SENATE LAW AND PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 534

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED: MAY 9, 1996

      The Senate Law and Public Safety Committee reports favorably Senate Bill No. 534 with committee amendments.

      As amended and released by the committee, this bill repeals section 1 of P.L.1989, c.232 (C:2C:33-18), which prohibited the sale or transfer of remotely activated paging devices to persons under 18 years of age, unless authorized by a physician for medical reasons or the legitimate business purposes of the minor's lawful employer. A violation of that section is a disorderly person's offense.

      The committee amended the bill to also permit a student who is an active member in good standing of a volunteer fire company or a volunteer first aid, ambulance or resue squad to possess a paging device on school property if the chief executive officer of that company or squad states that the student is required to respond to emergencies. Currently, section 2 of P.L.1989, c.232 (C.2C:33-19) prohibits an elementary or secondary school student from bringing a paging device onto school property without the permission of the school board or school principal.

      It is the committee's understanding that the current law is intended to limit the availability and use of such devices in illegal activity such as drug trafficking, but is so broadly written that parents who use these devices to keep track of their children may be charged under its provisions.

      As amended and released by the committee, this bill is identical to the Assembly Committee Substitute for Assembly Bill Nos. 1364 and 889 (1R).