Establishes procedures for intake and record keeping of certain 9-1-1 calls.

S3929

SENATE, No. 3929

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED MARCH 12, 2026

Sponsored by:

Senator� ANGELA V. MCKNIGHT

District 31 (Hudson)

SYNOPSIS

���� Establishes procedures for intake and record keeping
of certain 9-1-1 calls.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

An Act
concerning
emergency response, amending Title 52
of the Revised Statutes, and supplementing Titles 52 and 53 of the Revised
Statutes and Title 40A of the New Jersey Statutes.

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

���� 1.��� Section 1 of P.L.1989,
c.3 (C.52:17C-1) is amended to read as follows:

���� 1.��� As used in this act:

���� a.���� "Automatic number
identification (ANI)" means an enhanced 9-1-1 service capability that
enables the automatic display of the callback number used to place a 9-1-1
call;

���� b.��� "Automatic location
identification (ALI)" means an enhanced 9-1-1 service capability that
enables the automatic display of information defining the geographical location
of the telephone used to place a 9-1-1 call;

���� c.���� "Commission"
means the Statewide Public Safety Communications Commission created pursuant to
section 5 of P.L.2011, c.4 (C.52:17C-3.2);

���� d.��� "County 9-1-1
Coordinator" means the County 9-1-1 Coordinator appointed pursuant to
section 5 of this act;

���� e.���� "Enhanced 9-1-1
network" means the switching equipment, trunk system, database operation
and connections to the public safety answering point;

���� f.���� "Enhanced 9-1-1
network features" means those features of selective routing which have the
capability of automatic number and location identification;

���� g.��� "Enhanced 9-1-1
service" means a service consisting of telephone network features and
public safety answering points provided for users of the public telephone
system enabling the users to reach a public service answering point by dialing
the digits "9-1-1."� The service directs 9-1-1 calls to appropriate
public safety answering points by selective routing based on the location from
which the call originated and provides for automatic number identification and
automatic location identification features;

���� h.��� "Enhanced 9-1-1
termination equipment" means the equipment located at the public safety
answering point which is needed to receive or record voice and data
communications from the enhanced 9-1-1 network;

���� i.���� "Office"
means the Office of Emergency Telecommunications Services established by
section 3 of this act;

���� j.���� "Public safety
agency" means a functional division of a municipality, a county, or the
State which dispatches or provides law enforcement, fire fighting, emergency
medical services, or other emergency services;

���� k.��� "Private safety
agency" means any entity, except a municipality or a public safety agency,
providing emergency medical services, fire fighting, or other emergency
services;

���� l.���� "Public safety
answering point (PSAP)" means a facility, operated on a 24-hour basis,
assigned the responsibility of receiving 9-1-1 calls and, as appropriate,
directly dispatching emergency response services or transferring or relaying
emergency 9-1-1 calls to other public safety agencies.� A public safety
answering point is the first point of reception by a public safety agency of
9-1-1 calls and serves the jurisdictions in which it is located or other
participating jurisdictions;

���� m.�� "Selective
routing" means the method employed to direct 9-1-1 calls to the
appropriate public safety answering point based on the location from which the
call originated;

���� n.��� "Emergency enhanced
9-1-1 system" or "system" means the emergency enhanced 9-1-1
telephone system to be established pursuant to this act, including wireless
enhanced 9-1-1 service;

���� o.��� "Telephone
company" means the organization that provides switched local telephone
exchange access service;

���� p.��� "Wireless telephone
company" means any person providing commercial mobile radio service as
defined in 47 U.S.C.s.332 (d);

���� q.��� "FCC wireless
E9-1-1 requirements" means the order adopted in the Federal Communications
Commission proceeding entitled "Revision of the Commission's Rules to
Ensure Comparability with Enhanced 9-1-1 Emergency Calling Systems," (CC
Docket No. 94-102: RM-8143), or any successor proceeding, and the rules adopted
by the Federal Communications Commission in any such proceeding, as these rules
may be amended from time to time;

���� r.���� "Wireless 9-1-1
service" means the service which enables wireless telephone company
customers to dial the digits 9-1-1 and be connected to a public safety agency;

���� s.���� "Wireless enhanced
9-1-1 service" means the service required to be provided by a wireless
telephone company pursuant to FCC wireless E9-1-1 requirements;

���� t.���� "Chief Technology
Officer" means the person appointed by and serving at the pleasure of the
Governor who is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Office of
Information Technology;

���� u.��� (Deleted by amendment,
P.L.2011, c.4)

���� v.��� "Office of
Information Technology" means the Office of Information Technology in but
not of the Department of the Treasury;

���� w.�� "Council" means
the Statewide Public Safety Communications Advisory Council created pursuant to
section 6 of P.L.2011, c.4 (C.52:17C-3.3);

���� x.��� "Delaware River
Homeland Security Region Communications Working Group" means the group of
individuals from agencies assigned to that region by the Office of Homeland
Security and Preparedness that collaborate on common communications issues;

���� y.��� "Interoperability"
means the ability of diverse information and communication technology systems
and the processes they support to effectively work together through compatible
communication paths to directly and satisfactorily exchange, correlate, and
integrate data, information, and knowledge across jurisdictional boundaries and
to use the data, information, and knowledge that has been exchanged;

���� z.���� "Northeast/UASI
Homeland Security Region Communications Working Group" means the group of
individuals from agencies assigned to that region by the Office of Homeland
Security and Preparedness that collaborate on common communications issues;

���� aa.�� "Northwest Homeland
Security Region Communications Working Group" means the group of
individuals from agencies assigned to that region by the Office of Homeland
Security and Preparedness that collaborate on common communications issues;

���� bb.� "Shore Homeland
Security Region Communications Working Group" means the group of
individuals from agencies assigned to that region by the Office of Homeland
Security and Preparedness that collaborate on common communications issues;
[
and
]

���� cc.�� "State Agency
Communications Working Group" means the group of individuals made up of
State and quasi-state agencies as defined in the State Preparedness Report that
collaborate on common communications issues
; and

����
dd.� �Public safety
dispatch point (PSDP)� means a location which provides dispatch services for
one or more public safety agencies
.

