
The bill directs the Division of Veterans' Services in the Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs to establish a program to oversee the transfer of the remains of eligible spouses or eligible dependents of veterans, from paupers' or potters' cemeteries to the Brigadier General William C. Currently, cremains can only be interred at the Brigadier General William C. Doyle Veterans' Memorial Cemetery, a State-operated veterans' memorial military cemetery, or a national veterans' memorial military cemetery, or a local veterans' memorial cemetery, if the individual is eligible for interment at those facilities.


The bill also provides that cremains may be interred at the Brigadier General William C. Currently, only the veteran's cremains may be received by a qualified veteran' organization. The bill permits a funeral director to grant a qualified veterans' organization the right to receive the cremains of the eligible spouse or eligible dependent of a veteran, which have not been claimed by a relative or friend of the deceased within one year after cremation. This bill revises the provisions of State law concerning the claiming and proper disposal of the cremains of veterans and their eligible spouses or eligible dependents. Revises provisions of State law concerning claiming and proper disposal of cremains of veterans and eligible spouses or dependents. In addition, the bill also adds to the duties of the Civil Service Commission a personnel orientation program that informs new employees of State psychiatric institutions and State correctional facilities of the risk of injury occurring during and as a result of the performance of their regular or assigned duties. The bill's provisions would apply retroactively to January 1, 2003. The bill provides that, for purposes of application for a PERS accidental disability benefit, a traumatic event (1) occurring during and as a result of the performance of a State employee's regular or assigned duties as, but not limited to, a doctor, nurse, healthcare worker, social worker, or correction officer caring for or guarding individuals who are permanently or temporarily incarcerated for any reason at Trenton Psychiatric Hospital, any other State psychiatric institution or any State correctional facility and (2) occurring when the employee is employed temporarily and not yet eligible for membership in the retirement system will be deemed as occurring during membership, if the employee becomes a member of the retirement system without interruption in that employment. They are not eligible for PERS accidental disability benefits even after attaining PERS member status because the injury occurred when not a PERS member.

Currently, persons employed temporarily at any State psychiatric institution or any State correctional facility who are injured while ineligible for PERS membership are eligible for workers compensation benefits only.

Temporary public employees are not eligible for PERS membership until the employment becomes permanent or the passage of one year, whichever occurs first. This bill allows a member of the Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS) to apply for accidental disability benefits based upon an injury sustained while employed temporarily at Trenton Psychiatric Hospital, any other State psychiatric institution or any State correctional facility, which injury continues to be disabling after the person becomes a PERS member. Permits application for PERS accidental disability benefit for injury sustained after January 2003 while employed at State psychiatric institution or correctional facility immediately prior to PERS membership.
