The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.New Jersey Bill A689 Eliminates Future Sick Leave Payouts and Restricts Vacation Carry-Forward for Public Employees
Last action · January 13, 2026: Introduced, Referred to Assembly State and Local Government CommitteeSponsors: McGuckin, Gregory P. and 1 other
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What This Bill Would Do
Assembly Bill 689 eliminates the payment of for unused sick leave earned after the bill's effective date by public officers and employees at the state, county, municipal, and school board levels. The bill also restricts the carry-forward of unused vacation leave, suspends and forfeits leave payouts for employees indicted or convicted of crimes involving their office, and prohibits using six or more consecutive days of sick leave in the year before retirement without medical verification.
Public employees and educators across New Jersey will lose the ability to cash out sick leave earned after the law takes effect and face strict penalties, including fines and termination, for unverified consecutive sick leave usage before retirement.
- New Jersey has historically permitted public employees to accumulate unused sick and vacation leave, leading to substantial cash payouts, commonly known as 'sick leave bank' or 'terminal leave' payouts, upon retirement. context
- Previous legislative measures, including P.L.2007, c.92 and P.L.2010, c.3, established caps and restrictions on supplemental compensation for public employees hired after specific dates. context
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
public employees
Public employees face new restrictions on earning future sick leave payouts, limits on carrying forward vacation leave, and mandatory suspension or forfeiture of leave compensation upon indictment or conviction.
public employers
State agencies, local governments, boards of education, and public universities must enforce new leave limits, administer medical verifications for pre-retirement sick leave, and impose disciplinary penalties for violations.
Attorney General
The Attorney General is required to develop guidelines or procedures to notify public employers when active or former officers or employees are indicted or convicted of crimes involving their office.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will I lose sick leave I already earned before this bill takes effect?
What happens to my vacation leave if I cannot use it because of work demands?
Can I take extended sick leave right before I retire?
What happens to my leave payouts if I am accused of a crime related to my job?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.
Procedural history
1 action- Jan 13, 2026HouseIntroducedIntroduced, Referred to Assembly State and Local Government Committee
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Transition Away from Post-Retirement Sick Leave Payouts
The legislation systematically cuts off future accruals of cashable sick leave across all public sectors in New Jersey while preserving previously accrued amounts under prior statutory caps.
Connected Entities
Sources
njleg.state.nj.us
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance85How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy75Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz40Current news / social attention level
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