Bill > S3215

Introduced Session

This bill requires the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management to establish a process to evaluate, provide feedback on, and approve personal protective equipment (PPE) for use during public health emergencies. The bill also requires the State to create PPE stockpiles for the State. The approval process of personal protective equipment will allow businesses that are not in the business of creating PPE, to create PPE during an emergency if those businesses are approved by the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many businesses were not able to transition to creating PPE because the businesses were not approved by federal agencies, which exacerbated the shortage of PPE in the State. The bill creates a liability exemption for anyone using PPE approved by the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management if they used the personal protective equipment for approved purposes. Following the public health emergency caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the State will be required to create two stockpiles of PPE. One stockpile will consist of federally approved PPE and the other will consist of New Jersey Office of Emergency Management-approved PPE. To the extent feasible, 50 percent of each stockpile will consist of PPE made in New Jersey, and at least 66 percent of each stockpile will consist of PPE made in the United States. During public health emergencies, the PPE in the stockpiles will be made available to the State and its political subdivisions. The remainder of the stockpiles will be made available for purchase by private entities at market price, except that non-profits will be allowed to pay 75 percent of market price.

Committee Categories

Mike Testa (R)*, 

Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Law and Public Safety Committee (on 05/13/2024)

Official Document