Bill Text: NJ S258 | 2010-2011 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Provides for Statewide evacuation strategy for hospitals and other health care facilities.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-01-12 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee [S258 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2010-S258-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
214th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2010 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Senator JEFF VAN DREW
District 1 (Cape May, Atlantic and Cumberland)
Senator CHRISTOPHER J. CONNORS
District 9 (Atlantic, Burlington and Ocean)
Co-Sponsored by:
Senator Madden
SYNOPSIS
Provides for Statewide evacuation strategy for hospitals and other health care facilities.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel
An Act concerning emergency evacuation and amending P.L.1989, c.222.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 18 of P.L.1989, c.222 (C.App.A:9-43.1) is amended to read as follows:
18. The State Office of Emergency Management shall adopt, no later than 12 months following the effective date of this act, a State Emergency Operations Plan, including rules, regulations, and guidelines, that shall be reviewed and updated at least every two years. The plan shall include but shall not limited to provisions[,] :
a. which shall be developed in consultation with the Department of Agriculture, to support the needs of animals and individuals with an animal under their care, including a service animal, in a major disaster or emergency[.] ; and
b. which shall be developed in consultation with the Department of Health and Senior Services, and provide for a coordinated Statewide evacuation strategy for all hospitals and other health care facilities in the State, alternate sources of care for evacuated patients, and proposed sites of temporary shelter in the event of an emergency. The Statewide evacuation strategy shall be based on evacuation plans submitted to the State Office of Emergency Management by each county and municipality in the State pursuant to section 19 of P.L.1989, c.222 (C.App.A:9-43.2).
In addition, the State Office of Emergency Management shall take appropriate steps to educate the public regarding the resources available in the event of an emergency and the importance of emergency preparedness planning.
(cf: P.L.2006, c.92, s.1)
2. Section 19 of P.L.1989, c.222 (C.App.A:9-43.2) is amended to read as follows:
19. Each county and municipality in the State shall prepare a written Emergency Operations Plan with all appropriate annexes necessary to implement the plan. The development of all plans shall be coordinated with the Emergency Operations Plans of the State, county and neighboring municipalities to ensure a regional coordinated response and the efficient use of resources. These plans shall include but shall not limited to provisions [,]:
a. which shall be developed in consultation with the Department of Agriculture, to support the needs of animals and individuals with an animal under their care, including a service animal, in a major disaster or emergency[.] ; and
b. which shall be developed in consultation with the Department of Health and Senior Services that evaluate the evacuation procedures of hospitals and other health care facilities located in each county and municipality, alternate sources of care for evacuated patients, and proposed sites of temporary shelter in the event of an emergency.
Each Emergency Operations Plan shall be adopted no later than one year after the State Emergency Planning Guidelines have been adopted by the State Office of Emergency Management and shall be evaluated at such subsequent scheduled review of the State Emergency Operations Plan.
(cf: P.L.2006, c.92, s.2)
3. This act shall take effect of the first day of the thirteenth month following enactment.
STATEMENT
Current law requires the State Office of Emergency Management to adopt a State Operations Plan that is to be reviewed and updated at least every two years. Current law also requires each county and municipality in this State to prepare a written Emergency Operations Plan.
This bill requires the counties and municipalities to include in their respective emergency operations plans provisions that evaluate the evacuation procedures of hospitals and other health care facilities, alternate sources of care for evacuated patients, and proposed sites of temporary shelter in the event of an emergency. The bill further requires that the State Office of Emergency Management establish a Statewide evacuation strategy that will be based on evacuation plans submitted by the counties and municipalities.
It is the sponsor's understanding that while evacuation plans currently exist for hospitals and healthcare facilities in the State, there is no integrated Statewide plan for evacuating numerous hospitals and healthcare facilities in the event of a Statewide catastrophe or emergency.
This bill would implement Recommendation 7 of the Final Report of the Assembly Coastal New Jersey Evacuation Task Force which was submitted to the Speaker on May 23, 2008.
