Quigley Re-introduces ‘DiNardo Bill’
By Jon Whiten • Jan 21st, 2010 • Category: Blog, News, Politics
Jersey City Assemblywoman Joan Quigley announced today that she’s re-introduced state legislation to expedite the payment of accidental pension death benefits for the families of fallen police and firefighters. Quigley introduced the bill after it was revealed that the widow of slain JCPD detective Marc DiNardo spent months fighting the state government bureaucracy before receiving his pension benefits.
The bill would provide that the benefits be paid upon the filing of a certified death certificate and all properly completed claim forms with the Division of Pension and Benefits. If the Police and Firemen’s Retirement System board of trustees later determines that the benefit is not payable, the payment would cease and the person who received the payment would be required to repay within 90 days.
The legislation was unanimously approved by the state Assembly last December, but it never passed the full legislature before the 2008-09 legislative session expired, so it has to be re-introduced. Quigley says the bill has senate backing from Hudson County Sens. Nick Sacco and Brian Stack.
“To have seen this family get caught in a bureaucratic mess was outrageous,” Quigley says in a statement. “This can’t go on and it has to be fixed. It was unacceptable and must not happen again. This bill would ensure it doesn’t and I will fight again to get it passed.”
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Jon Whiten is the founding editor of the Jersey City Independent; he now works for a public-policy nonprofit in Trenton.
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