Bill Text: NJ A4662 | 2014-2015 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Provides for DOH to issue identification card to person with autism or intellectual or developmental disability to help emergency responders with recognition and response techniques.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 2-1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-06-29 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Health and Senior Services Committee [A4662 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2014-A4662-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman CARMELO G. GARCIA
District 33 (Hudson)
Assemblyman SEAN T. KEAN
District 30 (Monmouth and Ocean)
SYNOPSIS
Provides for DOH to issue identification card to person with autism or intellectual or developmental disability to help emergency responders with recognition and response techniques.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning identification cards for certain persons, supplementing Title 26 of the Revised Statutes, and amending P.L.2008, c.80.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. (New section) a. The Commissioner of Health shall issue to a person with autism or an intellectual or other developmental disability an identification card pursuant to this section, upon receiving a qualified application submitted by the person with autism or an intellectual or other developmental disability or the person's parent or guardian in accordance with this section. The purpose of the card shall be to assist emergency responders in the appropriate recognition of and response techniques concerning a person with autism or an intellectual or other developmental disability. The commissioner shall post on the website of the Department of Health an application form for the card, directions for completion of the form, and any other information that the commissioner deems appropriate. A printed copy of the application form, directions, and other information shall be made available to a member of the public upon request.
b. A qualified application shall:
(1) contain a statement, signed by a physician, certifying that the applicant for the card has autism or an intellectual or other developmental disability;
(2) be dated no more than 60 days following the date of the certified statement specified in paragraph (1) of this subsection;
(3) include a fee of $10, which may be waived in the discretion of the commissioner. The fee shall be used to offset costs incurred by the department in issuing a card pursuant to this section; and
(4) include any additional information that the commissioner deems necessary.
c. A card issued pursuant to this section shall: include the language "Person with Autism or an Intellectual or Other Developmental Disability Identification Card"; be yellow in color; and be designed to fit in a person's wallet.
d. The commissioner is authorized to solicit, receive, and accept grants, funds, or anything of value from any public or private entity and receive and accept contributions of money, property, labor, or any other thing of value from any legitimate source for the purpose of issuing an identification card pursuant to this section.
2. Section 2 of P.L.2008, c.80 (C.26:2-190) is amended to read as follows:
2. a. The Commissioner of Health and the Commissioner of Human Services, in consultation with the New Jersey Fire and Emergency Medical Services Institute and the New Jersey State First Aid Council, shall develop a training curriculum with the purpose of informing emergency responders of the risks associated with autism or an intellectual or other developmental disability, as well as providing instruction in appropriate recognition and response techniques concerning these disabilities, and shall include in the curriculum information about the identification card available pursuant to section 1 of P.L. , c. (C. )(pending before the Legislature as this bill). The curriculum shall be incorporated into existing time requirements for training and continuing education of emergency responders.
b. Prior to certification by the Department of Health, each emergency medical technician trained in basic life support services as defined in section 1 of P.L.1985, c.351 (C.26:2K-21) shall be required to satisfactorily complete the training developed under subsection a. of this section. Every emergency medical technician certified prior to the effective date of [this act] P.L.2008, c.80 (C.26:2-189 et al.) shall, within 36 months of the effective date of [this act] P.L.2008, c.80 (C.26:2-189 et al.), satisfactorily complete the training in recognition and response techniques concerning these disabilities, through existing continuing education requirements.
c. The Commissioner of Health shall adopt rules and regulations, pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), to effectuate the purposes of this act.
(cf: P.L.2012, c.17, s.143)
3. Section 4 of P.L.2008, c.80 (C.52:17B-71.9) is amended to read as follows:
4. a. The Police Training Commission in the Department of Law and Public Safety shall adopt a training course regarding the risks associated with autism or an intellectual or other developmental disability and appropriate recognition and response techniques concerning these disabilities based on the curriculum developed by the Departments of Health [and Senior Services] and Human Services pursuant to subsection a. of section 2 of P.L.2008, c.80 (C.26:2-190). The training course shall be administered by the employing agency as part of the in-service training provided to each local police officer in each law enforcement unit operating in this State, and shall include information about the identification card available pursuant to section 1 of P.L. , c. (C. )(pending before the Legislature as this bill).
b. Prior to being appointed to permanent status as a local police officer in a law enforcement unit, an individual shall be required to complete the training course adopted under subsection a. of this section. Every local police officer appointed prior to the effective date of [this act] P.L.2008, c.80 (C.26:2-189 et al.) shall, within 36 months of the effective date of [this act] P.L.2008, c.80 (C.26:2-189 et al.), satisfactorily complete a training course in recognition and response techniques concerning these disabilities.
c. The Police Training Commission shall adopt rules and regulations, pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), to effectuate the purposes of this act.
(cf: P.L.2008, c.80, s.4)
4. Section 3 of P.L.2008, c.80 (C.52:27D-25jj) is amended to read as follows:
3. a. The Division of Fire Safety in the Department of Community Affairs, in consultation with the New Jersey Fire and Emergency Medical Services Institute, shall adopt a training course regarding the risks associated with autism or an intellectual or other developmental disability and appropriate recognition and response techniques concerning these disabilities, based on the curriculum developed by the Departments of Health [and Senior Services] and Human Services pursuant to subsection a. of section 2 of P.L.2008, c.80 (C.26:2-190). The course curriculum and instruction, which shall include information about the identification card available pursuant to section 1 of P.L. , c. (C. )(pending before the Legislature as this bill), shall be administered to every firefighter recruit, volunteer or paid.
b. Each person, volunteer or paid, who is engaged in fire suppression, firefighting, or fire rescue before the effective date of [this act] P.L.2008, c.80 (C.26:2-189 et al.) shall, within 36 months of the effective date of [this act] P.L.2008, c.80 (C.26:2-189 et al.), satisfactorily complete a training course in recognition and response techniques concerning these disabilities.
c. The Commissioner of Community Affairs shall adopt rules and regulations, pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), to effectuate the purposes of this act.
(cf: P.L.2008, c.80, s.3)
5. This act shall take effect on the first day of the seventh month next following the date of enactment, but the Commissioner of Health may take any anticipatory administrative action in advance as shall be necessary for the implementation of this act.
STATEMENT
This bill provides that the Commissioner of Health is to issue to a person with autism or an intellectual or other developmental disability an identification card, upon receiving a qualified application submitted by the person or the person's parent or guardian. The purpose of the card is to assist emergency responders in the appropriate recognition of and response techniques concerning a person with autism or an intellectual or other developmental disability.
Under the bill, the commissioner is to post on the website of the Department of Health (DOH) an application form for the card, directions for completion of the form, and any other information that the commissioner deems appropriate. Printed copies of the form and information are to be made available to the public upon request.
To obtain the card, an application submitted to DOH would: contain a statement, signed by a physician, certifying that the applicant for the card has autism or an intellectual or other developmental disability; be dated no more than 60 days following the date of the certified statement; and include a fee of $10, which may be waived in the discretion of the commissioner, to be used to offset costs incurred in issuing the card; and include any additional information that the commissioner deems necessary.
The issued card would include the language "Person with Autism or an Intellectual or Other Developmental Disability Identification Card," and be yellow in color and designed to fit in a person's wallet.
The bill amends existing laws concerning training emergency responders about autism or an intellectual or other developmental disability, so that their training includes information about the identification card.
