App.A:9-43.13 Central registry for residents with special needs.

6. a. Each county in the State may establish a central registry for residents with special needs who require additional assistance provided to them during an emergency. A central registry created pursuant to this section shall be maintained by each county office of emergency management, and shall be composed of information voluntarily provided by each registrant that includes, but is not limited to, the registrant's address, telephone number, and particular condition or assistance needs.

b. Each county that creates such a registry shall conduct a public awareness campaign, utilizing the Internet and any other available resources, to inform the general public of the importance of identifying and registering individuals with special needs prior to an emergency so that appropriate preparations may be made to ensure that these individuals receive necessary assistance during an evacuation. Information collected for purposes of a central registry created pursuant to this section shall be used only by the county office of emergency management that collected the information to prepare for and provide assistance to residents with special needs in an emergency, and shall not otherwise be divulged or made publicly available; provided however, that the director may, at the director's discretion, access and obtain information from a central registry maintained by a county office of emergency management if the information is used directly and exclusively by the director to prepare an Emergency Operations Plan required pursuant to section 19 of P.L.1989, c.222 (C.App.A:9-43.2).

c. A central registry maintained by a county office of emergency management and any information contained therein, or accessed and obtained by the director in accordance with subsection b. of this section, shall not be included under materials available to public inspections pursuant to P.L.1963, c.73 (C.47:1A-1 et seq.) or P.L.2001, c.404 (C.47:1A-5 et al.).

d. Each municipality in the State may maintain a list containing the names and addresses of municipal residents who identify themselves as being in need of special assistance in the event of an emergency in accordance with the provisions of section 1 of P.L.2017, c.266 (C.40:48-2.67).

L.2011, c.178, s.6; amended 2017, c.266, s.5.