,
county, or an authority created by one or more counties or municipalities that
establishes a deferred compensation plan pursuant to P.L.1977, c.381
(C.43:15B-1 et seq.) and the federal Internal Revenue Code and regulations
shall ensure that a Roth contribution option is also offered to participants of
the plan.� The provisions of P.L.1977, c.381 (C.43:15B-1 et seq.) shall be
applicable to the extent necessary for the implementation of this section.

���� 2.� a.� As used in this
section, �Roth contribution option� means an employee retirement plan established
pursuant to the federal Internal Revenue Code and regulations that permits
employees to make after-tax contributions to a retirement account through
salary deductions in a manner consistent with the federal Internal Revenue Code
and regulations.

���� b.��� The New Jersey State
Employees Deferred Compensation Board in the Department of the Treasury shall
ensure that the New Jersey State Employees Deferred Compensation Plan
established pursuant to P.L.1978, c.39 (C.52:18A-163 et seq.) and the federal
Internal Revenue Code and regulations also offers a Roth contribution option to
participants of the plan.� The provisions of P.L.1978, c.39 (C.52:18A-163 et
seq.) shall be applicable to the extent necessary for the implementation of
this section.

���� 3.� a.� As used in this
section, �Roth contribution option� means an employee retirement plan that
permits employees to make after-tax contributions to a retirement account
through salary deductions in a manner consistent with the federal Internal
Revenue Code and regulations.

���� b.��� Any board of education
that establishes a deferred compensation plan pursuant to N.J.S.18A:66-127
through 129, inclusive, shall ensure that a Roth contribution option is also
offered to participants of the plan.� The provisions of

N.J.S.18A:66-127 through 129, inclusive, shall be applicable to the extent
necessary for the implementation of this section.

���� 4.��� This act shall take
effect 60 days following the date of enactment.

STATEMENT

���� This bill requires that any
public entity within the State that offers to its employees a deferred
compensation plan to also offer a Roth contribution option for the employees
who participate in the plan.� Roth contribution options permit employees to
make after-tax contributions to the retirement account through salary
deductions.� These after-tax contributions, and any subsequent earnings, can be
withdrawn tax-free in retirement.

���� Under current law, there is no
requirement that a Roth contribution option be made available to public
employees who choose to participate in their respective deferred compensation
retirement plan.

���� Under current law, public
employers may offer a deferred compensation plan to their employees.� Deferred
compensation plans provide an opportunity to voluntarily shelter a portion of an
employee�s salary from federal income taxes to save for retirement to
supplement Social Security and any other retirement plan provided by public
employers to their employees.