Sponsored by:
Senator NICHOLAS J. SACCO
District 32 (Bergen and Hudson)
Senator JOSEPH PENNACCHIO
District 26 (Essex, Morris and Passaic)
SYNOPSIS
Exempts certain persons from all-terrain vehicle use restrictions.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning the use of all-terrain vehicles and amending P.L.1973, c.307.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 1 of P.L.1973, c.307 (C.39:3C-1) is amended to read as follows:
1. As used in [this act] P.L.1973, c.307 (C.39:3C-1 et seq.):
"All-terrain vehicle" means a motor vehicle, designed and manufactured for off-road use only, of a type possessing between three and six rubber tires and powered by a gasoline engine not exceeding [600] 760 cubic centimeters, but shall not include golf carts or [any] an all-terrain vehicle operated by an employee or agent of the State [of New Jersey and] , a county, a municipality, or a fire district, or a member of an emergency service organization or an emergency medical technician which is used while in the performance of the employee's [or], agent's , member’s or technician’s official duties.
"Chief administrator" means the Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission.
"Commission" means the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission established by section 4 of P.L.2003, c.13 (C.39:2A-4).
"Commissioner" means the Commissioner of Environmental Protection.
"Department" means the Department of Environmental Protection.
"Dirt bike" means any two-wheeled motorcycle that is designed and manufactured for off-road use only and that does not comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards or United States Environmental Protection Agency on-road emissions standards.
"Emergency medical technician" means a person trained in basic life support services as defined in section 1 of P.L.1985, c.351 (C.26:2K-21) and who is certified by the Department of Health to perform these services.
"Emergency service organization" means a fire or first aid organization, whether organized as a volunteer fire company, volunteer fire department, fire district, or duly incorporated volunteer first aid, emergency, or volunteer ambulance or rescue squad association.
"Natural resource" means all land, fish, shellfish, wildlife, biota, air, waters, and other such resources owned, managed, held in trust, or otherwise controlled by the State.
"Public land" means all land owned, operated, managed, maintained, or under the jurisdiction of the Department of Environmental Protection, including any and all land owned, operated, managed, maintained, or purchased jointly by the Department of Environmental Protection with any other party and any land so designated by municipal or county ordinance. Public land shall also mean any land used for conservation purposes, including, but not limited to, beaches, forests, greenways, natural areas, water resources, wildlife preserves, land used for watershed protection, or biological or ecological studies, and land exempted from taxation pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1974, c.167 (C.54:4-3.64).
"Snowmobile" means any motor vehicle, designed primarily to travel over ice or snow, of a type which uses sled type runners, skis, an endless belt tread, cleats, or any combination of these or other similar means of contact with the surface upon which it is operated, but does not include any farm tractor, highway or other construction equipment, or any military vehicle.
"Special event" means an organized race, exhibition, or demonstration of limited duration which is conducted according to a prearranged schedule and in which general public interest is manifested.
(cf: P.L.2009, c.275, s.1)
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill provides an exemption to agents or employees of a county, municipality, or fire district; members of an emergency service organization; and emergency medical technicians from the prohibition against operating all-terrain vehicles on public roads. Currently, this exemption only applies to agents or employees of the State.