18A:66-170 Alternate benefit program.

4. All full-time officers and all full-time members of the faculty of Rutgers, The State University, the Newark College of Engineering, Rowan University, Montclair State University, the State and county colleges and all regularly appointed teaching and administrative staff members in applicable positions, as determined by the Director of the Division of Pensions in the Department of the Treasury, shall be eligible and shall participate in the alternate benefit program, except those persons appointed in a part-time or temporary capacity, physicians and dentists holding employment in positions titled intern, resident or fellow on or after the effective date of this amendatory act, persons compensated on a fee basis, persons temporarily in the United States under an F or J visa and members of the Teachers' Pension and Annuity Fund, the Public Employees' Retirement System, the Police and Firemen's Retirement System or the Group Annuity Plan, who did not elect to transfer to the alternate benefit program in accordance with the provisions of chapter 64C or 65 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes, P.L.1967, c.278 (C.18A:66-130 et seq.), or P.L.1967, c.281 (C.18A:66-142 et seq.), or P.L.1968, c.181 (C.18A:66-154 et seq.). An eligible person who has been enrolled in the alternate benefit program for at least one year pursuant to this section may continue to be enrolled in the program, notwithstanding promotion or transfer to a position within the institution not otherwise eligible for the program.

Any person participating in the alternate benefit program shall be ineligible for membership in the Teachers' Pension and Annuity Fund, the Public Employees' Retirement System, the Police and Firemen's Retirement System or the Group Annuity Plan and any person electing to participate in the alternate benefit program shall thereby waive all rights and benefits provided by the Teachers' Pension and Annuity Fund, the Public Employees' Retirement System, the Police and Firemen's Retirement System or the Group Annuity Plan as a member of said fund, system or plan, except as herein and otherwise provided by law or under terms of the Group Annuity Plan.

Any person required to participate in the alternate benefit program by reason of employment, who at the time of such employment is a member of the Teachers' Pension and Annuity Fund, shall be permitted to transfer his membership in said fund to the Public Employees' Retirement System, by waiving all rights and benefits which would otherwise be provided by the alternate benefit program. Any such new employee who is a member of the Public Employees' Retirement System will be permitted to continue his membership in that system, by waiving all rights and benefits which would otherwise be provided by the alternate benefit program. Such waivers shall be accomplished by filing forms satisfactory to the Division of Pensions within 30 days of the beginning date of employment.

Any person receiving a benefit by reason of his retirement from any retirement or pension system of the State of New Jersey or any political subdivision thereof shall be ineligible to participate in the alternate benefit program.

No person eligible for participation in the alternate benefit program shall be eligible for, or receive, benefits under chapters 4 and 8B of Title 43 of the Revised Statutes.

The alternate benefit programs established pursuant to this act are deemed to be pension funds or retirement systems for purposes of P.L.1968, c.23 (C.43:3C-1 et seq.).

L.1969, c.242, s.4; amended 1981, c.342, s.1; 1982, c.126, s.1; 1984, c.200, s.1; 1994, c.48, s.188; 2012, c.45, s.91; 2017, c.178, s.52.