SENATE, No. 679

 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

 

INTRODUCED FEBRUARY 5, 1996

 

 

By Senator LaROSSA

 

 

An Act granting paid leave to State and county employees who participate in certain emergency service organizations and reimbursement to the counties therefor, and supplementing chapter 9 of Title 40A of the New Jersey Statutes and chapter 14 of Title 52 of the Revised Statutes.

 

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

 

    1. a. The governing body of a county shall grant leave from work with pay to an employee who is a member of a volunteer fire company or a volunteer first aid or rescue squad, or who is a volunteer driver of a publicly owned or operated ambulance, when the employee is called to respond to an alarm occurring during the hours of employment or whenever the employee's arrival at work is delayed because the employee had responded to an alarm. Leave shall be granted only to an employee who is a member, volunteer, or driver in a municipality in the county in which the person is employed.

    The governing body shall promulgate regulations concerning leave from work granted under this section. The regulations may place limitations on entitlement to such leave for specifically designated employees who are deemed essential for the orderly operation of employment activities and whose absence would significantly disrupt those operations. The regulations shall require that accurate records be kept of the time off from work granted to an employee pursuant to this section. The regulations shall also require, as a prerequisite to the granting of such leave, written verification of the employee's response to an alarm. The regulations shall provide that this written verification shall be submitted by the employee's supervising officer in the volunteer fire company or volunteer first aid or rescue squad, or the public entity for which the employee is a volunteer driver of a publicly owned or operated ambulance.

    b. There is established in the General Fund a special account, to be administered by the Commissioner of the Department of Community Affairs, into which the money allocated pursuant to section 3 of P.L.     , c. (C. )(now pending before the Legislature as this bill) shall be deposited. The purpose of this account shall be to provide reimbursement to the governing body of a county whenever it grants a leave from work with pay to an employee as provided for in subsection a. of this section. The commissioner shall adopt such rules and regulations as the commissioner may deem necessary to provide for the proper distribution of all such reimbursements.

 

    2. A State appointing authority shall grant leave from work with pay for an employee who is a member of a volunteer fire company or a volunteer first aid or rescue squad, or who is a volunteer driver of a publicly owned or operated ambulance, when the employee is called to respond to an alarm occurring during the hours of employment or whenever the employee's arrival at work is delayed because the employee had responded to an alarm. Leave shall be granted to an employee if the employee is a member, volunteer, or driver in the municipality in which the employee's place of employment for the State is located or in a municipality not more than 15 miles distant from the place of employment.

    The Merit System Board shall promulgate regulations concerning leave from work granted under this section. The regulations may place limitations on entitlement to such leave for employees serving in specifically designated positions which are deemed essential for the orderly operation of employment activities and the absence from which would significantly disrupt those operations. The regulations shall require that accurate records be kept of the time off from work granted to an employee pursuant to this section. The regulations shall also require, as a prerequisite to the granting of such leave, written verification of the employee's response to an alarm. The regulations shall provide that this written verification shall be submitted by the employee's supervising officer in the volunteer fire company or volunteer first aid or rescue squad, or the public entity for which the employee is a volunteer driver of a publicly owned or operated ambulance.

 

    3. There shall be allocated $1 million from the funds available to the Department of Community Affairs to the account established pursuant to subsection b. of section 1 of this act for the purposes provided for in section 1 this act.

 

    4. This act shall take effect immediately.

 

 

STATEMENT

 

    This bill requires any State appointing authority and any county to grant leave with pay to an employee who is a member of a volunteer fire company or a volunteer first aid or rescue squad, or who is a volunteer driver of a publicly owned or operated ambulance, when the employee is called to respond to an alarm occurring during the hours of employment or whenever the employee's arrival at work is delayed because the employee had responded to an alarm. The Merit System Board in the Department of Personnel or the county, as appropriate, is to promulgate regulations to govern the granting of leave under the bill. These regulations may, in the case of personnel deemed essential for the orderly operations of employment activities, place limitations on entitlement to such leave. In addition, the regulations shall require, as a prerequisite to the approval of an employee's request for leave, that written verification be provided of the employee's response to an alarm.

    This bill would provide State and county employees with a similar opportunity as is currently provided to municipal employees under section 1 of P.L.1971, c.200 (C.40A:9-160.1).

    The bill establishes a special account in the General Fund, to be administered by the Commissioner of the Department of Community Affairs, to provide reimbursement to the governing body of a county whenever it grants a leave from work with pay as provided for by the bill. The bill provides that $1 million shall be allocated from the funds available to the department for these purposes. The commissioner is given the authority to adopt such rules and regulations as the commissioner may deem necessary to provide for the proper distribution of all such reimbursements.

 

 

 

Grants paid leave to State and county employees who participate in certain emergency service organizations; provides for State reimbursement to counties for such leave; allocates $1 million.