Bill > S406

Introduced Session

This bill establishes the "Swift Access For Emergency Response Actions Preservation Program (SAFER APP)." Under the bill, the governing body of a municipality may adopt a resolution requesting the Attorney General to investigate whether use of turn-by-turn navigation systems by drivers creates an emergency condition within the municipality, which is to be subject to the approval of the Commissioner of Transportation (commissioner). The commissioner is to approve or disapprove the resolution within 90 days of the date the governing body of a municipality submits the resolution to the commissioner. If the commissioner disapproves the resolution, the commissioner is to describe in writing the reasoning of the disapproval to the governing body of the municipality. Upon the approval of the resolution by the commissioner, this bill provides that the Attorney General, in consultation with the commissioner and the governing body of the municipality, is to investigate the traffic conditions described in the resolution to determine whether an emergency condition exists. The Attorney General is to share the results of the investigation with the governing body of the municipality. If the Attorney General determines an emergency condition exists, the bill authorizes the Attorney General to notify, electronically and in writing, any person, business, or other entity having ownership or control of a turn-by-turn navigation system of the emergency condition and the Attorney General is to order the person, business, or other entity, when providing instructions to a driver, to detour, reroute, or divert vehicular traffic to remove the emergency condition. The bill provides that any person, business, or other entity having ownership or control of a turn-by-turn navigation system that fails to detour, reroute, or divert vehicular traffic to remove the emergency condition after being notified by the Attorney General is to be subject to a fine of not more than $5,000 per day, which is to be paid to the affected municipality, until the person, business, or other entity complies with the order.

Committee Categories

Gordon Johnson (D)*, 

Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Law and Public Safety Committee (on 01/11/2022)

Official Document