New Jersey A 3080: Requires DHS to ensure that expedited benefits under Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) are made available to certain households.

Bill Text

A3080 

ASSEMBLY, No. 3080 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

� 

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman CHRIS TULLY

District 38 (Bergen)

Assemblywoman� SHAMA A. HAIDER

District 37 (Bergen)

SYNOPSIS

���� Requires State Office of Emergency Management to 
establish hyperlocal text alert system for flood and severe weather conditions.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT 

���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative 
Counsel.

�� 

An Act concerning the establishment of a flood and severe 
weather text alert system and supplementing Title 58 of the Revised Statutes. 

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

���� 1.��� The Legislature finds 
and declares that:

���� a.� public weather alerts can 
be one of the most effective tools in ensuring emergency preparedness;

���� b.� the rapid dissemination of 
information, including a description of local weather and flood hazards, hazard 
severity, and evacuation protocols, to the citizens of the affected community 
and region is critical in protecting the public;

���� c.� the most effective and 
modernized method of immediately notifying the public of a weather or flood 
hazard is through text messaging; and

���� d.� given the successes that 
other states and regions have experienced using text messaging to quickly alert 
the public of weather hazards, it is in the interest of the safety, health, and 
general welfare of the people of the State that Legislative action be taken to 
empower the State Office of Emergency Management to establish a text alert 
program for New Jersey.

���� 2.��� As used in this act:

���� �Mobile electronic 
communications device� means any mobile device capable of text messaging and 
includes, but is not limited to, a cellular telephone, wireless tablet, watch, 
or other device with Internet capability, or other wireless communication device.

���� �Severe weather conditions� 
means a weather related flood, hurricane, nor'easter, tornado, high water, 
wind-driven water, tidal wave, or other weather-related catastrophe which is of 
sufficient severity and magnitude to substantially endanger the health, safety, 
and property of the residents of this State.� 

���� �Text messaging� means the 
wireless transmission of text, images or a combination of text and images by 
means of a cellular telephone, a paging or message service, a personal digital 
assistant, or any other mobile electronic communications device.

���� 3.��� a.� The State Office of 
Emergency Management shall develop and implement a Statewide hyperlocal flood 
alert system which shall act as a mechanism for the rapid dissemination of 
information regarding flood events and severe weather conditions to community 
members.� The program shall be a cooperative effort between State and local law 
enforcement agencies and the media, and shall be a voluntary service provided 
to residents.� In implementing the program, the State Office of Emergency 
Management shall consult with the Department of Environmental Protection to 
determine each county�s degree of vulnerability to infrastructure damage as a 
result of flood or severe weather conditions.

���� b.� The alert system shall:

���� (1)�� prioritize text 
messaging as its primary method of communication; and

���� (2)�� provide that persons may 
register any mobile electronic communications device with the State Office of 
Emergency Management to receive the alerts.� 

���� c.� The flood alert system 
shall integrate real-time reports from counties, municipalities, and local 
governments and shall include data from:

���� (1) flood sensors;

���� (2) river height monitoring 
devices; 

���� (3) localized emergency 
warning systems; 

���� (4) stormwater management 
sensors; 

���� (5) radar and satellite 
images; 

���� (6) the National Weather 
Service; 

���� (7) the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Agency; 

���� (8) meteorological sensor 
data; 

���� (9) the Federal Emergency 
Management System; and� 

���� (10) any other data or data 
source that the State Office of Emergency Management determines to be necessary 
to ensure the safety of State residents during flood or severe weather 
conditions. 

���� 4.��� a.� Alerts broadcast to 
State residents pursuant to the Statewide hyperlocal flood alert system 
established pursuant to section 3 of P.L.��� , c.���� (C.������� ) (pending 
before the Legislature as this bill) shall include, at a minimum, the following 
information:

���� (1) current rainfall and 
precipitation levels;

���� (2) local river levels;

���� (3) total water level rise; 

���� (4) storm surge; 

���� (5) drainage complaints;

���� (6) reported flood damage; 

���� (7) a description of the 
location and severity of flood incidents in exceedance of one foot of total 
water or sea level rise;

���� (8) forecasted threat details, 
storm arrival and end times, peak impact timing, intensity, and storm hazards;

����