Bill Text: NJ A3878 | 2014-2015 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires public and nonpublic school buildings to be equipped with emergency light and panic alarm linked to local law enforcement.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 5-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-11-13 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Education Committee [A3878 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2014-A3878-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman RALPH R. CAPUTO
District 28 (Essex)
Assemblyman TROY SINGLETON
District 7 (Burlington)
Assemblywoman MILA M. JASEY
District 27 (Essex and Morris)
Assemblywoman BONNIE WATSON COLEMAN
District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman Jimenez
SYNOPSIS
Requires public and nonpublic school buildings to be equipped with emergency light and panic alarm linked to local law enforcement.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning school security alarms and supplementing chapter 41 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. As used in this act:
"Emergency light" means a red light that is affixed to the exterior of a school building in a highly visible location above or near the front entrance or, in the case of a school building which is not clearly visible from the nearest public roadway, located on that public roadway.
"Panic alarm" means a silent security system signal generated by the manual activation of a device intended to signal a life-threatening or emergency situation requiring a response from law enforcement.
b. Each public and nonpublic school building shall be equipped with at least one panic alarm for use in a school security emergency including, but not limited to, a non-fire evacuation, lockdown, or active shooter situation. The alarm shall be directly linked to local law enforcement authorities or, in the case of a school building located in a municipality in which there is no municipal police department, a location designated by the Superintendent of State Police, and shall immediately transmit a signal or message to such authorities upon activation. The alarm shall not be audible within the school building.
c. Each public and nonpublic school building shall be equipped with an emergency light that is linked to the school's panic alarm and which turns on when the panic alarm is activated.
2. Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection a. of section 14 of P.L.2000, c.72 (C.18A:7G-14) to the contrary, the proceeds of bonds authorized to be issued to fund the State share of the costs of SDA district school facilities projects or the State share of the costs of school facilities projects in all other districts, including county vocational school districts, shall be used to fund the full cost of the panic alarms and emergency lights required in public school buildings in any district pursuant to section 1 of this act.
3. This act shall take effect on the first day of the tenth month after enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill requires that all public and nonpublic schools be equipped with a panic alarm for use in a school security emergency including, but not limited to, a non-fire evacuation, lockdown, or active shooter situation. The panic alarm, which will not be audible within the school building, must be directly linked to law enforcement authorities and must immediately transmit a signal or message to the authorities upon activation. The bill defines "panic alarm" as a silent security system signal generated by the manual activation of a device intended to signal a life-threatening or emergency situation that requires a response from law enforcement.
The bill also requires that all public and nonpublic schools be equipped with a red emergency light that is affixed to the exterior of the school building in a highly visible location above or near the front entrance visible from the nearest public roadway or, if the school building is not visible from the nearest public roadway, then on that roadway. The bill requires that the emergency light be linked to the school's panic alarm so that it turns on when the panic alarm is activated.
The bill directs that the proceeds of bonds authorized to be issued to fund the State share of the costs of Schools Development Authority district school facilities projects or the State share of the costs of school facilities projects in all other districts, including county vocational school districts, be used to fund the full cost of the panic alarms and emergency lights in public school buildings.
