Amato Bills To Aid Seniors, People With Disabilities

TRENTON, NJ — People with disabilities, first responders and senior citizens are among the groups Sen. Carmen Amato is aiming to protect and help with a recent slate of bills he's introduced into the State Senate.

The Senate Community and Urban Affairs Committee recently advanced bipartisan legislation, co-sponsored by Amato (R-9) and Sen. Paul Moriarty (D-4) that would protect eligible Senior Freeze recipients from losing needed property tax relief when downsizing or relocating into a new home.

Currently, when a senior citizen moves into a new home, they become ineligible for Senior Freeze property tax reimbursement for up to three years. Amato's bipartisan bill would eliminate the waiting period penalty, making recipients immediately eligible for property tax relief provided that their reimbursement is calculated based on the tax year prior to relocation.

Another bill introduced by Amato similarly aims to protect seniors - this time from health insurance companies.

This proposed bill would prohibit health insurance carriers from placing a time limit on the coverage of anesthesia services before, during, or after a medical or surgical procedure. While this is not something happening in New Jersey - it was a policy issued by a carrier in other states and was reversed shortly after being announced - Amato, along with Asm. Brian Rumpf and Asm. Greg Myhre, didn't want to take any risks, saying that constituents were concerned about the possibility.

"While to our knowledge this policy is not being considered by any carriers providing services in New Jersey, we weren’t taking any chances," Amato, Rumpf and Myhre said. "So, we moved quickly to introduce legislation to prohibit health insurance carriers from placing a time limit on anesthesia coverage, preventing patients from being saddled with thousands of dollars in medical expenses."

The Senate Transportation Committee advanced a bill Amato sponsored that would allow parents or guardians to be present with a driving instructor during behind-the-wheel driver education for individuals with disabilities.

"By allowing a calming, familiar presence—like a parent or guardian—to provide support during behind-the-wheel training, disabled individuals can better develop the skills and confidence needed to become safe and capable drivers," Amato said.

And in a bill introduced with Sen. Joe Pennacchio (R-26), the two seek to create a new offense for impersonating a first responder while committing another crime. According to authorities in California, at least one person has been arrested for impersonating a firefighter while engaging in criminal activity amid the fires in Los Angeles County.

"Impersonating a first responder is a dangerous act that not only puts public safety at risk but it also deteriorates the trust that communities place in them by creating confusion," Amato said.