Bill Text: NJ S1772 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes procedures for intake and record keeping of certain 9-1-1 calls.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-09 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Law and Public Safety Committee [S1772 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-S1772-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Senator ANGELA V. MCKNIGHT
District 31 (Hudson)
SYNOPSIS
Establishes procedures for intake and record keeping of certain 9-1-1 calls.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act concerning emergency response, amending Title 52 of the Revised Statutes, and supplementing Titles 52 and 53 of the Revised Statutes and Title 40A of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 1 of P.L.1989, c.3 (C.52:17C-1) is amended to read as follows:
1. As used in this act:
a. "Automatic number identification (ANI)" means an enhanced 9-1-1 service capability that enables the automatic display of the callback number used to place a 9-1-1 call;
b. "Automatic location identification (ALI)" means an enhanced 9-1-1 service capability that enables the automatic display of information defining the geographical location of the telephone used to place a 9-1-1 call;
c. "Commission" means the Statewide Public Safety Communications Commission created pursuant to section 5 of P.L.2011, c.4 (C.52:17C-3.2);
d. "County 9-1-1 Coordinator" means the County 9-1-1 Coordinator appointed pursuant to section 5 of this act;
e. "Enhanced 9-1-1 network" means the switching equipment, trunk system, database operation and connections to the public safety answering point;
f. "Enhanced 9-1-1 network features" means those features of selective routing which have the capability of automatic number and location identification;
g. "Enhanced 9-1-1 service" means a service consisting of telephone network features and public safety answering points provided for users of the public telephone system enabling the users to reach a public service answering point by dialing the digits "9-1-1." The service directs 9-1-1 calls to appropriate public safety answering points by selective routing based on the location from which the call originated and provides for automatic number identification and automatic location identification features;
h. "Enhanced 9-1-1 termination equipment" means the equipment located at the public safety answering point which is needed to receive or record voice and data communications from the enhanced 9-1-1 network;
i. "Office" means the Office of Emergency Telecommunications Services established by section 3 of this act;
j. "Public safety agency" means a functional division of a municipality, a county, or the State which dispatches or provides law enforcement, fire fighting, emergency medical services, or other emergency services;
k. "Private safety agency" means any entity, except a municipality or a public safety agency, providing emergency medical services, fire fighting, or other emergency services;
l. "Public safety answering point (PSAP)" means a facility, operated on a 24-hour basis, assigned the responsibility of receiving 9-1-1 calls and, as appropriate, directly dispatching emergency response services or transferring or relaying emergency 9-1-1 calls to other public safety agencies. A public safety answering point is the first point of reception by a public safety agency of 9-1-1 calls and serves the jurisdictions in which it is located or other participating jurisdictions;
m. "Selective routing" means the method employed to direct 9-1-1 calls to the appropriate public safety answering point based on the location from which the call originated;
n. "Emergency enhanced 9-1-1 system" or "system" means the emergency enhanced 9-1-1 telephone system to be established pursuant to this act, including wireless enhanced 9-1-1 service;
o. "Telephone company" means the organization that provides switched local telephone exchange access service;
p. "Wireless telephone company" means any person providing commercial mobile radio service as defined in 47 U.S.C.s.332 (d);
q. "FCC wireless E9-1-1 requirements" means the order adopted in the Federal Communications Commission proceeding entitled "Revision of the Commission's Rules to Ensure Comparability with Enhanced 9-1-1 Emergency Calling Systems," (CC Docket No. 94-102: RM-8143), or any successor proceeding, and the rules adopted by the Federal Communications Commission in any such proceeding, as these rules may be amended from time to time;
r. "Wireless 9-1-1 service" means the service which enables wireless telephone company customers to dial the digits 9-1-1 and be connected to a public safety agency;
s. "Wireless enhanced 9-1-1 service" means the service required to be provided by a wireless telephone company pursuant to FCC wireless E9-1-1 requirements;
t. "Chief Technology Officer" means the person appointed by and serving at the pleasure of the Governor who is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Office of Information Technology;
u. (Deleted by amendment, P.L.2011, c.4).
v. "Office of Information Technology" means the Office of Information Technology in but not of the Department of the Treasury;
w. "Council" means the Statewide Public Safety Communications Advisory Council created pursuant to section 6 of P.L.2011, c.4 (C.52:17C-3.3);
x. "Delaware River Homeland Security Region Communications Working Group" means the group of individuals from agencies assigned to that region by the Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness that collaborate on common communications issues;
y. "Interoperability" means the ability of diverse information and communication technology systems and the processes they support to effectively work together through compatible communication paths to directly and satisfactorily exchange, correlate, and integrate data, information, and knowledge across jurisdictional boundaries and to use the data, information, and knowledge that has been exchanged;
z. "Northeast/UASI Homeland Security Region Communications Working Group" means the group of individuals from agencies assigned to that region by the Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness that collaborate on common communications issues;
aa. "Northwest Homeland Security Region Communications Working Group" means the group of individuals from agencies assigned to that region by the Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness that collaborate on common communications issues;
bb. "Shore Homeland Security Region Communications Working Group" means the group of individuals from agencies assigned to that region by the Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness that collaborate on common communications issues; [and]
cc. "State Agency Communications Working Group" means the group of individuals made up of State and quasi-state agencies as defined in the State Preparedness Report that collaborate on common communications issues ; and
dd. "Public safety dispatch point (PSDP)" means a location which provides dispatch services for one or more public safety agencies.
