LEGISLATIVE REPORT
Updating the legislation the PBA is watching
The State PBA’ s success in Trenton continues. Legislation we have proposed and supported continues to move through the State Senate and Assembly and onto the governor’ s desk.
In any given legislative session, hundreds of bills are introduced in the Senate and Assembly that impact members. The majority will never get a hearing, and so it is critical that the State
ROB NIXON PBA make a compelling case for the bills we support to get the attention they deserve. The same level of attention is critical to address legislation that would be harmful to the law enforcement profession and ensure those bills are either held or amended. This involves a daily analysis of the bills that are presented by legislators.
Given the vast amount of information we must relay and address, movement of priority bills becomes all the more significant when we see action, up to and including positive action, from the governor. This has definitely been true lately when a number of key issues we support have moved in Trenton. These include:
Senate Bill 879( Greenstein)
The bill prohibits the termination of law enforcement officers who are physically unable to perform their duties if injured in the line of duty and are awaiting approval of their pension application by the state. This is a State PBA-proposed bill and a major priority for this session. Status: The bill has been signed into law by the governor.
Senate Bill 790( Sarlo)
The legislation requires the Police Training Commission to develop an accelerated training course for certain county corrections officers who are to be transferred to a sheriff’ s officer position. The bill was a State PBA proposal. Status: The bill was conditionally vetoed by the governor to suggest changes to the requirements of the bill. We are currently reviewing the governor’ s recommendations and working with our PTC representatives to consider our options with this issue.
Senate Bill 596( Cunningham)
The bill reestablishes the Sick Leave Injury Compensation program for state law enforcement officers injured while performing official duties. The bill is a State PBA initiative. Status: The bill has passed both houses and is awaiting action from the governor.
Assembly Bill 2690( Johnson)
Expands the list of retired law enforcement officers eligible to carry a handgun. Status: The bill unanimously passed the Assembly and was recently released from the Senate Law and Public Safety Committee. It is awaiting a final vote in the Senate.
There has also been a great deal of conversation among the members regarding the State PBA’ s proposal to solidify the PFRS by changing its management and investment structure. As this article goes to print, the final draft of the bill has been presented to legislative leaders for their approval and introduction.
This bill represents nearly two years of research and analysis. The proposal will remove political interference and state mismanagement of the pension fund, and place it into the hands of professionals who will work exclusively for the PFRS with oversight and control from a revised Board of Trustees. The governor or any other politicians will no longer be able to tinker with your pension, how it’ s funded or how the money is invested. The PFRS will be governed with the goals of full funding and protection of the system.
The legislation will be groundbreaking and it represents the best practices of well-funded police and fire pension funds from across the U. S. A major presentation on the draft will be provided at the NJ State PBA Mini-Convention in March. Until then, please refer questions on the proposal to your State Delegate. d
10 NEW JERSEY COPS ■ FEBRUARY 2017