STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman CHRISTIAN E. BARRANCO
District 25 (Morris and Somerset)
SYNOPSIS
Requires electric public utilities to disseminate through social media and text message certain information during power outages.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act concerning electric public utilities and social media and supplementing Title 48 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. An electric public utility shall develop and establish a plan to disseminate, through any Internet-based social media account and text message alert service voluntarily maintained by the electric public utility, information concerning the location of warming centers, electronic communication device charging stations, and the availability of potable water and ice to the public from the electric public utility during power outages. The information shall include, but not be limited to:
(1) the address of each warming center and the dates and hours of operation;
(2) the address of each electronic communication device charging station and the dates and hours of operation;
(3) the address of each location where potable water and ice will be available to the public; and
(4) the dates and hours potable water and ice will be available to the public.
b. The Office of Emergency Management, the Division of State Police, and any other appropriate State, county, or municipal entity may, on their respective Internet-based social media accounts or websites, disseminate information made available by electric public utilities pursuant to subsection a. of this section.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill requires an electric public utility to develop and establish a plan to disseminate, through Internet-based social media accounts and text message alert services voluntarily maintained by the electric public utility, information concerning the location of warming centers, electronic communication device charging stations, and the availability of potable water and ice to the public from the electric public utility during power outages. The information is to include, but not be limited to: 1) the address of each warming center and the dates and hours of operation; 2) the address of each electronic communication device charging station and the dates and hours of operation; 3) the address of each location where potable water and ice will be available to the public; and 4) the dates and hours potable water and ice will be available to the public. The Office of Emergency Management, the Division of State Police, and any other appropriate State, county, or municipal entity may, on their respective Internet-based social media accounts or websites, disseminate the information concerning potable water and ice pursuant to this bill.