Sponsored by:
Senator JOSEPH F. VITALE
District 19 (Middlesex)
SYNOPSIS
Requires youth serving organization to adopt and implement “Air Quality Participation Policy” established by Commissioner of Health.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning youth serving organizations and supplementing Title 26 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. As used in this section, “youth serving organization” means a public or private organization, association, corporation, partnership, governmental entity, nonprofit organization, camp operator, recreational program, or any other entity that organizes, conducts, sponsors, or supervises organized outdoor activities for individuals 18 years of age or under in this State.
b. The Commissioner of Health shall establish an “Air Quality Participation Policy” governing the conduct of all youth serving organizations’ organized outdoor activities during periods of unhealthy air quality.
c. The policy established pursuant to subsection b. of this section shall require, at minimum, that any organized outdoor activity involving individuals 18 years of age or under be modified or canceled whenever the Air Quality Index, established by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, is 151 or higher.
d. The policy established pursuant to subsection b. of this section shall include guidelines for those responsible for, or sharing duties related to, making decisions concerning the implementation of modifications or cancellation of organized outdoor activities based on the presence of unhealthy air quality.
e. A youth serving organization shall adopt and implement the “Air Quality Participation Policy” established by the Commissioner of Health pursuant to subsection b. of this section, and any rules and regulations adopted pursuant to this act.
f. The Commissioner of Health, in consultation with the Department of Environmental Protection, shall adopt rules and regulations, in accordance with the “Administrative Procedure Act,” P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), as the commissioner deems necessary to effectuate the purposes of this act.
2. This act shall take effect on the first day of the fourth month next following the date of enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill requires youth serving organizations to adopt and implement the “Air Quality Participation Policy” established by the Commissioner of Health.
Under the bill, the term “youth serving organization” means a public or private organization, association, corporation, partnership, governmental entity, nonprofit organization, camp operator, recreational program, or any other entity that organizes, conducts, sponsors, or supervises organized outdoor activities for individuals 18 years of age or under in this State.
The bill requires the Commissioner of Health to establish an “Air Quality Participation Policy” governing the conduct of all youth serving organizations’ organized outdoor activities during periods of unhealthy air quality.
Under the bill, the policy established by the Commissioner of Health is to require that any organized outdoor activity involving individuals 18 years of age or under be modified or canceled whenever the Air Quality Index (AQI) is 151 or higher. The AQI is a standardized scale developed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency to communicate how clean or polluted the air is and the potential health effects associated with current or forecasted air quality. Additionally, the policy is to include guidelines for those responsible for, or sharing duties related to, making decisions concerning the implementation of modifications or cancellation of organized outdoor activities based on the presence of unhealthy air quality.
This bill requires youth serving organizations to adopt and implement the “Air Quality Participation Policy” established by the Commissioner of Health and any rules and regulations adopted pursuant to this bill.