a. “Dependents” means an employee’s spouse and the employee’s unmarried children, including stepchildren, legally adopted children, and, at the option of the employer and the carrier, children placed by the Division of Youth and Family Services, under the age of 19 who live with the employee in a regular parent-child relationship, and may also include, at the option of the employer and the carrier, other unmarried children of the employee under the age of 23 who are dependent upon the employee for support and maintenance, but shall not include a spouse or child while serving in the military service. At the option of the employer, “dependent” may include an employee’s domestic partner as defined in section 3 of P.L.2003, c.246 (C. 26:8A-3);

b. “Employees” may, at the option of the employer, include elected officials, but shall not include persons employed on a short-term, seasonal, intermittent or emergency basis, persons compensated on a fee basis, or persons whose compensation from the employer is limited to reimbursement of necessary expenses actually incurred in the discharge of their duties;

c. “Federal Medicare Program” means the coverage provided under Title XVIII of the Social Security Act as amended in 1965, or its successor plan or plans.

L.1979, c.230, s.1; amended 2004, c.130, s.114; 2005, c.334, s.2.