Bill > A480

Introduced Session

This bill increases the State's access to public health emergency supplies and services. The bill establishes a State stockpile for personal protective equipment. The Director of the Division of Purchase and Property in the Department of the Treasury, in consultation with the State Office of Emergency Management (OEM), will award a contract or contracts for the procurement of personal protective equipment for the creation of a stockpile. OME will have the duty of maintaining the stockpile and ensuring that the stockpile is adequately stocked to meet the State's personal protective equipment needs during a public health emergency. During a public health emergency, OME will make the personal protective equipment in the stockpile available to the State and its political subdivisions, to public New Jersey schools, State hospitals, and State nursing homes without charging a fee. During a public health emergency, the Director of the Division of Purchase and Property in the Department of the Treasury, in consultation with the OME, will make the remainder of the stockpiles available for purchase by other entities at market price. OME, in consultation with the Department of Health, will have discretion to establish orders of priority for which entities may gain first access to the stockpile. The bill requires the Director (director) of OEM to create, maintain, and update, an online portal, in the form of an Internet website, that allows entities to donate emergency supplies during a public health emergency in accordance with standards and requirements as determined by OEM. The bill requires the director, to the extent possible, to review and streamline the State's process for procuring critical supplies and services during a public health emergency. In streamlining this procurement process, the director will, at a minimum: (1) designate a primary person or agency as the point-of-contact for procurement concerns during a public health emergency; (2) to the extent possible, centralize the procurement process of critical supplies and services during a public health emergency; (3) develop a plan to temporarily surge the State's procurement capacity during a public health emergency as necessary; (4) establish protocols to reduce the administrative burden of procurement processes during a public health emergency; (5) establish a standard procurement operating plan for public health emergencies that clearly outlines leadership structures, roles, and responsibilities; (6) develop a comprehensive repository of emergency contracts for critical supplies and services that can be utilized during a public health emergency; (7) revise standard procurement processes to enhance the State ability to contract vendors prior to a public health emergency; and (8) to the extent possible, promote collaboration between OEM and the Division of Purchase and Property.

AI Summary

Committee Categories

Gabriel Rodriguez (D)*,  William Sampson (D)*,  Verlina Reynolds-Jackson (D), 

Introduced, Referred to Assembly Health Committee (on 01/13/2026)

Official Document