Diamondback Turtle Protections, Disaster Aid Fairness & Protecting the Homeless Also on Tap
(TRENTON) – An extensive school safety and security improvement bill package, extending civil service hiring preference to veterans who did not serve in time of war, taking steps to bolster and protect the state’s federal military installations and several key environmental protection initiatives – including creating a drinking water infrastructure task force – highlight Thursday’s Assembly committee meetings.
Bills to protect diamondback turtles from overharvesting, ban the transport of endangered species trophies and require the governor to allocate federal and state disaster aid to municipalities in proportion to amount of catastrophic physical damage sustained within each municipality are also on tap.
The meetings are slated to begin at 10 a.m. and will be streamed live at:
http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/media/live_audio.asp
HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:
SCHOOL SAFETY AND SECURITY:
· A-191 (Caputo/Diegnan/Spencer/Tucker/Quijano/Vainieri Huttle/Sumter) – Requires school buildings to be equipped with emergency light and panic alarm linked to local law enforcement; A-209 (DeAngelo) – Excludes certain increases in school security expenditures from the tax levy cap applicable to school districts; A-1205 (Mosquera) – Requires board of education to enter into agreement with law enforcement authorities regarding access to live video streams of public school buildings; A-2158 (Diegnan/Coughlin) – Authorizes use of emergency reserve fund or proceeds from bonds issued by EDA to finance school security improvements; A-2689 (Schaer) – “Secure Schools for All Children Act”; establishes State aid program for security services, equipment, or technology to ensure safe and secure school environment for nonpublic school students; A-3347 (Diegnan) – Establishes New Jersey School Safety Specialist Academy in Department of Education and requires school districts to designate school safety specialist; A-3348 (Diegnan) – Requires certain school security measures to be incorporated in architectural design of new school construction and certain school security measures for existing buildings; and A-3349 (Diegnan) – Requires annual school security training for school employees to be conducted collaboratively with emergency responders; requires law enforcement officer to annually attend at least one school security drill. 10 a.m. Education.
VETERANS HIRING PREFERENCE:
· A-460 (Mazzeo/Eustace/Pinkin/Lampitt/Quijano/Schaer) – Expands eligibility for veterans civil service preference; and ACR-15 (Tucker) – Proposes constitutional amendment authorizing Legislature to extend civil service hiring preference to veterans who did not serve in time of war. 10 a.m. Military and Veterans’ Affairs.
BOLSTERING NEW JERSEY MILITARY BASES:
· A-2513 (DeAngelo) – Establishes Military and Defense Economic Ombudsman in Department of State; A-2514 (DeAngelo) – Permits local units of government to enter into shared services agreements with federal military installations located in the State; A-2515 (DeAngelo) – Establishes New Jersey Military Skills Council; A-2517 (DeAngelo) – Provides preference to certain employers applying for workforce development grants; and A-2518 (DeAngelo) – Facilitates coordination of land use planning between civilian and military interests to preserve viability of federal military installations within State. 10 a.m. Military and Veterans’ Affairs.
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTIONS:
· A-2949 (Andrzejczak/Land) – Provides diamondback terrapins protection as nongame indigenous species. 2 p.m. Agriculture and Natural Resources.
· ACR-148 (McKeon/Spencer) – Invalidates DEP rules and regulations that repealed DEP regulatory program concerning State participation in greenhouse gas cap and trade program. 2 p.m. Environment and Solid Waste.
· ACR-160 (McKeon/Spencer) – Prohibits adoption of DEP’s proposed rules and regulations to revise its Flood Hazard Area Control Act Rules, Coastal Zone Management Rules, and Stormwater Management Rules. 2 p.m. Environment and Solid Waste.
· ACR-161 (McKeon/Jasey) – Establishes “Joint Legislative Task Force on Drinking Water Infrastructure.” 2 p.m. Environment and Solid Waste.
· A-1493 (McKeon/Gusciora/Vainieri Huttle) – Clarifies intent of P.L.2007, c.340 regarding NJ’s required participation in Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. 2 p.m. Environment and Solid Waste.
· A-2447 (Eustace) – Prohibits possession, transport, import, export, processing, sale, or shipment of parts and products of certain animal species threatened with extinction; and A-2510 (Eustace) – Prohibits possession and transport of parts and products of certain animals at PANYNJ airports and port facilities. 2 p.m. Environment and Solid Waste.
STATE PREPAREDNESS:
· A-454 (Mazzeo/Eustace/Andrzejczak/Mukherji/Quijano/Wimberly) – “Disaster Victims Protection Act”; requires Governor to allocate federal and State disaster aid to municipalities in proportion to amount of catastrophic physical damage sustained within each municipality. 2 p.m. Homeland Security and State Preparedness.
· A-815 (Land/Andrzejczak) – Requires county emergency management coordinators to establish Code Blue Program to shelter homeless during severe weather events. 2 p.m. Homeland Security and State Preparedness.