Legislative Update for June 6, 2011

Establishes Uniform School Bus Life of 15 Years:   A-2260 (Diegnan, Wolfe, Lampitt)/S-1040 (Allen, Turner) legislation which establishes a uniform school bus life of 15 years was released by the Senate Budget Appropriations Committee (9-1) with amendments and is now ready for floor action.  This legislation is one of many recommendations made by the Commission on Business Efficiency of the Public Schools in their 2006 Report “Finding the Road: Selected Issues in New Jersey Pupil Transportation.”  NJEA supported this bill. 

PENSIONS - PUBLIC EMPLOYEES/STATE-GOVERNMENT OFFICERS & EMPLOYEES:   S-1875 (Oroho, O’Toole, and Greenstein)  This bill was released by the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee on an 11-0-2 vote.

The legislation repeals a provision of law that allows a member of the Public Employees’ Retirement System (PERS) to retire while holding an elective public office covered by PERS, and to continue to receive the full salary for that office, if the member’s PERS retirement allowance is not based solely on his or her service in the elected public office; but, includes another PERS-covered position, thereby allowing the member to receive simultaneously a PERS pension and the public salary of the elected office while no longer making contributions to the retirement system.  The bill now moves to the full Senate for consideration.  NJEA supports this legislation.