The hours of employment of the uniformed members and officers of any county police department or force having supervision and regulation of traffic on county highways and roads or of a county park police system shall not exceed 8 continuous hours in any one day nor more than 40 hours in any one week. No such member or officer shall be required to perform any police duty which would involve more time than herein specified except in cases of emergency.

The provisions herein shall be inoperative unless and until adopted by resolution of the board of chosen freeholders or the county park police commission, as the case may be, and if the resolution so provides, this section shall remain inoperative until approved by a majority of legal voters of the county voting thereon at an election held at the next general election. Such an election shall be held when so directed but such direction shall not be made unless so made at least 40 days preceding such next general election.

The adoption thereof when submitted shall be in the form of a question to the legal voters of the county, in the manner prescribed by law, in substantially the following form on the ballot: “Shall the 8-hour day and 40-hour week plan for the county policemen (county park policemen) be adopted?” The ballot shall contain 2 squares to the left of the question, one with the word “Yes” , the other with the word “No” , respectively, to the right of the squares. The ballot shall contain instructions to the voters, to vote by marking a cross ( x ), or plus (+) or check mark ( X ) in the appropriate square according to their choice. If voting machines are used, the word “Yes” or “No” shall be equivalent to such markings, respectively. If a majority of the legal voters voting on such question at said election vote in favor of the adoption, the plan shall become operative in the county in which it was adopted to the extent thereof.

L.1971, c. 197, s. 1, eff. July 1, 1971.