Requires PFRS enrollment to be retroactive to first date of employment for death benefit eligibility.

This bill (S 1849) changes death benefit eligibility for police and fire department employees in New Jersey. It requires the Police and Firemen’s Retirement System (PFRS) to treat employees who died before enrolling in the system as if they were enrolled from their first day of employment. This means surviving spouses, children, or parents of such employees can now receive death benefits they previously would not have qualified for. The change applies retroactively to deaths occurring before the bill's enactment, with beneficiaries having up to 12 months after the bill takes effect to apply for these benefits.