This bill amends existing laws concerning the accidental disability retirement allowance for members of the Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS), Police and Firemen's Retirement System (PFRS), and State Police Retirement System (SPRS) who participated in the World Trade Center rescue, recovery, or cleanup operations after the September 11, 2001 attacks. It establishes a presumption that permanent and total disability from specific health conditions is connected to their service, provided they participated for at least eight hours. The bill outlines qualifying conditions, such as respiratory diseases and psychological disorders, and allows for filing extensions for applications related to these disabilities. It also introduces new medical documentation requirements, allowing retirees to apply for recalculation of their retirement allowance as an accidental disability retirement allowance if they incur a qualifying disability, with a filing deadline of 180 days from when they became aware of the disability's relation to their service.

Additionally, the bill extends the filing period for members and retirees to submit a written and sworn statement to two years after the bill's effective date, with the possibility of further extensions in two-year increments. It allows those previously denied eligibility due to late filing to petition for reconsideration or resubmit their forms. The requirements for proving eligibility are modified to permit evidence from medical examinations conducted before or after entry into public service, rather than relying solely on a physical examination that did not disclose qualifying conditions. The bill mandates that the board of trustees notify all members and retirees of these changes within 60 days, ensuring clear communication regarding the new provisions, impacted individuals, filing requirements, and deadlines.

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