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Division of Pensions & Benefits

Recent Legislation

Links to older Chapter Laws and other legislative information can be found on the New Jersey Legislature website.

Subject

P.L. 2023, c. 151 (Chapter 151)

This law allows a municipality to determine if a newly appointed individual serving as municipal fire department chaplain will hold rank and receive salary and benefits.

Date Approved: September 1, 2023

Effective Date: September 1, 2023

P.L. 2023, c. 121 (Chapter 121)

This law permits teachers, and professional staff members who provide special services, who retired from the Teachers’ Pension and Annuity Fund (TPAF) to return to employment for up to two years without reenrollment in the TPAF if employment commences during the 2023-2024 school year.

Date Approved: July 20, 2023

Effective Date: July 20, 2023

P.L. 2023, c. 107 (Chapter 107)

This law establishes new transparency standards for pharmacy benefits manager business practices.

Date Approved: July 10, 2023

Effective Date: January 1, 2025

P.L. 2023, c. 106 (Chapter 106)

This law establishes certain data reporting requirements for prescription drug supply chain; establishes Drug Affordability Council; appropriates $1,500,000.

Date Approved: July 10, 2023

Effective Date: July 10, 2023

P.L. 2023, c. 105 (Chapter 105)

This law requires health insurance carriers to provide coverage for epinephrine auto-injector devices and asthma inhalers; limits cost sharing for health insurance coverage of insulin.

Date Approved: July 10, 2023

Effective Date: March 1, 2024

P.L. 2023, c. 92 (Chapter 92)

This law extends until May 1, 2026, the application deadline under P. L. 2021, c. 52, which provides a retirement allowance after 20 years of service regardless of age for certain members of the Police and Firemen’s Retirement System (PFRS).

Date Approved: July 3, 2023

Effective Date: July 3, 2023

P.L. 2023, c. 31 (Chapter 31)

This law permits a judge who was collecting an annuity from a State-administered retirement system while serving as a judge and deferred retirement to become County Prosecutor or Administrative Director of the Courts between November 1, 2020 and April 3, 2023, to continue to collect that annuity while serving in that position. The law is effective immediately and retroactive to November 1, 2020.

Date Approved: April 3, 2023

Effective Date: April 3, 2023 (and retroactive to November 1, 2020)

P.L. 2023, c. 8 (Chapter 8)

This law requires health insurance coverage of colorectal cancer screenings recommended by the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) and eliminates cost-sharing requirements for colonoscopies performed following a positive result on a non-colonoscopy, colorectal cancer screening test.

Date Approved: February 2, 2023

Effective Date: June 1, 2023

Subject

P.L. 2022, c. 109 (Chapter 109)

This law mandates access to periodic cancer screening examinations for full-time paid firefighters not enrolled in the State Health Benefits Program, amending P.L. 2021, c. 478, and making an appropriation.

Date Approved: September 15, 2022

Effective Date: January 1, 2023

P.L. 2022, c. 94 (Chapter 94)

This law removes restriction on receipt of retirement annuities by certain members of the Judicial Retirement System who file for deferred retirement. The law is retroactive to November 1, 2020.

Date Approved: August 5, 2022

Effective Date: August 5, 2022

P.L. 2022, c. 77 (Chapter 77)

This law provides that a member of the State Police Retirement System (SPRS) may be eligible for Accidental Disability retirement if the member becomes permanently and totally disabled because a preexisting and asymptomatic condition that that is later rendered symptomatic as a direct result of a traumatic event occurring during and as a result of the performance of regular or assigned duties. The law also permits retirees who were denied by accidental disability retirement solely on the basis of an asymptomatic pre-existing condition between 2012 and 2019 to apply for reconsideration within 30 days of enactment.

Date Approved: July 29, 2022

Effective Date: July 29, 2022

P.L. 2022, c. 33 (Chapter 33)

This law requires health insurers, specifically including the SHBP and SEHBP, to provide coverage for benefits delivered through the psychiatric Collaborative Care Model in the treatment of mental health conditions and substance use disorders.

