SENATE SENIOR CITIZENS, VETERANS' AFFAIRS AND AGRICULTURE COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR

SENATE, Nos. 807 and 844

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED: MARCH 7, 1996

      The Senate Senior Citizens, Veterans' Affairs and Agriculture Committee reports favorably a Senate Committee Substitute for Senate Bill No. 807 and No. 844.

      This committee substitute would provide immunity from civil liability to any individual who in good faith renders emergency care to an animal at the scene of an accident or during a disaster, or while transporting an animal during a rescue from a disaster. In addition, the committee substitute would allow any county or municipality to include, within its Emergency Operations Plan, provision for an emergency animal rescue response unit to provide veterinary care to injured animals, transport for abandoned or lost animals, and temporary food and shelter to lost, abandoned, or recovering animals. The emergency animal rescue response unit would be under the supervision of the municipal emergency management coordinator, or the county emergency management coordinator as the case may be. Any such emergency animal rescue worker would consequently be covered under the worker's compensation law (C.34:15-43) if injured in the line of duty.