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A5212
ASSEMBLY, No. 5212
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
222nd LEGISLATURE
�
INTRODUCED JUNE 4, 2026
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman� JOE DANIELSEN
District 17 (Middlesex and Somerset)
SYNOPSIS
���� Decreases number of years of creditable service
required for special retirement for certain members of PFRS.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
���� As introduced.
��
An Act
concerning eligibility for special retirement for
certain members of the Police and Firemen�s Retirement System
and
supplementing Title 43 of the New Jersey Statutes
.
����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:
���� 1.� The Legislature finds and
declares that:
���� a.� Firefighters experience
unique occupational risks, including exposure to carcinogens, and are regularly
exposed to hazardous chemicals.
���� b.� The International Agency
for Research on Cancer classifies occupational exposure as a firefighter as
�Group 1: carcinogenic to humans,� because exposure to numerous carcinogens and
hazardous chemicals often leads to an increased risk of developing cancers,
such as mesothelioma, bladder cancer, and several others.
���� c.� Firefighters are regularly
exposed to a complex mixture of toxic chemicals such as polycyclic aromatic
hydrocarbons (PAHs), diesel exhaust, flame retardants, per- and polyfluoroalkyl
substances (PFAs), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and particulates and
combustion byproducts during structural and wildland fires, overhaul, and
training.
���� d.� Exposure to such chemicals
has been shown to lead to persistent respiratory issues, such as persistent
cough, shortness of breath, throat irritation, and abnormal lung function, as
well as other systemic health issues including cardiovascular events. According
to the 2023 firefighter fatalities report published by the U.S. Fire
Administration (USFA), except �for 2020 and 2021 when COVID-19 was a factor,
cardiovascular event was the leading type of nature of fatal injury of
firefighters every year from 2014 to 2023.�
���� e.� Firefighters often
experience repeated exposure to death, injury, and high-stress emergencies
which has been shown to result in higher levels of post-traumatic stress
disorder, depression, and suicide rates.
���� f.� Aging only increases
firefighters� vulnerability to heat and chemical stress due to a reduced
tolerance and slower recovery. The risk of cardiovascular events has been shown
to significantly increase after age 50. Age-related skin changes have also been
shown to increase the risk of exposure to harmful chemicals through contact
with skin. Older workers are also more likely to experience a greater circadian
disruption due to a 24-hour shift and night-shift work.
���� g.� Due to the cumulative
effect of the hazards of the job, firefighters historically retire after
approximately 20 years of service.
���� h.� Permitting retirement
after 20 years of service, instead of 25 years, and permitting those aged 50
and older to retire after 15 years of service, will reduce health risks to
aging firefighters and will also reduce disability claims and municipal health
care burdens.
���� 2. a.� Notwithstanding the
provisions of any law, rule, or regulation to the contrary, on or after the
effective date of P.L.��� , c.���� (C.�� ) (pending before the Legislature as
this bill), a member of the Police and Firemen�s Retirement System established
pursuant to P.L.1944, c.255 (C.43:16A-1 et seq.), who meets the definition of
�fireman� in section 1 of P.L.1944, c.255 (C.43:16A-1), shall be considered
eligible to elect a �special retirement� either under the provisions of section
16 of P.L.1961, c.241 (C.43:16A-11.1) , or under the provisions of this
section.
���� b.� A member of the Police and
Firemen�s Retirement System who meets the definition of fireman as provided in
subsection a. of this section, may elect a �special retirement� pursuant to
this section and receive the maximum benefit provided by the retirement system,
if the member attains 20 years of creditable service, or 15 years of creditable
service for members who are over 50 years of age, by following the application process
provided in subsection a. of section 16 of P.L.1964, c.241 (C.43:16A-11.1).� Following�
such process, the member shall receive, in lieu of the payment provided in
section 11 of P.L.1944, c. 255 (C.43:16A-11), 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) for a person who is
a member on the effective date of P.L.2011, c.78, 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 20 or 15, as the
case may be, but not over 25 or 20 respectively or (b) for a person who becomes
a member of the retirement system after that effective date, a total retirement
allowance of 60 percent of final compensation, plus 1 percent of final
compensation multiplied by the number of years of creditable service over 20 or
15, as the case may be, but not over 25 or 20 respectively.