Date Approved: June 30, 2022

Effective Date: August 29, 2022

P.L. 2022, c. 9 (Chapter 9)

This law permits current police and fire chiefs to remain active members of the Police and Firemen's Retirement System (PFRS) for a limited time under certain circumstances.

Date Approved: April 12, 2022

Effective Date: April 12, 2022

P.L. 2021, c. 498 (Chapter 498)

This law permits Public Employees’ Retirement System (PERS) retirees to return to employment in the New Jersey Legislature after retirement under certain circumstances.

Date Approved: January 18, 2022

Effective Date: January 18, 2022

P.L. 2021, c. 478 (Chapter 478)

This law mandates access to periodic cancer screening examinations for full-time firefighters enrolled in the SHBP.

Date Approved: January 18, 2022

Effective Date: January 1, 2023

P.L. 2021, c. 428 (Chapter 428)

This law limits to 90 days the period during which members of the State Police Retirement System (SPRS) can be kept on past their mandatory retirement during a public health emergency or state of emergency.

Date Approved: January 18, 2022

Effective Date: February 17, 2022

P.L. 2021, c. 418 (Chapter 418)

This law removes the New Jersey Maritime Pilot and Docking Pilot Commissions from the appropriations act provision that limits compensation and health benefits and clarifies PERS and SHBP eligibility for members of the commission. The law takes effect immediately and is retroactive to July 1, 2021.

Date Approved: January 18, 2022

Effective Date: January 18, 2022

P.L. 2021, c. 408 (Chapter 408)

This law permits teachers and professional staff members who provide special services and retired from the Teachers' Pension and Annuity Fund (TPAF) to return to employment for up to two years without reenrollment in the TPAF, if the return to employment begins during the 2021-2022 or 2022-2023 school years.

Date Approved: January 18, 2022

Effective Date: January 18, 2022

P.L. 2021, c. 399 (Chapter 399)

This law permits members of the State Police Retirement System (SPRS) to purchase service credit earned from public employment in another state or with the United States Government.

Date Approved: January 18, 2022

Effective Date: January 18, 2022

P.L. 2021, c. 376 (Chapter 376)

This law expands the requirements of health insurers, including the SHBP and Medicaid, to cover prescriptions for contraceptives for up to 12 months.

Date Approved: January 13, 2022

Effective Date: April 13, 2022

P.L. 2021, c. 375 (Chapter 375)

This law codifies the constitutional right to freedom of reproductive choice. As specifically relates to the SHBP/SEHBP, the law requires that a contract providing hospital or medical expense benefits purchased by the State Health Benefits Commission or the School Employees’ Health Benefits Commission may provide coverage for abortion.

Date Approved: January 13, 2022

Effective Date: January 13, 2022

Subject

P.L. 2021, c. 329 (Chapter 329)

This law amends the JRS retirement provisions to permit a Judge serving as Administrative Director of the Courts to apply for deferred retirement from JRS and be appointed as Administrative Director of the Courts, if the member is at least 65 years old and has served for 20 years as a judge in any court in New Jersey.

Date Approved: December 21, 2021

Effective Date: December 21, 2021

P.L. 2021, c. 310 (Chapter 310)

This law modifies the SHBP/SEHBP coverage for telehealth and telemedicine, addresses coverage for COVID-19 testing and services, and repeals P.L. 2020, c.3 and P.L. 2020, c.7, which addresses telemedicine and COVID-19 testing.

Date Approved: December 2, 2021

Effective Date: December 2, 2021

P.L. 2021, c. 296 (Chapter 296)

This law permits a certified school nurse who is retired from the TPAF to return to employment for up to two years without reenrollment in the TPAF.

Date Approved: November 8, 2021

Effective Date: November 8, 2021

P.L. 2021, c. 226 (Chapter 226)

This law reopens the Prosecutors Part of PERS and makes membership in the Prosecutors Part mandatory for all prosecutors.

