SENATE LAW AND PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 3257

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  OCTOBER 21, 2024

      The Senate Law and Public Safety Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Senate Bill No. 3257.

      As amended and reported by the committee, Senate Bill No. 3257 requires a law enforcement officer employed by a police department or force that makes available to the officer an epinephrine auto-injector device to successfully complete an approved educational program for the emergency administration of epinephrine and provide the officer’s employing entity with a copy of a certificate of completion of an approved educational program.

     Under the bill, a police department or force employing law enforcement officers may make available to law enforcement officers employed by the department or force epinephrine auto-injector devices which may be used by the law enforcement officers while in the performance of official duties.  In addition, the bill provides that a police department or force that makes epinephrine auto-injector devices available to its officers may maintain the devices in vehicles or medical supply kits, consistent with any standards, protocols, or guidelines established by the Commissioner of Health pursuant to regulation.

     The amended bill is designated as “Anthony Maruca’s law.”

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS

The committee amended the bill to:

      1)  permit police departments and forces to choose to make available to law enforcement officers epinephrine auto-injector devices for use in the performance of official duties. As introduced, the bill required police departments and forces to provide at least one device per employed officer;

      2)  require only those law enforcement officers who have been provided with an epinephrine auto-injector device to complete training in its administration. As introduced, the bill required all law enforcement officers to complete this training;

      3)  designate the bill as “Anthony Maruca’s law”; and

      4)  make clarifying and technical changes.