Bill Text: NJ A2485 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Concerns the "New Jersey Nonprofit Security Grant Program."
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-1)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-09 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Public Safety and Preparedness Committee [A2485 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-A2485-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman ANNETTE QUIJANO
District 20 (Union)
Assemblyman GARY S. SCHAER
District 36 (Bergen and Passaic)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblyman S.Kean
SYNOPSIS
Concerns the "New Jersey Nonprofit Security Grant Program."
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act concerning the "New Jersey Nonprofit Security Grant Program" and amending chapter 9 of Appendix A.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 3 of P.L.2021, c. 439 (C. App.A:9-89) is amended to read as follows:
3. a. There is hereby established the "New Jersey Nonprofit Security Grant Program" (NJNSGP) in the Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness, which shall provide grants to eligible nonprofit organizations at greatest risk of attack as annually appropriated (1) to hire permanent or temporary security personnel limited to federal, State, county, or municipal law enforcement officers, special law enforcement officers appointed pursuant to P.L.1985, c.439 (C.40A:14-146.8 et seq.), or security officers registered pursuant to P.L.2004, c.134 (C.45:19A-1 et seq.), and (2) for acquisition of target-hardening equipment for the purpose of preparedness against threats, attacks, and other violent acts.
b. The director shall administer the New Jersey Nonprofit Security Grant Program. There shall annually be distributed to approved eligible nonprofit organizations a maximum grant of up to [$10,000] $25,000 per approved application for personnel and a maximum grant of up to [$50,000] $100,000 for target-hardening equipment. An eligible organization may make multiple applications for, and receive, multiple personnel grants of up to $25,000 each for non-contiguous properties as defined by the director. The director may adjust these amounts based upon the final availability of funds, analytical trends, and emerging threats.
c. An eligible nonprofit organization shall apply to the Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness to receive [a grant] grants under the program, for either costs of security personnel or acquisition of target-hardening equipment, or both; however, an applicant only may be awarded funds up to $75,000 for [either] personnel [or for equipment in a fiscal year] in an annual grant cycle. The Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness first shall evaluate all applications as to whether they are at high-risk of terrorist attack, threats, domestic extremism, and other violent acts. The costs of hiring security personnel shall include the cost of hiring security personnel for an event within the geographic boundaries of the State primarily organized by the applicant away from the applicant's physical location as recorded on the grant application and for which the applicant bears legal liability. The funds distributed under the program shall be utilized solely for security investments made within this State. No funds shall be utilized to support security needs while traveling outside of this State.
Applicants may apply annually for a disbursement of funds for costs of security personnel and may be awarded grants in successive years. The Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness shall assign a preference for applicants who have not received a federal security grant that includes funding for hiring security personnel in the last two federal grant cycles.
Applicants may apply annually for grant funds for acquisition of target-hardening equipment. The Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness shall assign a preference for applicants who have not received either a federal or State security grant for target-hardening equipment in the last two grant cycles.
d. The Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness shall request annually as part of its annual budget proposal a minimum of [$2,000,000] $14,000,000 to fund the grants authorized pursuant to this section. The office also shall pursue and develop, with the Department of Law and Public Safety, the United States Department of Homeland Security, and any other applicable State or federal agency, any available federal, State, local, and private funding for the grants authorized pursuant to this section.
e. Of the amount appropriated to the program, four percent shall be utilized for outreach and grant-writing assistance, five percent shall be allocated to the Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness to be used to administer the program, 36 percent shall be utilized for target-hardening equipment grants, and 55 percent shall be utilized for security personnel grants.
(cf: P.L.2021, c.439, s.3)
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill increases the maximum amount of the grant that may be awarded to eligible grantees under the New Jersey Nonprofit Security Grant Program; eliminates the prohibition of an organization receiving more than one grant in an annual grant cycle; increases the minimum amount the office is required to request as part of its annual budget proposal to fund grants; and establishes allocation percentages for security personnel grants, target-hardening equipment grants, and outreach and grant writing assistance for the program.
The bill increases an eligible organization's maximum security personnel grant from $10,000 to $25,000 per grant cycle and permits an eligible organization to submit multiple applications for and receive multiple personnel grants of up to $25,000 each for non-contiguous properties as defined by the Director of the Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness (OHSP); however, no more than $75,000 may be awarded in a single year to a single organization for personnel grants.
The bill increases the maximum target-hardening equipment grant to an eligible organization from $50,000 to $100,000 per grant cycle.
The bill eliminates the prohibition of a grantee receiving both a target-hardening equipment grant and a personnel grant in the same year.
The bill increases the minimum amount the OHSP is to request annually as part of its annual budget proposal from $2 million to $14 million annually.
Under current law, of the amount appropriated to the Nonprofit Security Grant Program, five percent is to be allocated to the OHSP to be utilized to administer the program. The bill further establishes grant allocation percentages for outreach and grant writing assistance (four percent), target-hardening equipment grants (36 percent), and security personnel grants (55 percent).
