Sponsored by:
Assemblyman ALEX DECROCE
District 26 (Morris and Passaic)
Assemblyman JOSEPH R. MALONE, III
District 30 (Burlington, Mercer, Monmouth and Ocean)
SYNOPSIS
Requires State Office of Emergency Management to study and recommend evacuation routes in Trenton for inclement weather conditions or other emergency situations.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As amended by the Senate on March 21, 2011.
An Act 1[establishing] concerning1 the State Capital 1[Coordinating Council on Emergency Evacuation Routes and Procedures]1 and supplementing Title 1[39] 521 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1[1. a. There is established in, but not of, the Department of Law and Public Safety a State Capital Coordinating Council on Emergency Evacuation Routes and Procedures. The coordinating council shall consist of seven members as follows: three persons appointed by the Governor to represent, respectively, the Office of the Governor, the Department of Law and Public Safety, and the Department of Transportation; two persons appointed by the Governor to represent the Legislature, one upon the recommendation of the Speaker of the General Assembly and the other upon recommendation of the President of the Senate; a person appointed by the Governor to represent the Mercer County government; and a person appointed by the Governor to represent the Trenton City government.
b. The members of the council shall serve at the pleasure of the Governor during the Governor's term of office, and shall serve without compensation but may be reimbursed for travel and other miscellaneous expenses necessary to perform their duties within the limits of funds appropriated or otherwise made available to the council for its purposes. Vacancies in the membership of the council shall be filled in the same manner as provided for the original appointments.
c. The council shall organize as soon as practicable, but no later than 60 days following the appointment of its members, and shall select a chairperson and vice-chairperson from among the members.
d. The council may meet at the call of its chairperson and hold hearings at the times and in the places it may deem appropriate and necessary to fulfill its charge. The council shall be entitled to call to its assistance and avail itself of the services of the employees of any State, county or municipal department, board, bureau, commission or agency as it may require and as may be available to it for its purposes.]1
1[2. The council shall study and recommend the routes that are to be used to leave the city of Trenton in the event of an early closure of State government offices, and the concomitant closure of
local government and private offices, with its compounding effects, as a result of inclement weather conditions or other emergency situations. The council shall also recommend the entity that should be the lead agency in coordinating the efforts of the various State and local agencies that would be responsible for ensuring that persons leaving the city are directed to the routes recommended by the council and that the routes are clear of obstructions, natural or otherwise. Further, the council shall develop and recommend a plan that provides for police and other emergency services to be present on the recommended routes to ensure that traffic is able to move freely. Further, to promote a more even flow of traffic out of the city of Trenton, the council shall also develop and recommend guidelines for the closure of State and local government offices, so that not all such offices close at the same time. The council shall submit its initial study and recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature not later than one year after the effective date of this act.]1
11. a. As used in this act, "office" means the State Office of Emergency Management in the Division of State Police in the Department of Law and Public Safety.
b. The office shall, in consultation with appropriate State and local agencies and officials, study and recommend the routes that are to be used to leave the city of Trenton in the event of an early closure of State government offices and the concomitant closure of local government and private offices, with its compounding effects, as a result of inclement weather conditions or other emergency situations. The study shall examine whether the office or another agency should be the lead agency in coordinating the efforts of the various State and local agencies that would be responsible for ensuring that persons leaving the city are directed to the routes recommended and the routes are clear of obstructions, natural or otherwise. The office also shall develop and recommend a plan that provides for police and other emergency services to be present on the recommended routes to ensure that traffic is able to move freely. In addition, to promote a more even flow of traffic out of the city of Trenton, the office shall develop and recommend guidelines for the closure of State and local government offices, so that not all such offices close at the same time. The office shall submit its study and recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1) not later than one year after the effective date of this act.
c. The office may hold hearings at the times and in the places it may deem appropriate and necessary to fulfill its charge. The office shall be entitled to call to its assistance and avail itself of the services of the employees of any State, county or municipal department, board, bureau, commission or agency as it may require
and as may be available to it for its purposes.1
1[3.] 2.1 This act shall take effect immediately.