(cf: P.L.2011, c.4, s.1)

���� 2.��� (New section)� a.� In
addition to regulations concerning Public safety answering points (PSAP), as
defined in section 1 of P.L.1989, c.3 (C.52:17C-1), operational standards
promulgated by the Director of the Office of Emergency Telecommunications
Services pursuant to section 3 of P.L.1989, c.3 (C.52:17C-3), the PSAP
call-taker of each 9-1-1 call shall ask the caller if the caller believes the
request for emergency services involves a person with an emotional or
behavioral disorder.�

���� b.� If the PSAP also serves as
the Public safety dispatch point
(
PSDP), as defined in section 1 of
P.L.1989, c.3 (C.52:17C-1), in dispatching emergency services the call-taker
shall inform the emergency service provider if the caller or call-taker
believes the call involves a person who suffers from an emotional or behavioral
disorder.

���� c.���� If the PSAP does not
serve as the PSDP, in transferring the call to the appropriate PSAP or PSDP,
the call-taker shall inform the appropriate PSAP or PSDP if the caller or
call-taker believes the call involves a person who suffers from an emotional or
behavioral disorder.

���� d.��� The PSAP and PSDP shall
maintain a record of every 9-1-1 call that the caller or call-taker believes
involves a person who suffers from an emotional or behavioral disorder.�

���� e.���� In dispatching
emergency services, if feasible based on the individual agency�s technical
capabilities, the call-taker shall review any available call history associated
with the caller, telephone number, or address to determine whether the caller,
telephone number, or address was previously associated with a person believed
to be suffering from an emotional or behavioral disorder.�

���� f.���� Whenever possible and
practicable, PSAP and PSDP shall inform the emergency service provider if the
caller, telephone number, or address was previously associated with a person
believed to be suffering from an emotional or behavioral disorder.

���� 3.��� (New section)� a.� The
Division of State Police shall maintain a record of its responses that involve
a person who is believed to be suffering from an emotional or behavioral
disorder.�

���� b.��� Whenever possible and
practicable, any historical information provided to a law enforcement officer
by the division upon dispatch shall include information concerning whether the
subject or location of the dispatch was previously associated with a person
believed to be suffering from an emotional or behavioral disorder.�

���� 4.��� (New section)� a.� Every
county and municipal police department or force shall maintain a record of any
response by the department or force that involves a person who is believed to
be suffering from an emotional or behavioral disorder.�

���� b.��� Whenever possible and
practicable, any historical information provided to a law enforcement officer
by a county or municipal police department or force upon dispatch shall include
information concerning whether the subject or location of the dispatch was
previously associated with a person believed to be suffering from an emotional
or behavioral disorder.�

���� 5.��� This act shall take
effect on the first day of the third month following enactment, except the
Director of the Office of Emergency Telecommunications Services and the
Attorney General may take any anticipatory administrative action in advance as
shall be necessary for the implementation of this act.

STATEMENT

���� This bill establishes
procedures for the intake and record keeping of certain 9-1-1 calls that
involve a person who is believed to be suffering from an emotional or
behavioral disorder.

���� Under current law, all 9-1-1
calls are required to be answered with a response such as, �9-1-1 where is your
emergency?�� In dispatching emergency medical services, dispatchers are
required to provide pre-arrival instructions to emergency medical service
providers.

���� Often, law enforcement
officers and emergency service providers responding to a call for help are
unaware that a call may involve a person with an emotional or behavioral
disorder.� This lack of knowledge can lead to dangerous conditions which could
cause harm to the officer, emergency service provider, or the person with an
emotional or behavioral disorder.� It is the sponsor�s belief that requiring
9-1-1 call-takers to ask additional questions to determine wither the call
involves a person who is believed to be suffering from an emotional or
behavioral disorder can protect law enforcement officers, emergency service
providers, and people with an emotional or behavioral disorder.

���� Under the bill, the public
safety answering point (PSAP) call-taker of each 9-1-1 call is required to ask
whether the caller believes the request for emergency services involves a
person with an emotional or behavioral disorder.� In dispatching emergency
services, the call-taker is required to inform the PSAP or the public safety
dispatch point (PSDP) dispatching the call that it is believed that the call
involves a person who suffers from an emotional or behavioral disorder.

���� The bill further requires the
PSAP and PSDP to maintain a record of every 9-1-1 call that the caller or
call-taker believes involves a person who suffers from an emotional or
behavioral disorder.� In dispatching emergency services, if feasible based on the
individual agency�s technical capabilities, the call-taker is required to
review any available call history associated with the caller, telephone number,
or address to determine whether the caller, telephone number, or address was
previously associated with a person believed to be suffering from an emotional
or behavioral disorder.� Whenever possible and practicable, the PSAP and PSDP
are required to inform the emergency service provider of that call history.

���� In addition, the bill requires
the Division of State Police and every county and municipal police department
or force to maintain a record of the division�s and the department�s or force�s
response to any call or incident that involves a person who is believed to be
suffering from an emotional or behavioral disorder.� Whenever possible and
practicable, any historical information provided to a law enforcement officer
by the division, department or force upon dispatch is required include
information concerning whether the subject or location of the dispatch was
previously associated with a person believed to be suffering from an emotional
or behavioral disorder.