TRENTON, N.J. – Legislation that would classify electrical lineworkers and certain utility workers as first responders during weather-related states of emergency was advanced by the Assembly Telecommunications and Utilities Committee.
The bill (A5079), sponsored by Assemblyman Kevin Egan (D-Middlesex, Somerset) and Assemblywoman Mitchelle Drulis (D-Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Somerset), also proposes civil liability protections and other benefits for utility workers responding during declared weather emergencies.
“Under a weather-related state of emergency, electrical linemen and utility service workers are crucial to getting the state running and should be treated as first responders,” Egan said. “This bill would ensure that they receive the recognition they deserve as well as the protections they need to do important work when we need them most.”
Under the proposed legislation, lineworkers and utility workers would be shielded from civil liability for actions taken in good faith while restoring electrical or water service during an emergency. The immunity would not apply in cases involving willful misconduct, gross negligence, or motor vehicle-related damages caused by negligence.
The measure also calls for the issuance of special motor vehicle decals, to be used only during weather-related emergencies. These decals, distributed and managed by the New Jersey Division of State Police, would identify utility workers for emergency access and mobility during crisis situations.
“I am proud to sponsor this bill,” said Drulis. “Lineworkers and utility workers are among the first on the scene when major weather events disrupt our lives. They protect us from the impact of natural disasters, which are increasingly common due to climate change, and they deserve the protections and benefits of first-responder status when they are needed most.”
The bill now heads to the full Assembly for further consideration.
