Sponsored by:
Senator ANTHONY M. BUCCO
District 25 (Morris and Passaic)
SYNOPSIS
Establishes disorderly persons offense of interfering with first responder under certain circumstances; designated as “Honoring and Listening to Our First Responders Act.”
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning first responders and supplementing Title 2C of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the “Honoring and Listening to Our First Responders Act” or the “HALO Act.”
2. a. As used in this section, "first responder” means a law enforcement officer, paid or volunteer firefighter, or paid or volunteer member of a duly incorporated first aid, emergency, ambulance, or rescue squad association.
b. It shall be disorderly persons offense to approach or remain within a distance of less than 25 feet of the first responder after having received instruction not to approach the first responder if the person acts with the purpose to:
(1) obstruct, impair, or interfere with the performance of the first responder’s official duties; or
(2) interfere with the first responder’s performance of official duties by threatening, intimidating, or harassing the first responder.
c. This section shall not preclude the prosecution and conviction of a person under any other applicable provision of law.
3. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill establishes the “Honoring and Listening to Our First Responders Act” or the “HALO Act.”
The bill provides that it is a disorderly persons offense to approach or remain within a distance of less than 25 feet of a first responder after having received instruction not to approach the first responder if the person acts with the purpose to:
· obstruct, impair, or interfere with the first responder’s performance of official duties; or
· interfere with the first responder’s performance of official duties by threatening, intimidating, or harassing the first responder.
Under the bill, “first responder” would include any law enforcement officer, paid or volunteer firefighter, or paid or volunteer member of a duly incorporated first aid, emergency, ambulance, or rescue squad association.
A disorderly persons offense is punishable by a term of imprisonment of up to six months, a fine of up to $1,000, or both.