Bill Text: NJ S1387 | 2014-2015 | Regular Session | Introduced

New Jersey Senate Bill 1387 (Prior Session Legislation)

Introduced

Bill Title: Increases membership of PFRS board of trustees.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-02-27 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism & Historic Preservation Committee [S1387 Detail]

Download: New_Jersey-2014-S1387-Introduced.html

SENATE, No. 1387

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

216th LEGISLATURE

INTRODUCED FEBRUARY 27, 2014

Sponsored by:

Senator PETER J. BARNES, III

District 18 (Middlesex)

SYNOPSIS

Increases membership of PFRS board of trustees.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

As introduced.

An Act increasing the membership of the board of trustees of the Police and Firemen's Retirement System of New Jersey and amending P.L.1944, c.255.

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. Section 13 of P.L.1944, c.255 (C.43:16A-13) is amended to read as follows:

13. a. (1) Subject to the provisions of P.L.1955, c.70 (C.52:18A-95 et seq.), the general responsibility for the proper operation of the retirement system is hereby vested in a board of trustees, and, as specified, the committees established pursuant to subsection b. of this section.

(2) The board shall consist of [11] 19 trustees as follows:

(a) [Five] Nine members to be appointed by the Governor, with the advice and consent of the Senate, who shall serve for a term of office of four years and until their successors are appointed and who shall be private citizens of the State of New Jersey who are neither an officer thereof nor an active or retired member of any police or fire department thereof. Of the four members initially appointed by the Governor pursuant to P.L.1992, c.125 (C.43:4B-1 et al.), one shall be appointed for a term of one year, one for a term of two years, one for a term of three years, and one for a term of four years. The member appointed by the Governor pursuant to the provisions of [this amendatory act,] P.L.1995, c.238[,] shall serve for a term of four years and until a successor is appointed.

(b) The State Treasurer or the deputy State Treasurer, when designated for that purpose by the State Treasurer.

(c) [Two policemen and two firemen who shall be] Eight active members of the system [and who shall be elected by the active members of the system for a term of four years according to such rules and regulations as the board of trustees shall adopt to govern such election.] appointed by the Governor, with the advice and consent of the Senate, two upon the recommendation of the State Policemen's Benevolent Association, two upon the recommendation of the State Fraternal Order of Police, two upon the recommendation of the State Firemen's Mutual Benevolent Association, and two upon the recommendation of the Professional Firefighters Association of New Jersey, each for a term of four years and until successors are appointed.

(d) One retiree from the system who shall be elected by retirees from the system for a term of four years according to such rules and regulations as the board of trustees shall adopt to govern the election.

(3) Each trustee shall, after his appointment or election, take an oath of office that, so far as it devolves upon him he will diligently and honestly fulfill his duties as a board member, and that he will not knowingly violate or willingly permit to be violated any of the provisions of the law applicable to the retirement system. Such oath shall be subscribed by the member making it, and certified by the officer before whom it is taken, and immediately filed in the office of the Secretary of State.

(4) If a vacancy occurs in the office of a trustee, the vacancy shall be filled in the same manner as the office was previously filled.

(5) The trustees shall serve without compensation, but they shall be reimbursed for all necessary expenses that they may incur through service on the board.

(6) Each trustee shall be entitled to one vote in the board. [Six] Eight trustees must be present at any meeting of said board for the transaction of its business.

(7) Subject to the limitations of this act, the board of trustees shall annually establish rules and regulations for the administration of the funds created by this act and for the transaction of the board's and committees' business. Such rules and regulations shall be consistent with those adopted by the other pension funds within the Division of Pensions and Benefits in order to permit the most economical and uniform administration of all such retirement systems. The committees shall adopt such regulations as provided in subsection b. of this section.

(8) The board of trustees shall elect from its membership a chairman. The Director of the Division of Pensions and Benefits shall appoint a qualified employee of the division to be secretary of the board. The administration of the program shall be performed by the personnel of the Division of Pensions and Benefits.

