Bill > A2962

Introduced Session

This bill requires reporting of first responder suicides to the Department of Health (DOH). Under the bill, the chief of a squad or association of first responders in this State, or the chief's designee, is to report within a reasonable time to the DOH, in a manner prescribed by the Commissioner of Health (commissioner), any incident of a completed suicide by a first responder. The report is to include: (1) the month and year during which the first responder's death occurred; (2) the first responder's age, salary, and length of service as a first responder at the time of the first responder's death; (3) the race and gender of the first responder; (4) any known facts pertaining to the cause or method of suicide; and (5) the military veteran status and level of education of the first responder; The bill provides that the commissioner is to aggregate the data provided pursuant to the bill's provisions, which is to be made publicly available for use in suicide prevention and intervention studies. Under the bill, "first responder" means a paid or volunteer firefighter, paid or volunteer member of a duly incorporated first aid, emergency, ambulance, or rescue squad or association, or any other individual who, in the course of his or her employment, is dispatched to the scene of a motor vehicle accident or other emergency situation for the purpose of providing medical care or other assistance.

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Chris DePhillips (R)*,  Valerie Vainieri Huttle (D)*, 

Introduced, Referred to Assembly Law and Public Safety Committee (on 02/20/2020)