SENATE, No. 1375

 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

 

INTRODUCED JUNE 24, 1996

 

 

By Senator BASSANO

 

 

An Act concerning certified fire inspectors and supplementing and amending P.L.1983, c.383.

 

    Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

 

    1. (New section) Any person employed by the State and certified by the commissioner as a fire inspector under P.L. 1983, c. 383 (C.52:27D-192 et seq.) may inspect all buildings, structures and premises owned or occupied by the State, its agencies, departments, or instrumentalities.

 

    2. Section 22 of P.L.1983, c.383 (C.52:27D-213) is amended to read as follows:

    22. a. This act shall not be construed as authorizing the adoption of a regulation or the enactment of an ordinance requiring that a building conforming in all respects to the requirements of the "State Uniform Construction Code Act," P.L.1975, c.217 (C.52:27D-119 et seq.) be made to conform to more restrictive standards.

    b. Buildings, structures and premises owned or operated by the State, its agencies, departments, or instrumentalities or an interstate agency shall be inspected [exclusively] by the Department of Community Affairs or a person employed by the State and certified by the commissioner as a fire inspector pursuant to subsection c. of section 12 of P.L.1983, c. 383 (C.52:27D-203), and shall conform to this act in the same manner as all other buildings, structures and premises of similar construction and use classification; but no fees or penalties shall be charged to or assessed against the State, its agency, department or instrumentality, or an interstate agency. For purposes of this section, a unit of local government, whether county, inter-local or municipal, or a local, county, regional or consolidated school district, shall not be deemed to be an instrumentality of the State.

    c. Buildings, structures and premises subject to inspection for fire safety by an agency of the State shall be inspected by the agency or a person employed by the State and certified by the commissioner as a fire inspector pursuant to subsection c. of section 12 of P.L.1983, c. 383 (C.52:27D-203), in accordance with the standards established pursuant to this act. Any State fire safety standard for buildings, structures or premises established by or pursuant to any statute other than this act shall continue in effect until such time as that standard is superseded by appropriate regulations promulgated under this act. An agency of the State that enforced fire standards prior to the effective date of this act shall be entitled to petition the commissioner to establish a regulation establishing the standards it considers to be necessary and appropriate for buildings, structures and premises subject to its inspection.

(cf: P.L.1991, c.222, s.1)

 

    3. This act shall take effect on the first day of the fourth month following enactment.

 

 

STATEMENT

 

    This bill would allow a person who is employed by the State and certified by the Commissioner of Community Affairs as a fire inspector to inspect State buildings, structures and premises. Currently, fire inspectors employed in the Department of Community Affairs exclusively inspect State property. However, fire inspectors in the Department of Community Affairs receive the same certification as those in other departments. With certified fire inspectors available throughout the State, it is both logical and efficient to allow all certified State employed fire inspectors to inspect State property, instead of limiting the inspections to the employees of one department.

 

                             

 

Allows all State employed certified fire inspectors to inspect State property.