§ 18A:28-11.1. Credit for military service

1. In computing length of service for seniority purposes, every teaching staff member who, after July 1, 1940, has served or hereafter shall serve, in the active military or naval service of the United States or of this State, including active service in the women's army corps, the women's reserve of the naval reserve, or any similar organization authorized by the United States to serve with the army or navy, in time of war or an emergency, or for or during any period of training, or pursuant to or in connection with the operation of any system of selective service, or who was a member of the American Merchant Marine during World War II and is declared by the United States Department of Defense to be eligible for federal veterans' benefits, shall be entitled to receive equivalent years of employment or seniority credit for that service as if the member had been employed for the same period of time in some publicly owned and operated college, school or institution of learning in this or any other state or territory of the United States, except that the period of that service shall not be credited toward more than four years of employment or seniority credit. Any military or naval service shall be credited towards this employment or seniority credit including service that occurred prior to the member's employment as a teaching staff member. L.1985,c.217,s.1; amended 1991,c.389,s.2.