[First Reprint]

ASSEMBLY, No. 4511

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

219th LEGISLATURE

INTRODUCED AUGUST 10, 2020

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman  SHAVONDA E. SUMTER

District 35 (Bergen and Passaic)

Assemblywoman  ANGELA V. MCKNIGHT

District 31 (Hudson)

Assemblyman  BENJIE E. WIMBERLY

District 35 (Bergen and Passaic)

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblywomen Jasey and Vainieri Huttle

SYNOPSIS

     Allows for immediate transport of persons by local law enforcement officers under certain circumstances.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     As reported by the Assembly Community Development and Affairs Committee on August 24, 2020, with amendments.

An Act concerning certain county and municipal law enforcement officers and supplementing Title 26 of the Revised Statutes. 

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

¹1.  The Legislature finds and declares that:

a.  Transportation of individuals suffering from an injury requiring immediate medical experience to the hospital by the police, also known as “scoop and run,” may shorten the time between injury and hospital care when emergency medical services are delayed or unavailable.

b.  Research suggests that when comparing police hospital transport and emergency medical services transport for individuals requiring immediate medical assistance, survival rates are at least equivalent; in some studies, survival rates are better for violently injured individuals who are transported by police.

c.  Minimizing the “stay and play” time required for at-scene interventions in favor of prompt transport to hospitals may mean the difference between life and death, as in certain areas immediate police transport to the hospital could be potentially faster than any other mode of transport.

d.  Beyond the potential for police “scoop and run” to enhance survival, there are opportunities for other beneficial outcomes to be yielded by police hospital transport, such as enhancing police trust in certain communities by showcasing the police in a highly visible, lifesaving role.

e.  It is, therefore, in the public interest for the Legislature to provide opportunities for the police to assist in the saving of lives of New Jersey residents across the State by allowing them to take individuals requiring immediate medical assistance straight to the hospital, thereby increasing the limited time after injury in which definitive medical or surgical services have to be rendered to save an individual’s life.¹

¹[1.] 2.¹  a.  Notwithstanding any other law, rule, or regulation to the contrary, a county or municipal law enforcement officer shall provide a person with direct transportation to the nearest hospital if:

     (1)   the person is suffering from an injury requiring immediate medical assistance;

     (2)   an emergency medical transportation vehicle is delayed or unavailable; and

     (3)   there is a hospital with the necessary emergency facilities within a reasonable distance. 

      b.   The Attorney General, in consultation with the

Commissioner of Health, shall promulgate guidelines to effectuate the provisions of this section.  The guidelines shall include, but not be limited to:

     (1)   identifying the types of injuries requiring immediate transport by a county or municipal law enforcement officer when emergency medical transportation is delayed or unavailable;

     (2)   a listing of hospitals in each county to which a law enforcement officer may transport an injured person, including accredited trauma centers;

     (3)   procedures for the transportation of injured persons suspected of committing a crime or offense;

     (4)   safety precautions and best practices for avoiding exposure to blood-borne pathogens and communicable diseases; and

     (5)   decontamination of vehicles in which law enforcement officers have transported an injured person.

      c.    As used in this section:

     “Accredited trauma center” means a trauma center designated as a Level One or Level Two trauma center under the provisions of P.L.2013, c.233 (C.26:2KK-1 et seq.) and the regulations adopted pursuant thereto. 

     “Emergency medical transportation” means the prehospital transportation of an ill or injured patient by a dedicated emergency medical service vehicle or helicopter response unit. 

     “Hospital” means a general acute care hospital licensed pursuant to P.L.1971, c.136 (C.26:2H-1 et seq.). 

¹[2.] 3.¹  This act shall take effect on the first day of the fourth month next following enactment, but the Attorney General and the Commissioner of Health may take anticipatory administrative

action in advance as shall be necessary for the implementation of this act.