43:16-1. Retirement for age and service

43:16-1. a. In all municipalities any active member of a police department or of a paid or part-paid fire department or of a county police department including active members of the paid or part-paid fire department of any fire district located in any township which has adopted the provisions of an act entitled "An act providing for the retirement of policemen and firemen of the police and fire departments in municipalities of this State, including all police officers having supervision or regulation of traffic upon county roads, and providing a pension for such retired policemen and firemen and members of the police and fire departments, and the widows, children and sole dependent parents of deceased members of said department," approved April 15, 1920 (P.L.1920, c.160) or of chapter 16 of Title 43 of the Revised Statutes, who shall have served honorably in the police or fire department for a period of 25 years, or any employee member of any such department who shall have served honorably in such department for a period of 25 years and who has reached the age of 60 years shall, on his own application, be retired on a service retirement pension equal to 60% of his final compensation. Any active member of the police or paid or part-paid fire department including active members of the paid or part-paid fire department of any fire district as aforesaid who shall have served honorably for a period of 25 years and reached the age of 65 years and any employee member of any such department who shall have served honorably in such department for a period of 25 years and reached the age of 70 years shall be retired on a service retirement pension equal to 60% of his final compensation.

The amount of the service retirement pension of any member of such police or paid or part-paid fire department, who has served for more than 25 years and who retires after August 8, 1984, shall be increased by an amount equal to 1% of his final compensation for each year of service in excess of 25 years but not more than 30 years and 1% of his final compensation for each year of service in excess of 30 years rendered prior to his reaching age 65.

b. The service retirement pension payable under subsection a. of this section to any person who served honorably in a police or fire department for a period of 25 years and retired from the service of the department prior to the effective date of this act, P.L.2001, c.4, shall be increased by an amount equal to 5% of the person's final compensation or by such lesser amount as would, if added to the pension payable at the time of retirement, provide a total service retirement pension of 70% of final compensation. The provisions of this subsection shall not be construed either to require a reduction in the pension payable to any retirant or to provide for the payment of any adjustment in such a benefit with respect to any period of time prior to the first day of the month following that effective date. The State shall be liable for any increased cost to local government employers participating in the Consolidated Police and Firemen's Pension Fund as a result of the increased benefit provided for in this subsection.

Amended 1938, c.104; 1944, c.253, s.1; 1947, c.234, s.1; 1952, c.358, s.1; 1964, c.242, s.1; 1973, c.110; 1981, c.241, s.1; 1984, c.127, s.1; 2001, c.4, s.1.