(1) In order to meet the needs of residents affected during a declared emergency and to ensure the continuing economic resilience of communities impacted by disaster, the division shall establish a statewide system to facilitate the transport and distribution of essentials in commerce.
(2) As used in this section, the term “essentials” means goods that are consumed or used as a direct result of a declared emergency, or that are consumed or used to preserve, protect, or sustain life, health, safety, or economic well-being. The term includes, but is not limited to, personal protective equipment used in the event of a public health emergency.
(3) The division shall develop a system to certify each person who facilitates the transport or distribution of essentials in commerce. The division may not certify a person other than a person who routinely transports or distributes essentials. In developing the system, the division:(a) May provide for a preemergency or postemergency declaration certification.
(b) Shall allow the certification of an employer, if requested by the employer, to constitute a certification of the employer’s employees.
(c) Shall create an easily recognizable indicium of certification to assist local officials’ efforts in determining which persons have been certified under this subsection.
(d) Shall limit the duration of each certificate to no more than 1 year. Each certificate may be renewed so long as the criteria for certification are met.
(4) A person or employer certified under subsection (3) is not required to obtain any additional certification or fulfill any additional requirement to transport or distribute essentials.
(5) Notwithstanding any curfew, a person or employer certified under subsection (3) may enter or remain in the curfew area for the limited purpose of facilitating the transport or distribution of essentials and may provide service that exceeds otherwise applicable hours of service maximums to the extent authorized by a duly executed declaration of a state of emergency.
(6) This section does not prohibit a law enforcement officer from specifying the permissible route of ingress or egress for a person certified under subsection (3).
