43:15A-61 Public employee veterans' pensions.

61. a. (Deleted by amendment, P.L.1995, c.332.)

b. Any public employee veteran member in office, position or employment of this State or of a county, municipality, public agency, school district or board of education and who (1) shall have attained 60 years of age and who has 20 years of aggregate service credit in such office, position or employment, or (2) shall have attained 55 years of age and who has 25 years of aggregate service credit in such office, position or employment, shall have the privilege of retiring for service and receiving, instead of the retirement allowance provided under section 48 of this act, a retirement allowance of 54.5% of the compensation for which contributions are made during the 12-month period of membership providing the largest possible benefit to the member or the member's beneficiary.

c. Any public employee veteran member who has been for 20 years in the aggregate in office, position or employment of this State or of a county, municipality, public agency, school district or board of education as of January 2, 1955, shall have the privilege of retiring for ordinary disability and of receiving, instead of the retirement allowance provided under section 45 of this act, a retirement allowance of one-half of the compensation received during the last year of employment upon which contributions to the annuity savings fund or contingent reserve fund are made. Such retirement shall be subject to the provisions governing ordinary disability retirement in sections 42 and 44 of this act.

d. Any public employee veteran member who shall be in office, position or employment of this State or of a county, municipality, public agency, school district or board of education and who shall have attained 55 years of age and who has at least 35 years of aggregate service credit in such office, position or employment, shall have the privilege of retiring for service and receiving a retirement allowance of 1/55 of the compensation the member received during the 12-month period of membership providing the largest possible benefit to the member or the member's beneficiary for each year of creditable service.

e. The death benefit provided in section 48 shall apply in the case of any member retiring under the provisions of subsections a., b. and d. of this section. The death benefit provided in section 45 shall apply in the case of any member retired under the provisions of subsection c. of this section.

f. The State shall be liable for any increased cost to local government employers participating in the retirement system as a result of the amendment of this section by P.L.2001, c.353, except as provided in section 16 of P.L.2001, c.353.

L.1954,c.84,s.61; amended 1954, c.244, s.11; 1966, c.217, s.11; 1971, c.213, s.28; 1985, c.220; 1995, c.332, s.2; 2001, c.133, s.14; 2001, c.353, s.14; 2004, c.177, s.2.