This bill amends existing laws to provide specific provisions for members or retirees of the Police and Firemen's Retirement System (PFRS), State Police Retirement System (SPRS), or Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS) who are seeking accidental disability retirement allowances due to health conditions resulting from their participation in the World Trade Center rescue, recovery, or cleanup operations following the events of September 11, 2001. It establishes a presumption that permanent and total disability from qualifying health conditions is considered to have occurred in the line of duty for those who participated in these operations for a minimum of eight hours. The bill also allows for the recalculation of retirement allowances for members who retired under different circumstances but later incurred disabilities related to their participation in these operations.

Key provisions include extending the eligibility period for filing a written and sworn statement for an accidental disability retirement allowance to two years after the bill's effective date, with potential extensions in two-year increments approved by the board of trustees. It introduces a new provision allowing members and retirees to present evidence from medical examinations conducted before or after their entry into public service as an alternative to the requirement of having passed a physical examination that did not disclose qualifying health conditions. The bill clarifies its applicability to members or retirees of the Public Employees' Retirement System who did not meet the age or medical requirements for the PFRS and includes emergency medical technicians certified by the Department of Health. The board of trustees is responsible for notifying affected members and retirees of the bill's enactment within 30 days.

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