Sponsored by:
Assemblyman BENJIE E. WIMBERLY
District 35 (Bergen and Passaic)
Assemblywoman VERLINA REYNOLDS-JACKSON
District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)
SYNOPSIS
Creates program for installing standby emergency power generators in new senior housing.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning the provision of electricity in new residential construction for seniors and supplementing P.L.1975, c.119 (C.52:27D-119 et seq.).
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. Any newly-constructed residential multiple dwelling in which at least 90 percent of the units will be occupied by seniors, and for which an application for a construction permit has not been declared complete by the enforcing agency before the effective date of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), shall be equipped with a standby emergency power generator.
b. (1) Any standby emergency power generator installed pursuant to this section shall be operated in compliance with requirements for such generators in accordance with regulations adopted by the Department of Environmental Protection.
(2) A standby emergency power generator installed pursuant to this section shall be checked weekly, tested under load monthly, and serviced in accordance with generally accepted engineering practices by the manager or operator of the multiple dwelling units.
(3) A standby emergency power generator installed pursuant to this section shall be operated only when necessary to provide power to multiple dwellings housing seniors in order to protect their general health and welfare which would be under substantial risk in a continued power outage.
c. For the purposes of this section, "seniors" means those persons 62 years of age or older.
d. The Department of Community Affairs shall promulgate rules and regulations pursuant to its rule-making authority under the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.) in order to effectuate the purposes of this act.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill creates a standard
under the State Uniform Construction Code for those newly-constructed
residential multiple dwellings in which at least 90 percent of the units will
be occupied by seniors, and for which an application for a construction permit
has not been declared complete by the enforcing agency before the effective
date of the bill, requiring such housing units or complexes to be equipped with
standby emergency power generators. Seniors are defined under the bill as
persons age 62 or older.
The bill directs that the use of standby emergency power generators required under the bill is to comport with the regulations of the Department of Environmental Protection concerning air pollution and are to be tested regularly.