Bill > A5693

Introduced Session

This bill provides that permits to mount and operate blue and red emergency warning lights on motor vehicles are to be issued by certain local or State entities. The bill also expands the list of persons who are qualified to apply for the use of amber warning lights. Under current law, the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) issues permits to mount and operate blue and red emergency warning lights, and amber warning lights on motor vehicles. Pursuant to statute and regulation, persons who are qualified to apply for the use of blue emergency warning lights include: · members of volunteer fire companies or volunteer first aid or rescue squads; and · members of county or municipal volunteer offices of emergency management whose official duties include responding to a fire or emergency call. Persons who are qualified to apply for the use of red emergency warning lights include: · current municipal chiefs, or first assistant chiefs of police; · current chiefs or first assistant chiefs of volunteer fire companies; · chief officers of first aid or rescue squads; · county and municipal emergency management coordinators or deputy emergency management coordinators; · county medical examiners and certain medical examiners' office staff; · search and rescue teams recognized by county offices of emergency management or the State Office of Emergency Management (OEM); and · employees of organizations engaged in the manufacture or sale of emergency vehicles or equipment, who operate such vehicles or equipment only for the purpose of demonstration or delivery. Persons who are qualified to apply for the use amber warning lights include: owners or lessees of the follow commercial vehicles: o tow trucks bearing commercial registration; service vehicles bearing commercial registration; o snow-removal vehicles and sanding vehicle bearing commercial registration; and o security service vehicles bearing commercial registration; rural letter carriers employed by the United States Postal Service; and authorized employees of a contractor or subcontractor of the New Jersey Department of Transportation, the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, or the South Jersey Transportation. This bill, in accordance with a recommendation made in the report issued by the Red Tape Review Commission in February 2012, amends current law to provide that the red and blue emergency light permit applications that require local or State agency oversight, and the amber warning light permit applications that require municipal oversight, which were previously issued by the MVC, will now be issued by the local or State authority, removing the duplicative process of additional oversight by the MVC. The bill also provides that the $25 fee previously collected by the MVC for issuance of amber light permits to commercial entities will be collected by the municipalities which issue the permits. This bill also permits the display of amber warning lights by certain fuel transportation vehicles. Under the bill, a fuel transportation vehicle displaying flashing amber warning lights is required to bear a commercial registration and be engaged in the transportation of fuel. The bill transfers the regulatory power over the warning lights covered by the bill from the MVC to the OEM but ensures that MVC is available to consult the OEM. This bill also removes the sections of law which require the MVC to prepare and issue identification cards for certain persons authorized to mount and operate blue and red emergency warning lights.

AI Summary

Committee Categories

Daniel Benson (D)*,  Joe Danielsen (D)*, 

Reported out of Assembly Comm. with Amendments, 2nd Reading (on 12/09/2019)

Official Document