This bill revises the eligibility criteria for accidental disability retirement allowances for members and retirees 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 following the September 11, 2001 attacks. It establishes a presumption that permanent and total disability resulting from qualifying health conditions is connected to their service during these operations, provided the member participated for at least eight hours. However, the presumption can also apply to those who did not meet the eight-hour requirement if they sustained a documented injury during the specified time frame. The bill also allows retirees who later incur a qualifying disability to apply for a recalculation of their retirement allowance as an accidental disability retirement within 180 days of becoming 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 modifies the requirements for proving eligibility by allowing 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 board of trustees is mandated to notify all members and retirees of these changes within 60 days of enactment, ensuring clear communication regarding the new provisions, impacted classes, filing requirements, and deadlines.

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