A5079 1R

An Act concerning electrical linemen ¹and certain utility workers¹ in certain emergencies, supplementing Title 48 and Title 53 of the Revised Statutes and Title 2A of the New Jersey Statutes, and amending P.L.1989, c.3.

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. (New section) As used in this section, “electrical lineman ¹or utility worker¹” means a person that installs, maintains, or repairs electrical transmission and power distribution systems ¹or water infrastructure¹.

An electrical lineman ¹or utility worker¹ shall be referred to as a “first responder electrical lineman ¹or first responder utility worker¹” during a weather-related state of emergency, as declared by the Governor or by the President of the United States.

2. (New section) a. As used in this section, “first responder electrical lineman ¹or first responder utility worker¹” means a person that installs, maintains, or repairs electrical transmission and power distribution systems ¹or water infrastructure¹ during a weather-related state of emergency, as declared by the Governor or by the President of the United States.

b. The Division of State Police may issue special decals for motor vehicles owned, leased, or used by a first responder electrical lineman ¹or first responder utility worker¹ to provide or restore electrical ¹or water¹ service during a weather-related state of emergency, as declared by the Governor or by the President of the United States.

c. The decals shall be designed by the Division of State Police, in consultation with the Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission and the Division of Highway Traffic Safety in the Department of Law and Public Safety. The decals shall be displayed in a manner prescribed by the Division of State Police, in consultation with the Division of Highway Traffic Safety in the Department of Law and Public Safety, and shall be clearly visible to law enforcement officers.

d. (1) A first responder electrical lineman ¹or first responder utility worker¹ shall not display the special decals at any time except in the course of providing or restoring electrical ¹or water¹ service during a weather-related state of emergency. The ¹[decal] decals¹ shall be removed after the weather-related state of emergency has ended.

(2) Abuse of any privilege, benefit, use or consideration granted to any person to whom the special decals are issued shall be sufficient cause for revocation of the special decals, and shall subject the person to all other penalties in this section.

(3) A first responder electrical lineman ¹or first responder utility worker¹ shall return the special ¹[decal] decals¹ to the Division of State Police when the first responder electrical lineman or ¹first responder utility worker¹ is no longer employed or utilized to provide electrical ¹or water¹ service during a weather-related state of emergency. A first responder electrical lineman ¹or first responder utility worker¹ who fails to return the special decals within 30 days of no longer being employed or utilized to provide electrical ¹or water¹ service during a weather-related state of emergency shall be subject to a fine of $100 to be imposed by the Division of State Police.

e. The Division of State Police shall determine a method for distributing and returning the special decals to and from a first responder electrical lineman ¹or first responder utility worker¹ and establish any regulations necessary to effectuate the purposes of this section.

f. Any person who submits a false statement or provides false information to obtain or facilitate the receipt of the special decals, or the misuse of the special decals pursuant to this section shall be subject to a fine of not more than $1,000, which fine may be assessed by the Division of State Police. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed in any way to preclude or limit the prosecution or conviction of any person for falsifying or tampering with records under N.J.S.2C:21-4 or for any other crime or offense.

3. (New section) a. As used in this section, “first responder electrical lineman ¹or first responder utility worker¹” means a person that installs, maintains, or repairs electrical transmission and power distribution systems ¹or water infrastructure¹ during a weather-related state of emergency, as declared by the Governor or by the President of the United States.

b. A first responder electrical lineman ¹or first responder utility worker¹ shall not be liable for any civil damages as a result of any acts or omissions undertaken in good faith that arise out of and in the course of providing or restoring electrical ¹or water¹ service during a weather-related state of emergency, as declared by the Governor or by the President of the United States.

c. Nothing in this section shall be deemed to grant immunity to a first responder electrical lineman ¹or first responder utility worker¹ causing damage by a willful, wanton, or grossly negligent act or omission, nor for any damage caused to any person as the result of the negligent operation of a motor vehicle.

4. Section 8 of P.L.1989, c.3 (C.52:17C-8) is amended to read as follows:

a. Each public safety answering point shall be capable of dispatching or forwarding requests for law enforcement, fire fighting, emergency medical services, or other emergency services to a public or private safety agency that provides the requested services.

b. Each public safety answering point shall be equipped with a system approved by the office for the processing of requests for emergency services for the physically disabled. No person shall connect to a telephone company's network any automatic alarm or other automatic alerting device which causes the number "9-1-1" to be automatically dialed and which provides a prerecorded message in order to directly access emergency services, except for devices which may be approved by the office. Devices approved by the office shall be registered with the office on forms provided by the office.

c. Each entity operating a public safety answering point shall be responsible for obtaining, operating, and maintaining enhanced 9-1-1 termination equipment. The operations and maintenance of this equipment shall be in accordance with standards set forth by the office pursuant to section 3 of [this act] P.L.1989, c.3 (C.52:17C-3).

d. During a weather-related state of emergency, as declared by the Governor or the President of the United States, each public safety answering point shall be capable of dispatching or forwarding requests for electric ¹or water¹ utility services to a first responder electrical lineman ¹or first responder utility worker¹, as defined in this subsection, that provides the requested service.

As used in this subsection, “first responder electrical lineman ¹or first responder utility worker¹” means a person that installs, maintains, or repairs electrical transmission and power distribution systems ¹or water infrastructure¹ during a weather-related state of emergency, as declared by the Governor or by the President of the United States.

(cf: P.L.1989, c.3, s.8)

5. This act shall take effect immediately.