Bill Text: NJ S3521 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires employer of volunteer first responder to provide employee with one additional paid sick day per benefit year for healthcare diagnostic testing.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-06-28 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Law and Public Safety Committee [S3521 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-S3521-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator ANTHONY M. BUCCO
District 25 (Morris and Passaic)
SYNOPSIS
Requires employer of volunteer first responder to provide employee with one additional paid sick day per benefit year for healthcare diagnostic testing.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning volunteer first responders and supplementing Title 52 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. The Legislature finds and declares that:
a. There is growing concern across the State that volunteer emergency services organizations are unable to recruit an adequate number of volunteer first responders to meet the community's needs.
b. Volunteer first responders are crucial for maintaining the safety and well-being of our communities.
c. Volunteer service is rewarding to the individual volunteer and strengthens bonds within the community.
d. When fewer people volunteer, municipalities are forced to hire paid personnel at the taxpayers' expense.
e. Accordingly, it is imperative to find solutions for recruiting volunteer first responders, which should include requiring employers to provide additional support to employees who serve as volunteer first responders.
f. Ensuring that volunteer first responders who may have been exposed to hazardous conditions as a consequence of their volunteer service have adequate time to undergo any recommended healthcare diagnostic testing will encourage volunteer recruitment and retention by allowing volunteers to serve their communities effectively while meeting the responsibilities of the volunteer's paid employment.
g. Therefore, it is in the public interest to require employers of volunteer first responders to provide an additional day of sick leave to any employee who is a volunteer first responder.
2. a. As used in this section:
"Employee" means any individual who is 18 years of age or older who is employed by an employer in this State.
"Employer" means a person or entity engaged in a business, industry, profession, trade, or other enterprise in New Jersey, whether for profit or not for profit, that has been in business at least two years and at no time during the previous calendar year employed fewer than 25 employees.
"Volunteer first responder" means a State or local firefighter, volunteer member of a duly incorporated first aid, emergency, ambulance, or rescue squad association, or any other individual who, in the course of volunteer services, is dispatched to the scene of a motor vehicle accident or other emergency situation for the purpose of providing medical care or other assistance.
"Healthcare Diagnostic Testing" means any medical tests or procedures recommended by a healthcare provider to prevent or diagnose any condition that may relate to the employee's duties as a volunteer first responder as determined by the Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development pursuant to subsection c. of this section.
b. An employer shall provide any employee who is a volunteer first responder one additional paid sick day per benefit year, following completion of the person's first calendar year of service, for healthcare diagnostic testing.
c. The Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development, in consultation as necessary with other State agencies, shall adopt rules and regulations pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), as necessary to effectuate the purposes of this section.
3. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill requires employers to provide any employee who serves as a State or local volunteer first responder in this State with one additional paid sick day per benefit year to use for healthcare diagnostic testing to prevent or diagnose any condition that may relate to the employee's duties as a volunteer first responder. Under the bill, the Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development, in consultation as necessary with other State agencies, is required to adopt rules and regulations to implement the bill's provisions.
The sponsor notes that there is growing concern across the State that volunteer emergency services organizations are unable to recruit an adequate number of volunteer first responders to meet the community's needs. Volunteer first responders are crucial for maintaining the safety and well-being of the community. When fewer people volunteer, municipalities are forced to hire paid personnel at the taxpayers' expense. The sponsor believes that ensuring that volunteer first responders, who may have been exposed to hazardous conditions as a consequence of their volunteer service, have adequate time to undergo any recommended healthcare diagnostic testing will encourage volunteer recruitment and retention by allowing the volunteers to serve the community while meeting the responsibilities of the volunteer's paid employment.
