The bill amends New Jersey law to require Administrative Law Judges (ALJs) to enroll in the Workers Compensation Judges Part of the Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS), thereby aligning their retirement benefits with those of Workers' Compensation Judges. Specifically, it modifies Section 2 of P.L. 2007, c.92 to include ALJs from the Office of Administrative Law as eligible participants in the retirement program. Additionally, Section 7 of P.L. 1954, c.84 is updated to explicitly include ALJs in the membership of PERS, enhancing their retirement security and recognizing their contributions to the state's legal framework.

Furthermore, the bill mandates that ALJs currently in the Defined Contribution Retirement Program (DCRP) be transferred to the new retirement system within 90 days of enactment, with their service credit recognized for health care benefits in retirement. It also establishes survivor benefits for the families of deceased judges, provisions for purchasing prior service credit, and outlines the state's financial responsibilities regarding unfunded accrued liabilities. Overall, the bill aims to ensure that ALJs receive equitable retirement benefits comparable to those of their counterparts in the workers' compensation system.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 43:15C-2, 43:15A-7, 43:15A-142, 43:15A-143, 43:15A-144, 43:15A-145, 43:15A-146, 43:15A-147, 43:15A-148, 43:15A-149, 43:15A-150, 43:15A-151, 43:15A-152, 43:15A-153, 43:15A-154