Bill
S 3307
S. 3307 expands the DOJ Inspector General’s power to investigate DOJ personnel, removing prior limitations and carve-outs.
Note: The materials provided for “S 3307” include two distinct legislative texts: (1) an introduced-version New Jersey statute amending state retirement law (relating to accidental disability and World Trade Center responders), and (2) a federal bill titled the “Inspector General Access Act of 2025” that would amend 5 U.S.C. § 413 to change the Department of Justice Inspector General’s investigative authorities. The summary below describes each element separately and highlights the key provisions and affected parties.
Purpose and intent
- Amend New Jersey retirement statutes governing accidental disability retirement for members/retirees of the Police and Firemen’s Retirement System, State Police Retirement System, and Public Employees’ Retirement System.
- Create and clarify presumptions and procedures for retirement/recalculation of benefits when disability results from participation in World Trade Center (WTC) rescue, recovery, or cleanup operations (September 11–October 11, 2001).
Key provisions
- Revises procedures for accidental disability retirement applications: requires medical-board certification of permanent and total disability caused by a traumatic duty-related event; sets a 5-year filing window from the event, with a board discretion exception for delayed manifestation or other circumstances.
- Defines accidental disability retirement benefit calculation: annuity equal to actuarial value of member contributions plus a pension so total allowance equals 2/3 of actual annual compensation (with the larger of compensation at occurrence or retirement used).
- Provides survivor death benefits (e.g., 3.5 times final compensation, reduced if death after age 55).
- Clarifies that non-traumatic cardiovascular, pulmonary, or musculoskeletal disabilities not caused by a traumatic duty event are ordinary disabilities.
- Establishes a detailed definition of “qualifying condition or impairment of health” to include a broad set of respiratory, gastroesophageal, psychological, skin, musculoskeletal, and future-onset exposure-related diseases (including cancer, COPD, asbestos-related disease, heavy metal poisoning).
- Defines “World Trade Center rescue, recovery, or cleanup operations” and the “World Trade Center site” boundaries and dates.
- Creates a presumption that qualifying conditions resulting from at least eight hours of participation in WTC operations (between 9/11/2001 and 10/11/2001) are duty-related and not due to willful negligence, unless disproved by competent evidence.
- Allows members who participated for less than eight hours but suffered a documented injury on 9/11–9/12/2001 that prevented further participation to qualify for the presumption if the injury is the qualifying condition.
- Requires evidence that the member’s pre-service or entry physical did not disclose the qualifying condition.
- Provides a mechanism for retirees who previously took service retirement or ordinary disability retirement to apply for recalculation to accidental disability retirement if the medical board later determines the disability is WTC-related; sets a 30-day filing window from when the retiree knew or should have known of the relation (additional procedural text truncated in provided version).
Who is affected
- Current and former members (and beneficiaries) of NJ Police and Firemen’s Retirement System, State Police Retirement System, and Public Employees’ Retirement System who participated in WTC operations or who suffer qualifying conditions that may be linked to those operations.
- Employers and boards administering retirement benefits.
Timeline/procedural aspects
- Five-year default filing period for accidental disability applications (with board discretion).
- Specific eligibility windows tied to 9/11/2001–10/11/2001 operations and for certain narrowly defined earlier dates (9/11–9/12/2001).
- Recalculation applications by retirees subject to a 30-day filing limit from knowledge of the condition’s relation (text truncated; additional conditions may apply).
Purpose and intent
- Amend 5 U.S.C. § 413 to modify the investigatory authority of the Department of Justice (DOJ) Inspector General (IG), specifically removing statutory exceptions that limited the IG’s ability to investigate allegations involving DOJ personnel.
Key provisions (based on provided amendments)
- Revises subsection (b) of 5 U.S.C. § 413 by removing and redesignating paragraph numbering so that restrictions previously codified (paragraph (3) in existing text) are struck.
- Amends subsection (d) to strike language that referenced the prior exception (", except with respect to allegations described in subsection (b)(3),") — effectively eliminating that carve-out.
- Net effect: the DOJ Inspector General would have expanded access to investigate allegations involving department personnel that had previously been excluded under the struck provisions.
Who is affected
- Department of Justice personnel and the DOJ Inspector General’s office.
- Parties subject to DOJ investigations (employees, contractors, programs) and entities relying on prior limits on IG review.
Procedural/timeline aspects
- The version provided was introduced in the Senate on December 2, 2025, read twice, and referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee.
- Sponsors listed in the 119th Congress version include Senators Durbin, Lee, Grassley, Klobuchar, Cruz, Coons, Blumenthal, Hirono, Ossoff, and Welch (per the federal text). The earlier New Jersey legislative actions (May 20, 2024 referral; Jan 24, 2025 Judiciary referrals) appear to reflect the state-level retirement bill’s legislative steps and are separate from the federal bill’s actions.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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