���� 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 retired member, there shall be paid to the
member�s beneficiary an amount equal to one-half of the final compensation
received by the member.
���� c.� The retirement allowance
provided in subsection b. of this section shall only apply to retirements filed
following the effective date of P.L.��� , c.��� (C.�� ) (pending before the
Legislature as this bill).�
���� d.� This section shall be
effective if the qualified status of the retirement system under federal law
can be maintained upon its application, and such modifications to the system as
may be available shall be made to allow for its application
���� 3.� This act shall take effect
90 days following the date of enactment.
STATEMENT
���� This bill decreases the number
of years of creditable service required for special retirement for certain
members of the Police and Firemen�s Retirement System (PFRS).
���� The purpose of this bill is to
strengthen firefighter safety and workforce stability by adjusting retirement
eligibility to reflect the well documented health risks associated with long
term exposure to toxic chemicals, extreme heat, and repeated traumatic events
inherent in firefighting. �
���� Firefighters experience unique
occupational risks, including exposure to carcinogens, and are regularly
exposed to hazardous chemicals.� The International Agency for Research on
Cancer classifies occupational exposure as a firefighter as �Group 1: carcinogenic
to humans,� because exposure to numerous carcinogens and hazardous chemicals
often leads to an increased risk of developing cancers, such as mesothelioma,
bladder cancer, and several others.� Firefighters are regularly exposed to a
complex mixture of toxic chemicals such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
(PAHs), diesel exhaust, flame retardants, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances
(PFAs), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and particulates and combustion
byproducts during structural and wildland fires, overhaul, and training.
Exposure to such chemicals has been shown to lead to persistent respiratory
issues, such as persistent cough, shortness of breath, throat irritation, and
abnormal lung function, as well as other systemic health issues including
cardiovascular events, which except for 2020 and 2021 when COVID-19 was a
factor, cardiovascular events were the leading type of nature of fatal injury
of firefighters every year from 2014 to 2023.� Additionally, firefighters often
experience repeated exposure to death, injury, and high-stress emergencies
which has been shown to result in higher levels of post-traumatic stress
disorder, depression, and suicide rates. Aging only increases firefighters�
vulnerability to heat and chemical stress due to a reduced tolerance and slower
recovery.� The risk of cardiovascular events has been shown to significantly
increase after age 50.� Age-related skin changes have also been shown to
increase the risk of exposure to harmful chemicals through contact with skin.�
Older workers are also more likely to experience a greater circadian disruption
due to a 24-hour shift and night-shift work.
���� Due to the cumulative effect
of the hazards of the job, firefighters historically retire after approximately
20 years of service.� Permitting retirement after 20 years of service, instead
of 25 years, and permitting those aged 50 and older to retire after 15 years of
service, will reduce health risks to aging firefighters and will also reduce
disability claims and municipal health care burdens.
���� This bill updates retirement
thresholds to allow firefighters to retire after 20 years of service, and to
permit firefighters age 50 and older to retire after 15 years of service. �These
adjustments align retirement policy with current scientific understanding of
occupational hazards, reduce long term disability and healthcare burdens on
municipalities, and support recruitment and retention in a profession facing
increasing demands. �The bill ensures that those who have protected the public
under hazardous conditions can transition out of frontline service at a point
that better reflects the realities of modern firefighting.
���� Under the bill, a member of
the Police and Firemen�s Retirement System who meets the definition of a
�fireman� under current law will be permitted to elect a �special retirement� and
receive the maximum benefit provided by the retirement system if the member
attains 20 years of creditable service, or 15 years of creditable service for
members who are over 50 years of age.� The bill provides that any member
approved to receive a �special retirement� under the bill will be provided the
maximum benefit provided by the retirement system.
���� The retirement allowance
provided in the bill will only apply to members who file for retirement
following the effective date of the bill.