ASSEMBLY HOMELAND SECURITY AND STATE PREPAREDNESS COMMITTEE
STATEMENT TO
ASSEMBLY, No. 1965
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
DATED: MAY 12, 2021
The Assembly Homeland Security and State Preparedness Committee reports favorably Assembly Bill No. 1965.
As reported by the committee, Assembly Bill No. 1965 requires that certain community residential facilities be equipped with standby emergency power generators.
The provisions of the bill apply to nonprofit community residences for the developmentally disabled, which are sponsored by the Department of Human Services, and the standby emergency power generator required would be a natural gas or liquid gas propane fuel powered generator that is permanently connected to the electrical system of the community residence.
Specifically, the bill provides that these community residences, which provide care for their residents beginning on or after the effective date of the bill, are to be equipped with standby emergency power generators, and that such facilities operating prior to the effective date of the bill are to be equipped with the generators within 90 days of the effective date.
The bill requires the utility providing power to the community residence to be responsible for the cost of acquiring and installing the generator.
In addition, the bill provides that the agency, organization, or other entity operating the community residence is responsible for the cost of maintaining its generator and is to ensure that the generator is checked, tested, and serviced in accordance with generally accepted engineering practices as prescribed by regulation.
The bill takes effect on the first day of the fourth month following the date of enactment, but authorizes the Commissioner of Human Services to take prior administrative action as necessary for its implementation.
This bill was pre-filed for introduction in the 2020-2021 session pending technical review. As reported, this bill includes the changes required by technical review, which has been performed.