Permits members of Community Emergency Response Teams to perform traffic duties under certain circumstances.

S3873

SENATE, No. 3873

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED MARCH 12, 2026

Sponsored by:

Senator� ANTHONY M. BUCCO

District 25 (Morris and Passaic)

SYNOPSIS

���� Permits members of Community Emergency Response Teams
to perform traffic duties under certain circumstances.�

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

An Act
concerning Community Emergency Response Teams and
supplementing chapter 9 of Appendix A.

����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.��� a.�� A duly organized
volunteer Community Emergency Response Team may appoint certain members to
perform traffic duties during times of emergency or disaster for a term of
office not to exceed five years from the date of appointment.� Prior to the
performance of any duties, the appointed members shall qualify by:

���� (1)�� passing a physical
examination documenting the member�s ability to stand and direct traffic for
extended periods of time;

���� (2)�� successfully completing
a basic training course formulated or approved by the New Jersey Police
Training Commission; and

���� (3)�� taking and subscribing
an oath that the member will justly, impartially, and faithfully discharge the
member�s duties according to the best of the member�s ability and
understanding.� The oath shall be administered by the municipal clerk and
subscribed to in duplicate.� The original copy of the oath shall be filed with
the municipal clerk and the other copy shall be filed with the administrator of
the Community Emergency Response Team making the appointment.

���� b.��� After appointment, a
qualified member shall be eligible to perform the duties of a Community
Emergency Response Team traffic officer and shall have full power and authority
to act as a Community Emergency Response Team traffic officer anywhere in the
county in which the officer is appointed or in any county in which the officer
is called upon to act.

���� c.���� The duties of the
Community Emergency Response Team traffic officer shall be to perform traffic
duties as requested by a law enforcement agency during times of emergency or
disaster:

���� (1)�� on any roadway or
intersection until the arrival of a duly authorized law enforcement officer; or

���� (2)�� at any public event
where Community Emergency Response Team traffic officer services have been
requested to protect the public, subject to the approval of and supervision by
the chief law enforcement officer of the municipality in which the public event
takes place or the Superintendent of State Police if the municipality does not
have a police department.

���� d.��� A Community Emergency
Response Team traffic officer shall wear a Class 3 safety vest as certified by
the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and an authorized Community
Emergency Response Team traffic officer emblem on the left breast of the outermost
garment while in performance of the officer�s duties.� In addition, a Community
Emergency Response Team traffic officer shall be equipped with a whistle,
flashlight, traffic wand, and gloves.

���� e.���� Nothing in this section
shall be construed to confer on a Community Emergency Response Team traffic
officer the right to supersede a duly authorized law enforcement officer.

���� f.���� Community Emergency
Response Team traffic officers acting in good faith and within the confines of
the officer�s training shall not be liable in any civil action to respond in
damages as a result of any acts of commission or omission arising out of and in
the course of performing traffic duties pursuant to this section.

���� g.��� As used in this section:

���� �Community Emergency Response
Team� means a group of volunteers working under the authority of the New Jersey
Office of Emergency Management who are trained to respond to emergency
situations.

���� �Law enforcement officer� means
a person whose public duties include the power to act as an officer for the
detection, apprehension, arrest, and conviction of offenders against the laws
of this State.

���� 2.��� This act shall take
effect immediately.

STATEMENT

���� This bill permits members of
Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) to perform traffic duties under
certain circumstances.

���� Under the provisions of this
bill, a volunteer CERT may appoint certain members to perform traffic duties
during times of emergency or disaster for a term of up to five years.� Prior to
performing any duties, the appointed member is required to qualify by: 1)
passing a physical examination documenting the member�s ability to stand and
direct traffic for extended periods of time; 2) successfully completing a basic
training course formulated or approved by the New Jersey Police Training
Commission; and 3) taking and subscribing an oath that the member will justly,
impartially, and faithfully discharge the member�s duties.

���� The bill provides that after
appointment, a qualified member is eligible to perform duties as a CERT traffic
officer and may act anywhere in the county in which the officer is appointed or
any county where the officer is called upon to act.�

���� In addition, under the bill,
the duties of a CERT traffic officer are to perform traffic duties at the
request of a law enforcement agency during times of emergency or disaster: 1)
on any roadway or intersection until the arrival of a duly authorized law
enforcement officer; or 2) at any public event where CERT traffic officer
services have been requested to protect the public, subject to the approval of
and supervision by the chief law enforcement officer of the municipality in
which the public event takes places or the Superintendent of State Police if
the municipality does not have a police department.�

���� Under the bill, Community
Emergency Response Team traffic officers acting in good faith and within the
confines of the officer�s training are not to be liable in any civil action to
respond in damages as a result of any acts of commission or omission arising
out of and in the course of performing traffic duties pursuant to the bill.

���� Finally, the bill defines CERT
as a group of volunteers working under the authority of the New Jersey Office
of Emergency Management who are trained to respond to emergency situations.