This bill aims to enhance health care benefits for the surviving dependents of accidental disability retirees who were involved in the rescue, recovery, or cleanup operations at the World Trade Center after the September 11, 2001 attacks. It establishes a presumption that disabilities resulting from these operations occurred during the performance of duty, provided the member participated for at least eight hours. The bill also clarifies the eligibility criteria for recalculating retirement allowances, allowing members to apply for recalculation as an accidental disability retirement allowance without the previous requirement of having retired on a service or ordinary disability retirement. Members must file an application within 30 days of becoming aware of their disability, and the bill mandates that the state will cover health insurance premiums for the surviving dependents of members who retired under these conditions.

Additionally, the bill allows surviving spouses and dependent children of retirees who received an accidental disability retirement allowance to continue receiving health care coverage, with most costs covered by the state. The surviving spouse's contribution will be based on their retirement allowance, and those already eligible for benefits under existing collective bargaining agreements are excluded. The bill also stipulates that new members of the retirement system must submit a sworn statement regarding their service dates and locations within 30 days of joining, and it allows retirees to apply for recalculation of their pensions as accidental disability retirement allowances within two years of the act's effective date or within 30 days of recognizing the disability's connection to their service.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 43:16A-7, 53:5A-10, 43:15A-43