Bill Text: NJ A1061 | 2022-2023 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires certain public venues and places of worship to submit emergency plans to law enforcement agencies for purpose of preparing for mass casualty and active shooter events.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 7-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-10-03 - Substituted by S721 [A1061 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2022-A1061-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
220th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2022 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman GARY S. SCHAER
District 36 (Bergen and Passaic)
Assemblywoman BRITNEE N. TIMBERLAKE
District 34 (Essex and Passaic)
Assemblyman JOE DANIELSEN
District 17 (Middlesex and Somerset)
SYNOPSIS
Requires certain public venues and places of worship to submit emergency plans to law enforcement agencies for purpose of preparing for mass casualty and active shooter events.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act concerning law enforcement and amending P.L.2010, c.78.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 1 of P.L.2010, c.78 (C.52:27D-224.3) is amended to read as follows:
1. All sports and entertainment facilities, movie theaters, and places of worship in the State shall annually prepare and maintain an emergency operations plan in coordination with the appropriate local fire, law enforcement, and emergency response agencies. A copy of the plan shall be filed each year with the municipal emergency management coordinator and chief law enforcement officer who serves the municipality in which the sports and entertainment facility, movie theater, or place of worship is situated.
The emergency operations plan shall include, but not be limited to, a copy of the building plans or building layout that identifies the internal and external access routes of the sports and entertainment facility, movie theater, or place of worship. The chief law enforcement officer shall utilize the emergency operations plans submitted pursuant to this section to prepare and train for mass casualty and active shooter incidents at sports and entertainment facilities, movie theaters, and places of worship.
An emergency operations plan shall not be considered a public record pursuant to P.L.1963, c.73 (C.47:1A-1 et seq.) or P.L.2001, c.404 (C.47:1A-5 et al.).
[For the purposes of this act, "sports] As used in this section:
"Movie theater" means a premises capable of seating more than 1,000 people at which the display of motion pictures to the general public in exchange for a fee is the primary and principal business.
"Place of worship" means a building capable of seating more than 500 people, including but not limited to a church, mosque, or synagogue, used primarily as a place of public or private worship on a permanent basis by a recognized and established religious sect or denomination registered as a not-for-profit organization pursuant to Section 501(c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code, 26 U.S.C. s.501 (c) (3).
"Sports and entertainment facility" means any privately or publicly owned or operated facility capable of seating more than 5,000 people and is used primarily for sports contests, entertainment, or both, such as a theater, stadium, museum, arena, automobile racetrack, or other place where performances, concerts, exhibits, games or contests are held.
(cf: P.L.2010, c.78, s.1)
2. This act shall take effect of the first day of the seventh month following enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill requires sports and entertainment facilities capable of seating more than 5,000 people, movie theaters capable of seating more than 1,000 people, and places of worship capable of seating more than 500 people to annually prepare and maintain an emergency operations plan in coordination with the appropriate local fire, law enforcement, and emergency response agencies.
Under section 1 of P.L.2010, c.78 (C.52:27D-224.3), sports and entertainment facilities are required to annually file an emergency operations plan with the municipal emergency management coordinator. This bill extends this requirement to movie theaters and places of worship and requires that the emergency operations plan be submitted to the chief law enforcement officer who serves the municipality in which the sports and entertainment facility, movie theater, or place of worship is located. The emergency operations plan is required to include, but not be limited to, a copy of the building plans or building layout that identifies the internal and external access routes of the sports and entertainment facility, movie theater, or place of worship. The chief law enforcement officer is required to utilize the emergency operations plans to prepare and train for mass casualty and active shooter incidents at these venues.
