Sponsored by:
Assemblyman DANIEL R. BENSON
District 14 (Mercer and Middlesex)
Assemblywoman VALERIE VAINIERI HUTTLE
District 37 (Bergen)
Assemblyman ANTHONY S. VERRELLI
District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)
SYNOPSIS
Requires NJT to provide protective face covering to passengers without protective face covering; appropriates $100,000.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning temporary public health precautions on public transportation and making an appropriation.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. During the public health emergency declared on March 9, 2020 by the Governor, pursuant to Executive Order No. 103 and extended, where applicable, by subsequent executive orders, the New Jersey Transit Corporation shall provide a complimentary protective face covering to any passenger that does not possess a protective face covering. Upon rescission of the executive orders concerning the public health emergency or upon the termination of the declared public health emergency, the corporation may elect to continue to provide a complimentary protective face covering to any passenger that does not possess a protective face covering, at the discretion of the corporation's board of directors or, in the absence of board action, at the discretion of the executive director of the corporation.
b. Notwithstanding the requirements of subsection a. of this section, the corporation and its employees and agents shall not be liable for any harm or injury caused by the failure of the corporation or an employee or agent of the corporation to provide a protective face covering to a passenger as required by subsection a. of this section.
2. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the New Jersey Transit Corporation the amount of $100,000 to fulfill the purposes of this act.
3. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
During the COVID-19 public health emergency, this bill requires the New Jersey Transit Corporation (NJ Transit) to provide a protective face covering to any passenger that does not possess a protective face covering. After the public health emergency, NJ Transit is also authorized to continue to provide a protective face covering to passengers without protective face coverings at the discretion of the NJ Transit board of directors or, in the absence of board action, the executive director of NJ Transit.
The bill appropriates $100,000 from the General Fund to NJ Transit to fulfill the bill's purposes.