Sponsored by:
Assemblyman RALPH R. CAPUTO
District 28 (Essex)
Assemblyman PATRICK J. DIEGNAN, JR.
District 18 (Middlesex)
Assemblyman RUBEN J. RAMOS, JR.
District 33 (Hudson)
Assemblywoman L. GRACE SPENCER
District 29 (Essex)
Assemblywoman CLEOPATRA G. TUCKER
District 28 (Essex)
Assemblywoman ANNETTE QUIJANO
District 20 (Union)
Assemblywoman VALERIE VAINIERI HUTTLE
District 37 (Bergen)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblyman Benson, Assemblywoman Wagner, Assemblyman Johnson, Assemblywomen Jasey, Watson Coleman, Assemblymen Singleton, Fuentes, Wilson, Giblin, Assemblywomen Riley, Lampitt, Assemblymen Coutinho, Eustace, Burzichelli, DeAngelo and Assemblywoman Jimenez
SYNOPSIS
Requires school buildings to be equipped with emergency light and panic alarm linked to local law enforcement.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning school security alarms and supplementing chapter 41 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. As used in this section:
“Emergency light” means a red light that is affixed to the exterior of a school building in a highly visible location above or near the front entrance.
“Panic alarm” means a silent security system signal generated by the manual activation of a device intended to signal a life-threatening or emergency situation requiring a response from law enforcement.
b. Each public elementary and secondary school building shall be equipped with at least one panic alarm for use in a school security emergency including, but not limited to, a non-fire evacuation, lockdown, or active shooter situation. The alarm shall be directly linked to local law enforcement authorities and shall immediately transmit a signal or message to such authorities upon activation. The alarm shall not be audible within the school building.
c. Each public elementary and secondary school building shall be equipped with an emergency light that is linked to the school’s panic alarm and which turns on when the panic alarm is activated.
2. This act shall take effect on the first day of the tenth month after enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill requires that all public elementary and secondary schools be equipped with a panic alarm for use in a school security emergency including, but not limited to, a non-fire evacuation, lockdown, or active shooter situation. The panic alarm, which will not be audible within the school building, must be directly linked to local law enforcement authorities and must immediately transmit a signal or message to the authorities upon activation. The bill defines “panic alarm” as a silent security system signal generated by the manual activation of a device intended to signal a life-threatening or emergency situation that requires a response from law enforcement.
The bill also requires that all public elementary and secondary schools be equipped with a red emergency light that is affixed to the exterior of the school building in a highly visible location above or near the front entrance. The emergency light must be linked to the school’s panic alarm so that it turns on when the panic alarm is activated.