[First Reprint]

SENATE, No. 862

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

218th LEGISLATURE

 

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2018 SESSION

 

 

Sponsored by:

Senator  GERALD CARDINALE

District 39 (Bergen and Passaic)

Senator  BRIAN P. STACK

District 33 (Hudson)

 

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS

     “Tommy’s Law”; requires NJT to take certain action and adopt policies concerning person injured or killed in incidents involving NJT motorbuses and rail or light rail vehicles.

 

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     As reported by the Senate Transportation Committee on March 26, 2018, with amendments.

  


An Act concerning certain services provided by the New Jersey Transit Corporation, designated as “Tommy’s Law,” and supplementing P.L.1979, c.150 (C.27:25-1 et al.).

 

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

 

     1.    a.  The corporation shall designate an employee 1[as a crisis counselor to provide crisis counseling to any] within the New Jersey Transit Police Department to serve as a liaison between the corporation and the New Jersey Transit Police Department and a1 person injured, 1[and to] or1 any member of the person’s immediate family if the person was killed, as a result of an incident involving a motorbus or rail or light rail vehicle operated by or under contract with the corporation.  The 1[corporation shall establish procedures and methods by which a crisis counselor shall provide individual and group crisis counseling, which may include support groups, family crisis intervention, and professional referrals.  In addition to the duties and responsibilities as a crisis counselor, the]1 designated employee shall:

     (1)   provide 1in an appropriate and sensitive manner1 any information, to the extent permitted by law, to the person injured or, for a person killed, a member of the person’s immediate family, and promptly respond to any reasonable inquiry by the person injured or, for a person killed, a member of the person’s immediate family; and

     (2)   upon the conclusion of an investigation related to a person injured or killed, return 1in an appropriate and sensitive manner1 all personal belongings in the possession of the corporation to 1[a] the1 person injured or, for a person killed, a member of the person’s immediate family.

     b.    As used in 1[this section] P.L.    , c.    (C.        ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill)1, “member of the person’s immediate family” means a spouse, parent, child, sibling, 1grandparent, grandchild, aunt, uncle,1 or next of kin.

 

     12.   a. Within 12 months of the effective date of P.L.   , c.    (C.        ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), the corporation shall study methods and adopt policies to improve the corporation’s interactions with, and the return of personal belongings to, a person injured or a member of the person’s immediate family if the person was killed as a result of an incident
involving a motorbus or rail or light rail vehicle operated by or under contract with the corporation.  The study shall include an analysis of methods to expedite the process and ease the burden of any person seeking the return of any personal belongings of the person injured or deceased.1 

 

     1[2.] 3.1     This act shall take effect immediately 1[, but shall remain inoperative for 60 days following the date of enactment]1.