Bill Text: NJ AR33 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Urges President and Congress of US to enact legislation requiring certain delivery vehicles to have air-conditioning unit.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-09 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Transportation and Independent Authorities Committee [AR33 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-AR33-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman JOE DANIELSEN
District 17 (Middlesex and Somerset)
Assemblyman STERLEY S. STANLEY
District 18 (Middlesex)
SYNOPSIS
Urges President and Congress of US to enact legislation requiring certain delivery vehicles to have air-conditioning unit.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Assembly Resolution urging the President and Congress of the United States to enact legislation requiring certain delivery vehicles to have an air-conditioning unit.
Whereas, Many, especially older, small delivery vans and trucks, having a box-style, walk-in cargo area used in the commercial delivery of goods or services throughout the United States, do not have an air-conditioning unit; and
Whereas, Drivers of these vans and trucks may be seriously affected by the lack of an air-conditioning unit during periods of extreme heat; and
Whereas, For example, Ms. Peggy Frank of Los Angeles, California, a former employee of the United States Postal Service (USPS), was a public servant just two years away from retirement; and
Whereas, In July 2018, she was delivering mail along her route in the San Fernando Valley during a 117-degree day, when she passed away from heat exhaustion due to the fact that the USPS delivery vehicle she was driving did not have an air-conditioning unit; and
Whereas, In response to this tragedy, United States Representative Tony Cardenas of California introduced H.R. 8376, which requires any delivery vehicle owned or leased by the USPS to have an air-conditioning unit so that USPS workers are safe during periods of extreme heat; and
Whereas, If enacted, H.R. 8376, named the "Peggy Frank Memorial Act" to honor the memory of Ms. Frank, will require that, within three years of the date of enactment, every existing USPS delivery vehicle is to be modified to have an air-conditioning unit; and
Whereas, H.R. 8376 also provides that, on or after the date of enactment, the Postmaster General of the United States may not purchase or lease any delivery vehicle for use by the USPS unless that vehicle has an air-conditioning unit; and
Whereas, Basic technology should be provided to protect the safety of drivers of not only USPS delivery vehicles, but also other types of delivery vans and trucks, who are delivering goods or services to the nation through all types of extreme weather; and
Whereas, In the interest of public health and safety, this House urges the President and Congress of the United States to enact legislation requiring these vans and trucks be equipped with an air-conditioning unit; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. This House respectfully urges the President and Congress of the United States to enact legislation which requires, within three years of the date of enactment, that every existing delivery van or truck registered in the United States with a box-style, walk-in cargo area up to 18-feet long that is used in the commercial delivery of goods or services, be modified to have an air-conditioning unit and that, on or after the date of enactment, every such delivery van or truck manufactured for operation within the United States have an air-conditioning unit.
2. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Clerk of the General Assembly to the President and Vice President of the United States, the Majority and Minority Leaders of the United States Senate, the Speaker and the Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives, and every member of Congress from New Jersey.
STATEMENT
This resolution respectfully urges the President and Congress of the United States to enact legislation which requires, within three years of the date of the bill's enactment, that every existing delivery van or truck registered in the United States with a box-style, walk-in cargo area up to 18-feet long used in the commercial delivery of goods or services, be modified to have an air-conditioning unit and that, on or after the date of enactment of the bill, every such delivery van or truck manufactured for operation within the United States have an air-conditioning unit.
