STATE OF NEW JERSEY
216th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2014 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman DIANNE C. GOVE
District 9 (Atlantic, Burlington and Ocean)
Assemblyman BRIAN E. RUMPF
District 9 (Atlantic, Burlington and Ocean)
SYNOPSIS
Provides immunity from civil liability for persons performing animal rescue and authorizes formation of emergency animal rescue response units.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel
An Act concerning animal rescue, and supplementing Title 2A and P.L.1953, c.393 (C.App. A:9-30 et seq.).
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Any individual who in good faith renders emergency care to an animal at the scene of an accident or during a disaster, or while transporting an animal during a rescue from a disaster, shall not be liable for any civil damages as a result of any acts or omissions by such person in rendering the emergency care.
2. Each county and municipality in the State may include, within its Emergency Operations Plan, provision for an emergency animal rescue response unit to provide emergency care to injured animals, transport for abandoned or lost animals, and temporary food and shelter to lost, abandoned, or recovering animals. The emergency animal rescue response unit shall be under the supervision of the municipal emergency management coordinator, as designated pursuant to section 8 of P.L.1953, c.438 (C.App. A:9-40.1) or the county emergency management coordinator as designated pursuant to section 12 of P.L.1953, c.438 (C.App. A:9-42.1), as the case may be.
As used in this section "emergency animal rescue response unit" shall include, but shall not be limited to, units including members of the New Jersey Certified Animal Control Officers Association.
3. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill would provide immunity from civil liability to any individual who in good faith renders emergency care to an animal at the scene of an accident or during a disaster, or while transporting an animal during a rescue from a disaster. In addition, the bill would allow any county or municipality to include, within its Emergency Operations Plan, provision for an emergency animal rescue response unit to provide emergency care to injured animals, transport for abandoned or lost animals, and temporary food and shelter to lost, abandoned, or recovering animals. The emergency animal rescue response unit would be under the supervision of the municipal emergency management coordinator, or the county emergency management coordinator as the case may be. The bill defines "emergency animal rescue response unit" to make it clear that members of the New Jersey Certified Animal Control Officers Association are included within that term.