(9) The board of trustees shall keep a record of all of its proceedings which shall be open to public inspection. The retirement system shall publish annually a report showing the fiscal transactions of the retirement system for the preceding year, the amount of the accumulated cash and securities of the system, and the last balance sheet showing the financial condition of the system by means of an actuarial valuation of the assets and liabilities of the retirement system.

(10) The Attorney General of the State of New Jersey shall be the legal adviser of the retirement system, except that if the Attorney General determines that a conflict of interest would affect the ability of the Attorney General to represent the board or the committees on a matter affecting the retirement system, the board may select and employ legal counsel to advise and represent the board or the committees on that matter.

(11) The State Treasurer shall designate a medical board after consultation with the Director of the Division of Pensions and Benefits, subject to veto by the board of trustees for valid reason. It shall be composed of three physicians who are not eligible to participate in the retirement system. The medical board shall pass upon all medical examinations required under the provisions of this act, shall investigate all essential statements and certificates by or on behalf of a member in connection with an application for disability retirement, and shall report in writing to the retirement system its conclusions and recommendations upon all matters referred to it.

(12) The actuary of the system shall be selected by the Retirement Systems Actuary Selection Committee established by P.L.1992, c.125. He shall be the technical adviser of the board of trustees and the committees on matters regarding the operation of the funds created by the provisions of this act, and shall perform such other duties as are required in connection therewith.

(13) At least once in each three-year period the actuary shall make an actuarial investigation into the mortality, service and compensation experience of the members and beneficiaries of the retirement system and, with the advice of the actuary, the board of trustees shall adopt for the retirement system such mortality, service and other tables as shall be deemed necessary and shall certify the rates of contribution payable under the provisions of this act.

(14) (Deleted by amendment, P.L.1970, c.57.)

(15) On the basis of such tables recommended by the actuary as the board of trustees shall adopt and regular interest, the actuary shall make an annual valuation of the assets and liability of the funds of the system created by this act.

(16) (Deleted by amendment, P.L.1987, c.330.)

(17) Each policeman or fireman member of the board of trustees or the committees shall be entitled to time off from his duty, with pay, during the periods of his attendance upon regular or special meetings of the board of trustees or the committees, and such time off shall include reasonable travel time required in connection therewith.

b. There are established two committees, to be composed of 10 members each as follows, one for the State employees part of the retirement system and one for the part of the retirement system with employees of employers other than the State.

Each committee shall have five members who shall be appointed by the Governor as representatives of public employers whose employees are enrolled in the retirement system, two members who shall be appointed by the head of the union representing the greatest number of police officer members of the retirement system having union membership, one member who shall be appointed by the head of the union representing the second greatest number of police officer members of the retirement system having union membership, one member who shall be appointed by the head of the union representing the greatest number of firefighter members of the retirement system having union membership, and one member who shall be appointed by the head of the union representing the second greatest number of firefighter members of the retirement system having union membership. The members of the committees shall not be appointed until that part of the system attains the target funded ratio.

The members of each committee shall serve for a term of three years and until a successor is appointed and qualified. For each committee, of the initial appointments by the Governor, two members shall serve for two years and until a successor is appointed and qualified, and two shall serve for one year and until a successor is appointed and qualified. For each committee, of the initial appointments by the head of the union representing the greatest number of police officer members of the retirement system, the members shall serve for two years and until a successor is appointed and qualified. For each committee, of the initial appointment by the head of the union representing the greatest number of firefighter members of the retirement system, the member shall serve for one year and until a successor is appointed and qualified.

For each committee, the members of the committee shall select a chairperson from among the members, who shall serve for a term of one year, with no member serving more than one term until all the members of the committee have served a term in a manner alternating among the employer representatives and employee representatives, unless the committee determines otherwise with regard to this process.

The provisions of paragraphs (3) through (6), inclusive, and (17) of subsection a. of this section, and subsection (4) of section 14 of P.L.1944, c.255 (C.43:16A-14), shall apply to the committee and its members, as appropriate. The committee shall keep a record of all of its proceedings which shall be open to public inspection.

Upon the convening of any meeting of a committee, the members shall consider a motion to assume the authority provided in this subsection and shall proceed only if a majority of the members of the committee vote in the affirmative on that motion.

