ASSEMBLY HOUSING COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 2258

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  JUNE 13, 2024

      The Assembly Housing Committee adopts amendments to Assembly Bill No. 2258.

      As amended, this bill establishes a three-year pilot program under which counties are to formulate plans for issuing a Code Red alert on extreme heat days and during air quality events to municipal governments, social service agencies, and non-profit organizations that provide services to certain at-risk individuals.  Each county office of emergency management is required to coordinate with municipal emergency management coordinators in municipalities with a documented homeless population of at least 10 people in developing consistent Code Red alert plans throughout the county that provide for communication and outreach, cooling centers, and transportation during implementation of a Code Red alert plan.  This plan may be carried out by designated volunteer organizations, which are to receive cooperation and logistical support from the municipal coordinator but are to operate autonomously.  The bill requires each municipality, social service agency, and non-profit organization to report the location of its cooling centers to the Department of Environmental Protection to be included in the Heat Hub NJ’s Chill Out NJ public resource.

      The bill requires a county emergency management coordinator to declare the Code Red alert when the National Weather Service declares a heat advisory for that county’s region or reports an Air Quality Index of 151 or higher.

      Following the conclusion of the pilot program, the bill permits counties to submit their certified costs incurred under the program to the State Office of Emergency Management for reimbursement.  The bill also requires the office to submit a report to the Governor and Legislature on the pilot program and to recommend whether or not to make the program permanent.

      The bill provides “Good Samaritan” protection from civil liability to the State and local governments and their employees, as well as to volunteer organizations and their members who, during implementation of a Code Red alert plan, provide emergency cooling centers to at-risk individuals.

      This bill was pre-filed for introduction in the 2024-2025 session pending technical review. As reported, the bill includes the changes required by technical review, which has been performed.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS:

      The committee amended the bill to:

· specify the requirements of the Code Red alert plan;

· require each municipality, social service agency, and non-profit organization to report the location of all cooling centers in the municipality to the Department of Environmental Protection from inclusion in the database of cooling centers across the State;

· require a county coordinator to declare a Code Red alert when the National Weather Service office for that county’s region reports an Air Quality Index of 151 or higher; and

· specify that a county, municipality, social service agency, or non-profit organization may operate cooling centers and other heat related mitigation strategies when a Code Red alert is not required by the bill.