New Jersey A 2258: Establishes pilot program in DOE to use therapy dogs in public elementary school wellness programs.

Bill Text

A2258 

ASSEMBLY, No. 2258 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

� 

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman MARGIE DONLON, M.D.

District 11 (Monmouth)

SYNOPSIS

���� Allows cities to close existing life guard pension 
plans to new entrants and modifies certain life guard pension benefits; makes 
new life guard pension plans permissive.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT 

���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative 
Counsel.

�� 

An Act concerning the pension benefits of members of a life guard 
force, amending various parts of the statutory law, and supplementing chapter 
13 of Title 43 of the Revised Statutes.

���� Be It 
Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of 
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.� R.S.43:13-24 is amended to 
read as follows:

���� 43:13-24. [In] Except as 
provided pursuant to section 7 of P.L. , c.�� (C.�� ) 
(pending before the Legislature as this bill), in all cities of the fourth 
class any member of the life guard force, whether employed as an officer or a 
guard, who has or shall have served on such force for a period of twenty years, 
and shall have attained the age of forty-five years, and for a period of ten 
years preceding his application has been continuously in such service, may, 
either by the governing body of any such city or upon his own application, be 
retired upon half pay.

(cf: R.S.43:13-24)

���� 2. R.S.43:13-25 is amended to 
read as follows:

���� 43:13-25. [An] Except as 
provided pursuant to section 7 of 
P.L. , c. (C.�� ) (pending before the 
Legislature as this bill), an officer or member of the life guard force who 
shall have received permanent disability in the performance of his duty shall, 
upon the certificate� of the beach surgeon, or other physician designated by 
the governing body, be� retired on a pension equal to one-half of his salary at 
the time of� retirement.

(cf: R.S.43:13-25)

���� 3. R.S.43:13-26 is amended to 
read as follows:

���� 43:13-26. [The] Except as 
provided pursuant to section 7 of P.L. , c.�� (C.�� ) (pending 
before the Legislature as this bill), the widow of a life guard, officer or 
member of the life guard force who loses his life in the performance of his 
duty, dies from natural causes or has been retired on pension shall receive a 
pension, so long as she remains unmarried equal to one-half of the amount of 
the annual salary of her husband at the time of his death.� At her death, or if 
there is no widow or she remarries, her minor child or children shall receive 
the pension for their support until the youngest reaches sixteen years of age.� 
If there are no children under sixteen years of age, the pension shall be paid 
to the dependent� parent or parents of such life guard officer or life guard.

(cf: R.S.43:13-26)

���� 4.� R.S.43:13-27 is amended to 
read as follows:

���� 43:13-27. �For the purpose of 
paying the pensions hereunder, 
except as provided pursuant to section 7 of P.L.�� , c.�� (C.�� ) (pending 
before the Legislature as this bill), a fund shall be created as� follows:

���� a.� There shall be deducted 
from every payment of salary to each member of the life guard force in the city 
four per cent of the amount thereof.

���� b.� The city shall raise by 
taxation and pay into the fund yearly an amount� equal to four per cent of the 
total salaries paid to members of the life guard� force.

���� c.� Any fines imposed upon a 
member of the force, money given or donated for� the purpose of the fund, money 
deducted from the salary of a member of the� force because of absence or loss 
of time and half of any reward paid to the� force or any member thereof shall 
be added to the fund.

���� d. If at any time there 
is not sufficient money in the pension fund for the purposes thereof, the 
governing body shall include in any tax levy a sum in addition to amounts 
theretofore contributed which shall be sufficient to meet the requirements of 
the fund.� This sum shall be raised by tax levy no longer than is necessary to 
meet the requirements of the fund.� Whenever the fund exceeds an amount which 
the governing body by resolution from time to time determines to be adequate 
for the fund, no moneys, except the four per cent of salaries and the fines, 
donations and rewards specified in this section, shall be paid into the fund 
unless and until the fund falls below the amount so determined to be adequate.

���� e. Any current or former 
member of the life guard force who does not qualify for a pension shall 
receive, upon the filing of an application therefore, a return of all 
accumulated deductions standing to the credit of the member, plus regular 
interest as determined by the life guard pension commission. 

(cf: R.S.43:13-27)

���� 5. R.S.43:13-28 is amended to 
read as follows:

���� 43:13-28. [The] Except as 
provided pursuant to section 7 of P.L. , c.�� (C.�� ) (pending 
before the Legislature as this bill), the mayor or chief executive officer 
sh