New Jersey A 4320: Concerns debarment for prevailing wage violations.

Bill Text

A4320 

ASSEMBLY, No. 4320 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

� 

INTRODUCED FEBRUARY 19, 2026

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman� SHANIQUE SPEIGHT

District 29 (Essex and Hudson)

SYNOPSIS

���� Establishes grant program to provide thermal imaging 
and radio equipment to certain fire departments. 

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT 

���� As introduced.

�� 

An Act establishing a grant program for certain fire equipment 
and supplementing Title 52 of the Revised Statutes.� 

���� Be It 
Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of 
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.��� a.� As used in this 
section: 

���� �Radio repeater� means a fixed or portable automatic radio-relay 
station that allows communication between members of a fire department or 
between two or more fire departments, which communication would otherwise be 
unable to communicate directly with each other due to distance or physical 
obstructions.

���� �Thermal imaging body camera� 
means a heat-resistant, mobile audio and video recording system worn by a 
firefighter that is capable of recording images through smoke or heat-permeable 
barriers.� 

���� �Thermal imaging mask� means a 
firefighter�s mask that contains a lightweight fire-resistant camera that is 
capable of displaying a thermal image at all times and allows a firefighter to 
view areas through smoke or heat-permeable barriers.�� 

���� "Qualifying fire 
organizations" means a paid, part-paid, or volunteer fire district, fire 
company, or fire department responsible for providing fire protection to a 
municipality with a population of 100,000 or more residents according to the 
most recent estimates issued by the U.S. Bureau of the Census. 

���� b.��� There is established in 
the Division of Fire Safety in the Department of Community Affairs a thermal 
imaging equipment and radio repeater grant program.� Under the program, grants 
shall be made available to qualifying fire organizations for the purchase of 
thermal imaging body cameras, thermal imaging masks, and radio repeaters or to 
reimburse qualifying fire organizations for public funds other than State funds 
that have been expended for the purchase of thermal imaging body cameras, 
thermal imaging masks, and radio repeaters. The department shall contract with 
a manufacturer to obtain the best price available.� 

���� c.���� (1) Except as provided 
in subparagraph (2) of this subsection, the grant program shall provide each 
qualifying fire organization in a municipality with a population of 100,000 to 
299,000 with $150,000 to be divided equally among the qualifying fire 
organizations every three years commencing with the fiscal year next following 
the effective date of P.L.��� , c.��� (C.�� �����) (pending before the 
Legislature as this bill);

���� (2)�� The grant program shall 
provide qualifying fire organizations in a municipality with a population of 
300,000 or more with $150,000 every three years commencing with the fiscal year 
next following the effective date of P.L.��� , c.��� (C.�� �����) (pending 
before the Legislature as this bill).

���� d.��� The Division of Fire 
Safety shall review the grant program every five years to verify whether 
qualifying fire organizations are utilizing the most up-to-date thermal imaging 
body cameras, thermal imaging masks, and radio repeaters and whether to make 
recommendations reinitiate the grant program.� 

���� 2.��� This act shall take 
effect immediately.� 

STATEMENT

���� This bill establishes a grant 
program in the Division of Fire Safety to provide thermal imaging body cameras, 
thermal imaging masks, and radio repeaters to fire departments responsible for 
providing fire protection to municipalities with a population of 100,000 or 
more residents.� 

���� Under the bill, qualifying 
fire departments in municipalities with a population of 100,000 to 299,000 are 
to receive $150,000 to be divided equally among the qualifying fire 
organizations every three years for the purpose of purchasing body cameras, 
masks, and radio repeaters.� Qualifying fire departments in municipalities with 
a population of 300,000 or more are to receive $150,000 every three years.� 

���� The bill requires the Division 
of Fire Safety to review the grant program every five years to verify whether 
qualifying fire organizations are utilizing the most up-to-date thermal imaging 
body cameras, thermal imaging masks, and radio repeaters and whether to make 
recommendations to reinitiate the grant program.� 

���� The bill defines �thermal 
imaging body camera� as a heat-resistant, mobile audio and video recording 
system worn by a firefighter that is capable of recording images through smoke 
or heat-permeable barriers.� �Thermal imaging mask� is defined as a 
firefighter�s mask that contains a lightweight fire-resistant camera that is 
capable of displaying a thermal image at all times and allows the firefighter 
to view areas through smoke or heat-permeable barriers.� A �radio repeater� is