Sponsored by:
Assemblyman ERIC HOUGHTALING
District 11 (Monmouth)
Assemblywoman JOANN DOWNEY
District 11 (Monmouth)
Assemblywoman VALERIE VAINIERI HUTTLE
District 37 (Bergen)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblyman McGuckin, Assemblywomen Murphy and Jasey
SYNOPSIS
Requires declaration of Code Blue alert when National Weather Service predicts temperatures of 32 degrees Fahrenheit or lower.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning Code Blue alert declarations and amending P.L.2017, c.68.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 3 of P.L.2017, c.68 (C.App.A:9-43.20) is amended to read as follows:
3. A coordinator shall declare a Code Blue alert after evaluating weather forecasts and advisories produced by the National Weather Service that predict the following weather conditions in the county within 24 to 48 hours:
a. temperatures will reach [25 degrees Fahrenheit or lower without precipitation or] 32 degrees Fahrenheit or lower [with precipitation]; or
b. the National Weather Service [windchill] wind chill temperature will be zero degrees Fahrenheit or less for a period of two hours or more.
(cf: P.L.2017, c.68, s.3)
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill requires the declaration of a Code Blue alert when the National Weather Service predicts temperatures will reach 32 degrees Fahrenheit or lower.
Under current law, each county, through its office of emergency management, is responsible for establishing a plan for issuing Code Blue alerts to municipalities, social service agencies, and non-profit organizations that provide services to at-risk individuals located in the county. The plans are required to include the provision of emergency warming centers during a Code Blue alert.
Currently, a Code Blue alert is to be declared when National Weather Service forecasts and advisories predict that temperatures: (1) will reach 25 degrees Fahrenheit or lower without precipitation or 32 degrees Fahrenheit or lower with precipitation; or (2) the National Weather Service wind chill temperature will be zero degrees Fahrenheit or less for a period of two hours or more.
This bill requires a Code Blue alert to be issued when: (1) temperatures are predicted to reach 32 degrees Fahrenheit or lower, regardless of precipitation; or (2) the National Weather Service wind chill temperature will be zero degrees Fahrenheit or less for a period of two hours or more.