SENATE LAW AND PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 3422

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  JUNE 6, 2019

      The Senate Law and Public Safety Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Senate Bill No. 3422.

      As amended and reported by the committee, this bill requires a Code Blue alert be declared 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 persons located in the county.  The plans are to require emergency warming centers be available during a Code Blue alert.   

     Currently, a Code Blue alert is to be declared when National Weather Service forecasts and advisories predict within 24 to 48 hours that: (1) the temperature will reach 25 degrees Fahrenheit or less without precipitation or 32 degrees Fahrenheit or less with precipitation; or (2) the 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 less, regardless of precipitation; or (2) the wind chill temperature will be zero degrees Fahrenheit or less for a period of two hours or more. 

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS:

      The committee made technical amendments to the bill.