S71 1R

An Act establishing a “New Jersey Yellow Dot Program” and supplementing chapter 5F of Title 27 of the Revised Statutes.

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

1. There is established a “New Jersey Yellow Dot Program” in the Division of Highway Traffic Safety in the Department of Law and Public Safety. The purpose of the program is to provide emergency responders with critical health ¹and emergency contact¹ information about program participants so that emergency responders may aid or assist those program participants involved in motor vehicle emergencies or accidents who are unable to communicate with emergency responders.

2. For the purposes of this act:

“Emergency responder” means a municipal, county, or State law enforcement officer or firefighter or other person who has been trained to provide emergency medical first response services in a program recognized by the Commissioner of ¹[the Department of]¹ Health and Senior Services and licensed or otherwise authorized by the department to provide those services.

“Program participant” means an individual ¹[62 years of age or over or an individual with a chronic illness participating in the program.] who has completed a health information card, including emergency contact information, and affixed to the individual’s vehicle a decal provided by the “New Jersey Yellow Dot Program.”¹

3. a. The Director of the Division of Highway Traffic Safety, in consultation with the Commissioner of Health and Senior Services, shall design “New Jersey Yellow Dot Program” materials giving consideration to the program materials used by similar programs in other states in order to maximize uniformity. Program materials shall include, but need not be limited to:

(1) a yellow decal of a size and design to be determined by the director which will be affixed to the rear driver’s side window of the program participant’s vehicle;

(2) a health information card which provides space for ¹[a program participant] an individual¹ to attach a recent photograph and indicate the ¹[participant’s] individual’s¹ name, emergency contact information, physicians’ names and contact information, medical conditions, recent surgeries, allergies, medications, and any other information the director shall deem to be relevant information to emergency responders in the case of emergency;

(3) a yellow envelope of a size and design to be determined by the director into which the health information card established pursuant to paragraph (2) of this subsection is to be inserted and then placed in the program participant’s glove compartment; and

(4) a program instruction sheet including the hotline phone number and electronic mail address required pursuant to subsection b. of this section.

b. The director shall establish a mechanism, by means of a toll-free telephone hotline and electronic mail, through which persons may ask questions about the program and receive assistance in completing the health information card.

c. The division shall provide sufficient program materials to every office and facility operated by the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission and to municipal police departments ¹[and] ,¹ State Police stations ¹, and any other State department or agency seeking to distribute or make program materials available to interested persons. The division shall provide the program materials to any other State department or agency at cost or, to the extent possible, at a discount¹.

d. The division may charge ¹an individual seeking to participate in the¹ program ¹[participants]¹ a nominal fee to cover the administrative cost of the program.

4. The New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, municipal police departments, and State Police stations shall make “New Jersey Yellow Dot Program” materials available for pick up by any interested person. ¹Any other State department or agency may make the program materials available for distribution to, or pick up by, any interested person.¹ It shall not be the duty of the commission, municipal police, ¹[or]¹ State Police ¹, or any other State department or agency that distributes or makes available program materials,¹ to answer program-related questions or to provide assistance in completing the health information card. Questions shall be referred to the hotline or electronic mail address established pursuant to subsection b. of section 3 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).

5. The Division of Highway Traffic Safety shall develop and undertake a public education campaign to inform the public about the “New Jersey Yellow Dot Program” established pursuant to P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).

6. An emergency responder is not liable for any civil damages as a result of any acts or omissions undertaken in response to incomplete, incorrect, or outdated information provided on any health information card if the responder acted in good faith in rendering care at the scene of a motor vehicle accident or emergency to a program participant.

7. No property subject to forfeiture as prima facie contraband as defined in paragraph (1) of subsection a. of N.J.S.2C:64-1 found by a law enforcement officer in the glove compartment of a vehicle with a “Yellow Dot Program” decal shall be admissible in evidence in any court proceeding provided that the law enforcement officer entered the glove compartment only to retrieve the “Yellow Dot Program” health information card.

8. The Superintendent of State Police shall notify all law enforcement officers and emergency responders about the “New Jersey Yellow Dot Program” established pursuant to of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).

9. This act shall take effect on the first day of the thirteenth month following enactment, but the Director of the Division of Highway Traffic Safety may take such anticipatory administrative action in advance thereof as shall be necessary for the implementation of this act.