(cf: P.L.2011, c.4, s.1)
2. (New section) a. In addition to regulations concerning Public safety answering points (PSAP), as defined in section 1 of P.L.1989, c.3 (C.52:17C-1), operational standards promulgated by the Director of the Office of Emergency Telecommunications Services pursuant to section 3 of P.L.1989, c.3 (C.52:17C-3), the PSAP call-taker of each 9-1-1 call shall ask the caller if the caller believes the request for emergency services involves a person with an emotional or behavioral disorder.
b. If the PSAP also serves as the Public safety dispatch point (PSDP), as defined in section 1 of P.L.1989, c.3 (C.52:17C-1), in dispatching emergency services the call-taker shall inform the emergency service provider if the caller or call-taker believes the call involves a person who suffers from an emotional or behavioral disorder.
c. If the PSAP does not serve as the PSDP, in transferring the call to the appropriate PSAP or PSDP, the call-taker shall inform the appropriate PSAP or PSDP if the caller or call-taker believes the call involves a person who suffers from an emotional or behavioral disorder.
d. The PSAP and PSDP shall maintain a record of every 9-1-1 call that the caller or call-taker believes involves a person who suffers from an emotional or behavioral disorder.
e. In dispatching emergency services, if feasible based on the individual agency's technical capabilities, the call-taker shall review any available call history associated with the caller, telephone number, or address to determine whether the caller, telephone number, or address was previously associated with a person believed to be suffering from an emotional or behavioral disorder.
f. Whenever possible and practicable, PSAP and PSDP shall inform the emergency service provider if the caller, telephone number, or address was previously associated with a person believed to be suffering from an emotional or behavioral disorder.
3. (New section) a. The Division of State Police shall maintain a record of its responses that involve a person who is believed to be suffering from an emotional or behavioral disorder.
b. Whenever possible and practicable, any historical information provided to a law enforcement officer by the division upon dispatch shall include information concerning whether the subject or location of the dispatch was previously associated with a person believed to be suffering from an emotional or behavioral disorder.
4. (New section) a. Every county and municipal police department or force shall maintain a record of any response by the department or force that involves a person who is believed to be suffering from an emotional or behavioral disorder.
b. Whenever possible and practicable, any historical information provided to a law enforcement officer by a county or municipal police department or force upon dispatch shall include information concerning whether the subject or location of the dispatch was previously associated with a person believed to be suffering from an emotional or behavioral disorder.
5. This act shall take effect on the first day of the third month following enactment, except the Director of the Office of Emergency Telecommunications Services and the Attorney General may take any anticipatory administrative action in advance as shall be necessary for the implementation of this act.
STATEMENT
This bill establishes procedures for the intake and record keeping of certain 9-1-1 calls that involve a person who is believed to be suffering from an emotional or behavioral disorder.
Under current law, all 9-1-1 calls are required to be answered with a response such as, "9-1-1 where is your emergency?" In dispatching emergency medical services, dispatchers are required to provide pre-arrival instructions to emergency medical service providers.
Often, law enforcement officers and emergency service providers responding to a call for help are unaware that a call may involve a person with an emotional or behavioral disorder. This lack of knowledge can lead to dangerous conditions which could cause harm to the officer, emergency service provider, or the person with an emotional or behavioral disorder. It is the sponsor's belief that requiring 9-1-1 call-takers to ask additional questions to determine wither the call involves a person who is believed to be suffering from an emotional or behavioral disorder can protect law enforcement officers, emergency service providers, and people with an emotional or behavioral disorder.
Under the bill, the public safety answering point (PSAP) call-taker of each 9-1-1 call is required to ask whether the caller believes the request for emergency services involves a person with an emotional or behavioral disorder. In dispatching emergency services, the call-taker is required to inform the PSAP or the public safety dispatch point (PSDP) dispatching the call that it is believed that the call involves a person who suffers from an emotional or behavioral disorder.
The bill further requires the PSAP and PSDP to maintain a record of every 9-1-1 call that the caller or call-taker believes involves a person who suffers from an emotional or behavioral disorder. In dispatching emergency services, if feasible based on the individual agency's technical capabilities, the call-taker is required to review any available call history associated with the caller, telephone number, or address to determine whether the caller, telephone number, or address was previously associated with a person believed to be suffering from an emotional or behavioral disorder. Whenever possible and practicable, the PSAP and PSDP are required to inform the emergency service provider of that call history.
In addition, the bill requires
the Division of State Police and every county and municipal police department
or force to maintain a record of the division's and the department's or force's
response to any call or incident that involves a person who is believed to be
suffering from an emotional or behavioral disorder. Whenever
possible and practicable, any historical information provided to a law enforcement officer by the division, department or force upon dispatch is required include information concerning whether the subject or location of the dispatch was previously associated with a person believed to be suffering from an emotional or behavioral disorder.
