STATE OF NEW JERSEY
216th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2014 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Senator CHRISTOPHER "KIP" BATEMAN
District 16 (Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex and Somerset)
Senator NILSA CRUZ-PEREZ
District 5 (Camden and Gloucester)
Co-Sponsored by:
Senator Norcross
SYNOPSIS
Provides that Good Samaritans are not required to pay for ambulance service if injured while rendering emergency care.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel
An Act concerning ambulance services provided to certain individuals and supplementing P.L.1963, c.140 (C.2A:62A-1 et seq.).
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. Any person, who would qualify as being afforded immunity from civil liability under section 1 of P.L.1963, c.140 (C.2A:62A-1), section 5 of P.L.1996, c.115 (C.2A:62A-1.1), section 1 of P.L.1998, c.101 (C.2A:62A-1.2), or section 10 of P.L.2004, c.17 (C.2A:62A-1.3), and who receives ambulance service as the result of an injury incurred while rendering or attempting to render care at the scene of an accident or emergency to the victim or victims thereof, or while transporting the victim or victims thereof to a hospital or other facility where treatment or care is to be rendered, shall not be required to pay the cost for such ambulance service.
b. For the purposes of this section, “ambulance service” means the provision of emergency health care services, basic life support services, advanced life support services, critical care services, mobile intensive care services, or emergency medical transportation in a vehicle that is licensed, equipped, and staffed in accordance with the requirements set forth by the Commissioner of Health.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
Under the provisions of this bill, a person who would be eligible for civil immunity under the “Good Samaritan Act” and who receives ambulance service as the result of an injury incurred while rendering or attempting to render good faith emergency care would not be required to pay the cost of that ambulance service.
In order to encourage individuals to render assistance at accident scenes, New Jersey has adopted “Good Samaritan” acts to provide civil immunity for individuals who in good faith render care at the scene of an accident or in an emergency. In its present form, the “Good Samaritan Act” provides immunity to (1) any individual, including health care professionals; (2) the members of volunteer first aid, rescue and ambulance squads; (3) municipal, county and State law enforcement officers; (4) municipal, county or State firefighters, whether volunteer or paid; and (5) licensed health care professionals, emergency medical technicians and mobile intensive care paramedics whose duty does not require a response to a patient emergency situation.
This bill ensures that any person who is injured while rendering care in good faith at an accident scene is not required to pay for ambulance service received due to that injury.