18A:66-47.2 - Election of death benefit or retirement allowance 

18A:66-47.2. Election of death benefit or retirement allowance 
     Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, the beneficiary of a member who has more than 37 years of service credit and who dies on or after the 24th day after filing an application for retirement and two days before the effective date of the retirement may elect to receive the death benefit payable to the member's beneficiary if the member had died in active service or the retirement allowance elected by the member and payable to the beneficiary pursuant to section 18A:66-47. 

    L.1989, c.272, s.1. 
18A:66-47.3.Applicability of N.J.S.18A:66-47
3.N.J.S.18A:66-47 as amended by section 1 of P.L.1995, c.221 shall apply to a filing for retirement received by the retirement system on or after January 1, 1992, except it shall not apply in a situation in which benefits were paid prior to the effective date of P.L.1995, c.221 to any beneficiary other than or in addition to the beneficiary who would be eligible for benefits under N.J.S.18A:66-47 as amended by section 1 of P.L.1995, c.221.  Benefits payable under N.J.S.18A:66-47 as amended by section 1 of P.L.1995, c.221 on a filing for retirement received by the retirement system prior to the effective date of P.L.1995, c.221 shall be adjusted, if necessary, to account for an insurance benefit or return of contributions paid on behalf of the member prior to the effective date of P.L.1995, c.221, and the amount of a retirement allowance or insurance benefit payable may be reduced, so that the total amount of benefit paid on behalf of the member shall not exceed the value of the benefit to which the member or beneficiary would have been entitled if P.L.1995, c.221 had been in effect on the date of the filing for retirement.

L.1995,c.221,s.3.