Each committee may contract with such actuaries or consultants, or both, in accordance with the provisions of P.L.1954, c.48 (C.52:34-6 et seq.), as the committee may deem necessary to perform its duties, when that part of the system has attained the target funded ratio.

When a part of the system, has attained the target funded ratio as defined in section 27 of P.L.2011, c.78 (C.43:3C-16), the committee for that part shall have the discretionary authority for that part to (1) modify the: member contribution rate; formula for calculation of final compensation; age at which a member may be eligible for and the benefits for service or special retirement; and benefits provided for disability retirement; and (2) activate the application of the "Pension Adjustment Act," P.L.1958, c.143 (C.43:3B-1 et seq.) for retirees for the period that the part is at or above the target funded ratio and modify the basis for the calculation of the adjustment and set the duration and extent of the activation. A committee shall give priority consideration to subparagraph (2) of this paragraph. A committee shall not have the authority to change the years of creditable service required for vesting.

Each committee may consider a matter described above and render a decision notwithstanding that the provisions of the statutory law may set forth a specific requirement on that matter.

Each committee may consider a matter described above and render a decision notwithstanding that the provisions of the statutory law do not set forth a specific requirement on the considered aspect of that matter or address that matter at all.

The members of each committee shall have the same duty and responsibility to the retirement system as do the members of the board of trustees. No decision of a committee shall be implemented if the direct or indirect result of the decision will be that the funded ratio of that part falls below the target funded ratio in any valuation period during the 30 years following the implementation of the decision. The actuary of the system shall make a determination of the result in that regard and submit that determination in a written report to the committee and the board prior to the implementation of the decision.

If any matter before a committee receives at least six votes in the affirmative, the board of trustees shall approve and implement the committee's decision.

If any matter regarding benefits before a committee receives five votes in the affirmative and five votes in the negative or the committee otherwise reaches an impasse on a decision, the provisions of section 33 of P.L.2011, c.78 (C.43:3C-17) shall be followed.

A final action of the committee shall be made by the adoption of a regulation that shall identify the modifications to the system by reference to statutory section. The regulations shall also specify the effective date of the modification and the system members, including beneficiaries and retirees, to whom the modification applies. Regulations of the committee are considered to be part of the plan document for the system. A regulation adopted by the committee may be modified by regulation in order to comply with the requirements of this section.

c. No member of the board, committee, employee of the board, or employee of the Division of Pensions and Benefits in the Department of the Treasury shall accept from any person, whether directly or indirectly and whether by himself or through his spouse or any member of his family, or through any partner or associate, any gift, favor, service, employment or offer of employment, or any other thing of value, including contributions to the campaign of a member or employee as a candidate for elective public office, which he knows or has reason to believe is offered to him with intent to influence him in the performance of his public duties and responsibilities. As used in this subsection, "person" means an (1) individual or business entity, or officer or employee of such an entity, who is seeking, or who holds, or who held within the prior three years, a contract with the board; (2) an active or retired member, or beneficiary, of the retirement system; or (3) an entity, or officer or employee of such an entity, in which the assets of the retirement system have been invested. A board or committee member or employee violating this prohibition shall be guilty of a crime of the third degree.

(cf: P.L.2011, c.78, s.4)

2. The terms of the two policemen and two firemen serving on the board of trustees of the Police and Firemen's Retirement System of New Jersey on the effective date of this act shall expire on that date, except that those trustees may hold over in office until appointments are made pursuant to subsection c. of section 13 of P.L.1944, c.255 (C.43:16A-13).

3. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

This bill increases the membership of the board of trustees of the Police and Firemen's Retirement System from 11 to 19. The bill provides for four additional public members to be appointed by the Governor. It also replaces the two active policemen trustees and the two active firemen trustees, currently elected by active members of the retirement system, with eight active members appointed by the Governor, with the advice and consent of the Senate, two each upon the recommendation of the State Policemen's Benevolent Association, the State Fraternal Order of Police, the State Firemen's Mutual Benevolent Association, and the Professional Firefighters Association of New Jersey.