“Civil union” means a civil union as defined in section 2 of P.L.2006, c.103 (C. 37:1-29).

“Employee assistance program” means a program in which a public employer provides or contracts with a service provider to provide assistance to the employer’s employees and their dependents to resolve problems which may affect employee work performance, irrespective of whether the problems originate on the job, including, but not limited to, marital and family problems, emotional problems, substance use disorder, compulsive gambling, financial problems, and medical problems.

“Dependent” means an employee’s spouse, civil union partner, or domestic partner, an unmarried child of the employee who is less than 31 years of age and lives with the employee in a regular parent-child relationship, or an unmarried child of the employee who is not less than 31 years of age and is not capable of self support. “Child of the employee” includes any child, stepchild, legally adopted child, or foster child of the employee, or of a domestic partner or civil union partner of the employee, who is reported for coverage and dependent upon the employee for support and maintenance.

“Domestic partner” means a domestic partner as defined in section 3 of P.L.2003, c.246 (C. 26:8A-3).

“Employee” means an employee of a public employer.

“Public employer” means the State of New Jersey, or the counties and municipalities thereof, or any other political subdivision of the State, or a school district, or any special district, or any authority, including a bi-state authority, or any commission, or board, or any branch or agency of the public service.

L.2011, c.69, s.1; amended 2023, c.177, s.115.