Bill Text: NJ S251 | 2010-2011 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Allows counties to establish emergency management registry for individuals with special needs.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-01-12 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Law and Public Safety Committee [S251 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2010-S251-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
214th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2010 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Senator JEFF VAN DREW
District 1 (Cape May, Atlantic and Cumberland)
Senator CHRISTOPHER J. CONNORS
District 9 (Atlantic, Burlington and Ocean)
SYNOPSIS
Allows counties to establish emergency management registry for individuals with special needs.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel
An Act concerning emergency management and supplementing chapter 9 of Appendix A.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. Each county in the State may establish a central registry for residents with special needs who require additional assistance provided to them during an emergency or local disaster emergency as defined in section 3 of P.L.1953, c. 438 (C.App.A:9-33.1). A central registry created pursuant to this section shall be maintained by each county office of emergency management, and shall be composed of information voluntarily provided by each registrant that includes but is not limited to the registrant's address, telephone number, and particular condition.
b. Each county that creates such a registry shall conduct a public awareness campaign to inform the general public of the importance of identifying individuals with special needs prior to an emergency so that appropriate preparations may be made to ensure that these individuals receive necessary assistance during an evacuation. Information collected pursuant to this section shall be treated as confidential but may be forwarded to the State Office of Emergency Management as part of the Emergency Operations Plan required pursuant to section 21 of P.L.1989, c.222 (C.App.A:9-43.4).
c. For the purposes of this act "special needs" means a physical or mental disability or medical care need of an individual who, after exhausting all other resources still needs assistance for evacuation or sheltering before, during, or after a disaster or emergency.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill allows each county to establish a central registry for individuals with special needs who may need additional assistance during an emergency or local disaster emergency. Each county that chooses to establish such a registry is required, under the bill, to conduct a public awareness campaign to inform the general public of the importance of identifying individuals with special needs prior to an emergency so that appropriate preparations may be made to ensure that these individuals receive necessary assistance during an evacuation. The bill defines special needs as a physical or mental disability or medical care needs of an individual who, after exhausting all other resources still needs assistance for evacuation or sheltering before, during, or after a disaster or emergency.
This bill would implement Recommendation 11 of the Final Report of the Assembly Coastal New Jersey Evacuation Task Force which was submitted to the Speaker on May 23, 2008.
