New Jersey Assembly Bill A4709

New Jersey 2026-2027 Regular Session

• Introduced: 3/16/26
• Refer: 3/16/26

Caption

Establishes survivor support liaison in Department of Treasury to assist beneficiaries of emergency responders who die in line of duty; designated as "Captain Augusto Acabou's, Wayne Brooks', and Plainfield Firefighter Marques Hudson's act"; appropriates $1,000,000.

Summary

This bill creates an Office of Emergency Responder Survivor Support and Navigation within the Department of the Treasury to help beneficiaries of emergency responders who die in the line of duty. The office would be led by a survivor support liaison and staffed by at least three additional employees, all of whom must themselves be beneficiaries of first responders who died in the line of duty. The office would operate remotely and would not have a physical location. The office’s core function is to guide surviving family members and other beneficiaries through the benefits process. It must help with applications for municipal, State, and federal benefits, as well as private survivor benefit and scholarship programs. It must also provide a summary of the benefits available, maintain contact with beneficiaries, and answer questions throughout the application process. The bill authorizes the State Treasurer to adopt guidelines to carry out the act and appropriates $1,000,000 annually from the General Fund to support the office.

Impact

The bill supplements Title 52 of the Revised Statutes by establishing a new Treasury office and creating a dedicated state support structure for survivors of fallen emergency responders. It does not change eligibility rules for existing death, pension, or survivor benefits, but it centralizes navigation and assistance for beneficiaries and adds a new state-funded administrative program. The measure would affect the Department of the Treasury, the State Treasurer, and the families of law enforcement officers, firefighters, and certain emergency medical first responders who die in the line of duty.

Sentiment

The bill appears to be strongly sympathetic and supportive in tone, reflecting a desire to provide practical help to grieving families after line-of-duty deaths. Its naming after Captain Augusto Acabou, Wayne Brooks, and Plainfield Firefighter Marques Hudson signals a memorial and honorific purpose, and the structure of the office suggests an emphasis on lived experience and direct assistance. No committee testimony or recorded votes were provided, so there is no evidence of formal opposition in the available materials.

Contention

The main potential points of contention are likely to be the annual $1,000,000 appropriation, the creation of a new office within Treasury, and the requirement that staff be beneficiaries of first responders who died in the line of duty. Some may question whether the office duplicates existing benefits assistance services or whether the staffing requirement is too restrictive. Others may support those features as necessary to ensure the office has specialized experience and credibility with affected families.