Establishes First Responders COVID-19 Supplemental Benefits Program; appropriates $20 million.

This bill establishes a supplemental benefits program for New Jersey first responders who contracted COVID-19 while on duty and are already eligible for workers' compensation. It provides additional payments equal to 30% of weekly wages (up to $1,800 per week) to make up the difference between regular workers' compensation (70% of wages) and full wages, for up to 180 weeks while the responder is unable to work. The program is funded with a $20 million appropriation from the General Fund to the Second Injury Fund, with benefits retroactive to when the responder became unable to work due to COVID-19. The bill also creates an advisory council with 12 members to oversee the program and requires annual reports on claim numbers, benefit amounts, and costs. Benefits must be claimed within two years after the end of the public health emergency declared in 2020.