NOW LAW: Corrado Bill Requiring Public Employees Convicted of Sex Offenses to Forfeit Pensions

Any public employee or elected official who is convicted of committing a sex offense while on the job will be required to forfeit their state pension, under a newly enacted law that was sponsored by Senator Kristin Corrado.

“Anyone who has the audacity to use their taxpayer-funded position of power to assault a coworker doesn’t deserve a state pension,” Corrado (R-40) said. “Public service is about helping people and making the state you work for a better, safer place for all. Anyone who commits a crime that is contrary to that mission, whether it’s an ethics violation or a sex offense, shouldn’t be paid by the state for life. We need to confront this crisis head-on and ensure that people know there are real consequences for committing crimes in the workplace.”

Corrado’s legislation, A-3766/S-2595, was signed by the Governor today.

Prior to the legislation’s enactment, public officials or employees who were convicted of committing certain crimes related to their official duties, such as bribery or official misconduct, could not be stripped of their pension as a result of those violations.

Senator Corrado’s legislation, A-3766/S-2595, expands the law to include the following offenses as crimes that meet the threshold for pension forfeiture, if the crime is directly related to the offender’s performance in, or circumstances related to their public office or position of employment: sexual assault, lewdness, sexual contact, and corruption of public resources in the first degree.

“Unfortunately, there are some officials and employees in New Jersey who are not in public service to serve the public good. They are in it for the power. If these people cross the line, the State must hold them accountable,” Senator Corrado, a member of the New Jersey Legislative Select Oversight Committee, added. “This new law will help us to protect our employees, look out for taxpayers, and restore public trust in government.”