"Assistance to Firefighters' Families Act"; doubles pension amounts for beneficiaries of certain deceased volunteer emergency service providers; provides for burial expenses and adjusts life insurance coverage for volunteer firefighters; permits fire code inspection surcharge.

S3446

SENATE, No. 3446

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED FEBRUARY 9, 2026

Sponsored by:

Senator� JAMES BEACH

District 6 (Burlington and Camden)

SYNOPSIS

���� "Assistance to Firefighters' Families Act";
doubles pension amounts for beneficiaries of certain deceased volunteer
emergency service providers; provides for burial expenses and adjusts life
insurance coverage for volunteer firefighters; permits fire code inspection
surcharge.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

An Act

increasing certain volunteer emergency workers�
survivor pensions, and concerning life insurance and funeral and burial
expenses for volunteer firefighters, designated as the "Assistance to
Firefighters' Families Act," and amending N.J.S.40A:10-29, P.L.1957,
c.168, and P.L.1983, c.383.

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

���� 1.��� N.J.S.40A:10-29 is
amended to read as follows:

���� 40A:10-29.� In addition to the
insurance required under chapter 15 of Title 34 of the Revised Statutes, a
municipality maintaining a volunteer fire department, or in which there are one
or more incorporated volunteer fire companies whose members have or shall form
themselves into a group or groups for the purpose of obtaining a group life
insurance plan with any insurance company authorized to� do business in New
Jersey, may appropriate moneys to defray the cost of such insurance and pay the
premiums therefor.

���� A municipality shall not
undertake the cost nor pay the premiums on any policy of group life insurance
where the amount payable upon the death of each assured exceeds the amount of
[
$25,000
]

$250,000
.

����
A municipality shall pay
reasonable funeral and burial costs upon the death of an assured volunteer
firefighter, to the extent those costs are not covered by the New Jersey State
Firemen�s Association or a firemen�s relief association established in
accordance with R.S.43:17-1 et seq.

(cf: P.L.2007, c.220, s.2)

���� 2.��� Section 2 of P.L.1957,
c.168 (C.43:12-28.2) is amended to read as follows:

���� 2.��� A survivor's pension
granted under section 1 of P.L.1957, c.168 (C.43:12-28.1) shall be for the
sum of (a)
[
$15,000
]

$30,000

annually and shall be paid� to the widow, during her widowhood, or to the child
or children of such firefighter, emergency medical technician, or first aid or
rescue squad worker, if he leaves no surviving widow, or to such child or
children after the death of such widow, (b)
[
$10,000
]

$20,000

annually and shall be paid� to the child or children of such firefighter,
emergency medical technician, or first aid or rescue squad worker, if the
surviving widow remarries, or (c)
[
$5,000
]

$10,000

annually and shall be paid to the parent or parents of such firefighter,
emergency medical technician, or first aid or rescue squad worker, if he leaves
no surviving widow or child.� As used in this section, the terms
"widow" and "widowhood" shall also include
"widower" and "widowerhood" respectively.

(cf: P.L.2002, c.134, s.2)

���� 3.��� Section 12 of P.L.1983,
c.383 (C.52:27D-203) is amended to read as follows:

���� 12. a. Each enforcing agency
in this State shall enforce the "Uniform Fire Safety Act," P.L.1983,
c.383 (C.52:27D-192 et seq.) in all buildings, structures, and premises within
its jurisdiction, except owner-occupied buildings used exclusively for dwelling
purposes and containing fewer than three dwelling units, subject to the control
and supervision of the commissioner and in accordance with regulations
promulgated by the commissioner.� The commissioner shall consult with and
advise all local enforcement agencies enforcing the provision of P.L.1983,
c.383 (C.52:27D-192 et seq.), and each local enforcement agency shall provide
the commissioner with reports, data, and information required by the
commissioner.� To cover the cost to the municipality of conducting inspections
under P.L.1983, c.383 (C.52:27D-192 et seq.), the municipality may, by
ordinance, establish fees, which shall be paid into the treasury of the
municipality to which the local enforcing agency is responsible, and which
shall be appropriated by the municipality to the local enforcing agency to pay
the cost of enforcing P.L.1983, c.383 (C.52:27D-192 et seq.).

���� b.��� A local enforcing agency
consisting of or employing at least one paid fire inspector who is licensed
pursuant to subsection c. of this section may elect to inspect high-rise
structures and life hazard uses within its jurisdiction, in lieu of inspection
by the commissioner.� That election shall be made by resolution of the
governing body having jurisdiction over the local enforcing agency.� If an
appropriate resolution has not been received by the commissioner on or before
the effective date of P.L.1983, c.383 (C.52:27D-192 et seq.), the department
shall perform all inspections under this subsection until such time as the
governing body shall adopt and send to the commissioner an appropriate
resolution.� A local enforcing agency that elects to inspect high-rise
structures and life hazard uses may issue the certificates of inspection
required to be issued pursuant to section 14 of P.L.1983, c.383 (C.52:27D-205)
and may inspect buildings and premises other than high-rise structures and life
hazard uses in order to secure compliance with P.L.1983, c.383 (C.52:27D-192 et
seq.).

���� c.���� The commissioner shall
license fire inspectors and fire officials under P.L.1983, c.383 (C.52:27D-192
et seq.) in accordance with standards as the commissioner shall establish by
regulation.� As a condition of licensure, a person shall:

���� (1)�� submit an application to
the Division of Fire Safety with the required fee;

���� (2)�� successfully complete an
educational program adopted by the Division of Fire Safety's Office of
Training, Certification, and Licensing;

���� (3)�� meet prerequisite
criteria established by regulation; and

���� (4)�� pass the State written
and practical exams.

���� d.��� A licensed fire
inspector and fire official shall conduct fire inspections authorized by
P.L.1983, c.383 (C.52:27D-192 et seq.) and established by regulation in
non-life-hazard and life-hazard use groups.

���� e.���� Fire inspector and fire
official certifications approved by the Office of Training and Certification
prior to the effective date of P.L.2025, c.19 shall be considered equivalent to
licenses established pursuant to P.L.2025, c.19.

���� f.���� Existing licensed
multiple dwelling inspectors and officials enforcing the fire code in non-life
hazard use dwellings shall be allowed two years from the effective date of
P.L.2025, c.19 to obtain a fire inspector license to be able to continue
enforcing the fire code.

����
g.��� In order to cover the
cost to the municipality of providing insurance or other benefits provided to
volunteer firefighters under N.J.S.40A:10-29 and N.J.S.40A:10-30, the
municipality may, by ordinance, establish a surcharge for each inspection for
which a fee is charged pursuant to subsection a. of this section.� Funds raised
from the

surcharge shall be paid into the treasury of the
municipality to which the local enforcing agency is responsible.

(cf: P.L.2025, c.19, s.5)

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

STATEMENT

���� This bill, designated as the
"Assistance to Firefighters' Families Act," would double the survivor
pension amounts that the State is required to pay to beneficiaries of volunteer
firefighters, first aid workers, rescue squad workers, and emergency medical
technicians who die as the result of injuries sustained while performing their
duties.

���� Additionally, this bill would require
municipalities served by volunteer fire companies to pay reasonable funeral and
burial expenses of an assured firefighter to the extent those costs are not
covered by the New Jersey State Firemen�s Association or a firemen�s relief
association.� The bill also increases from $25,000 to $250,000 the maximum
group life insurance policy coverage that a municipality may undertake or pay
the premium for.� Municipalities may raise funds to provide these benefits to
volunteer firefighters by establishing a surcharge for each fire code
inspection in the municipality.