Bill Text: NJ A4863 | 2022-2023 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes disaster relief grant program to provide municipalities with training, supply stockpiles, and technology to assist residents with certain applications; appropriates $5 million.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 7-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-12-08 - Reported and Referred to Assembly Homeland Security and State Preparedness Committee [A4863 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2022-A4863-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman ROBERT J. KARABINCHAK
District 18 (Middlesex)
Assemblywoman ELLEN J. PARK
District 37 (Bergen)
Assemblywoman SHANIQUE SPEIGHT
District 29 (Essex)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblywomen McKnight and Jaffer
SYNOPSIS
Establishes disaster relief grant program to provide municipalities with training, supply stockpiles, and technology to assist residents with certain applications; appropriates $5 million.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act establishing a disaster relief grant program, supplementing Appendix A, and making an appropriation.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. There is established a disaster relief program in the Division of Local Government Services in the Department of Community Affairs for the purposes of establishing a grant program to provide municipalities with training, supply stockpiles, and technology to be used to assist residents with disaster relief applications and other paperwork, as appropriate. The Division of Local Government Services shall consult with the State Office of Emergency Management to set guidelines for the program.
b. The Office of Emergency Management, in consultation with the Division of Local Government Services, shall establish:
(1) an application process for a municipality to access grant monies for the purposes of providing training, technology, and supply stockpiles;
(2) guidelines for priority in disbursals according to the Office of Emergency Management's risk assessment score for each municipality;
(3) training guidelines for municipal employees who will assist residents with disaster relief paperwork and other paperwork as appropriate; and
(4) guidelines for supply stockpiles as appropriate for each municipality according to its municipal master plan.
c. The division shall disburse grants to municipalities pursuant to guidelines promulgated in accordance with subsection b. of this section. A grant to a municipality shall not exceed $30,000.
d. One year after the initial disbursement of grant money, the municipality shall be required to submit a report to the Division of Local Government Services, the Office of Emergency Management, the Governor, and the Legislature, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), regarding how grant funds were utilized, the current risks foreseen by the municipality, and to provide data on how the grant money has improved the emergency preparedness and response capacity of the municipality.
2. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Division of Local Government Services the sum of $5,000,000 for the purposes set forth in section 1 of this act.
3. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill establishes a disaster
relief program within the Division
of Local Government Services in the Department of Community Affairs for the purposes of establishing a grant program to provide municipalities with training, supply stockpiles, and technology to be used to assist residents with disaster relief applications and other paperwork, and appropriates $5,000,000. The Office of Emergency Management, in consultation with the Division of Local Government Services, will establish an application process for municipalities to: access grant monies for the purpose of providing training, technology, and supply stockpiles; establish guidelines for priority in disbursals according to the Office of Emergency Management's risk assessment score for each municipality; establish training guidelines for municipal employees who will assist residents with disaster relief paperwork and other paperwork, as appropriate; and establish guidelines for supply stockpiles as appropriate for each municipality according to its municipal master plan.
The Division of Local Government Services will disburse grant monies to municipalities based on the criteria established by the division. Each municipality receiving a grant will be required to submit a report one year after the initial disbursement to the Division of Local Government Services, the Office of Emergency Management, the Governor, and the Legislature regarding how grant funds were utilized, the current risks foreseen by the municipality, and to provide data on how the grant money has improved the emergency preparedness and response capacity of the municipality.