Date Approved: September 24, 2021

Effective Date: September 24, 2021

P.L. 2021, c. 187 (Chapter 187)

This law requires the Department of Children and Families to establish a Statewide voluntary universal newborn home nurse visitation program to provide homes visitation services for a newborn and the infant’s parents, which is to be covered by the SHBP at no cost to the member, except for HD plans or catastrophic plans for which coverage is to be provided at the lowest deductible and cost-sharing requirement permitted.

Date Approved: July 29, 2021

Effective Date: July 29, 2021

P.L. 2021, c. 163 (Chapter 163)

This law changes the effective date of Garden State Health Plan; exempts certain charter and renaissance schools from healthcare plan requirements; and requires negotiations over certain health care costs.

Date Approved: July 7, 2021

Effective Date: July 7, 2021

P.L. 2021, c. 157 (Chapter 157)

This law requires insurance companies, health service corporations, hospital service corporations, medical service corporations, or health maintenance organizations authorized to issue health benefits plans in this State, as well as the Medicaid program, the NJ FamilyCare Program, the State Health Benefits Program, and the School Employees’ Health Benefits Program to provide coverage for an “opioid antidote” without imposing prior authorization requirements or other utilization management requirements, provided that the treatment is: (1) prescribed or administered to the eligible member by a licensed medical practitioner who is authorized to prescribe or administer that treatment pursuant to State and federal law; or (2) dispensed to the eligible member by a licensed pharmacist under a standing order to dispense an opioid antidote pursuant to section 1 of P.L. 2017, c.88 (C.45:14-67.2), which allows pharmacists to dispense opioid antidotes to any person without an individual prescription. The law provides that its provisions are not be construed to limit the coverage of an opioid antidote only when administered by a medical practitioner.

Date Approved: July 2, 2021

Effective Date: July 2, 2021

P.L. 2021, c. 140 (Chapter 140)

This law reopens the Workers’ Compensation Part of the Public Employees’ Retirement System and transfers Workers’ Compensation Judges from the Defined Contribution Retirement Program to the Workers’ Compensation Part within 90 days of enactment.

Date Approved: June 30, 2021

Effective Date: June 30, 2021

P.L. 2021, c.105 (Chapter 105)

This law changes the eligibility criteria for a deferred retirement for a member of the Judicial Retirement System (JRS) who has been appointed by the Governor, with the advice and consent of the Senate, to the position of county prosecutor.

Date Approved: June 11, 2021

Effective Date: June 11, 2021

P.L. 2021, c. 75 (Chapter 75)

This law provides accidental death benefits in certain circumstances to surviving spouses and surviving children of SPRS retirees who participated in 9/11 World Trade Center rescue, recovery, or cleanup operations.

Date Approved: May 3, 2021

Effective Date: May 3, 2021

P.L. 2021, c. 73 (Chapter 73)

This law requires insurers including the SHBP/SEHBP to provide coverage for adolescent depression screenings for covered individuals ages 12 to 18 to the same extent as other services and without any cost sharing.

Date Approved: April 30, 2021

Effective Date: October 27, 2021

P.L. 2021 c. 52 (Chapter 52)

This law extends eligibility for retirement from PFRS at 20 years of service, regardless of age. Under the law, a member of the PFRS who was enrolled before April 19, 2021 (the effective date) and is still a member of PFRS on April 19, 2021 may retire after that date, but not later than the end of a two-year period after the effective date (which ends on May 1, 2023), regardless of age, upon attaining 20 or more years of service credit. The member will receive a retirement allowance equal to 50 percent of the member's final compensation.

Date Approved: April 19, 2021

Effective Date: April 19, 2021

P.L. 2020, c. 151 (Chapter 151)

This law enhances the accidental death benefit of the Police and Firemen's Retirement System (PFRS) for a member's surviving spouse. Currently, that benefit is 70% of the compensation upon which contributions by the member to PFRS were based in the last year of creditable service. The law provides an alternative benefit, if larger, of $50,000 annually, but only for deaths on or after the effective date of the law.

Date Approved: January 7, 2021

Effective Date: January 7, 2021

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Last Updated: Friday, 09/01/23