S 1574 New Jersey Senate · 2026-2027 Regular Session

Allows each county to create central registry and provide emergency supply kits to distribute to senior residents during emergencies; appropriates funds.*

S 1574 allows New Jersey counties to create voluntary registries for senior residents (65+), enabling them to receive emergency assistance. Counties must collect basic contact and medical information from participants, keep this data confidential, and run public awareness campaigns about the registry. Each county may also prepare and distribute emergency supply kits to registered seniors during crises, with kit contents determined by local emergency management offices. The bill requires counties to maintain registry data solely for emergency preparedness and prohibits public disclosure of registry information.

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2026

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Jan 13, 2026 Last action Mar 19, 2026

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What changed between versions

Introduced → Reprint · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill moved from introduced status to first reprint after Senate Law and Public Safety Committee action on March 19, 2026. The most substantive changes clarify that appropriated funds flow to counties (not just the state office) for preparing emergency supply kits, remove a statutory cross-reference that previously limited how counties determine kit contents, and replace self-referencing placeholder citations with direct references to 'this act.'

FISCAL

Section 2 appropriation now specifies funds are for 'the operating expenses of the counties' and will be 'distributed to counties that prepare and provide emergency supply kits pursuant to subsection e. of section 1.' Previously the appropriation was directed to the State Office of Emergency Management without specifying county-level distribution.

REQUIREMENT

Section 1(e) removed the requirement that emergency supply kit contents be determined 'in accordance with section 20 of P.L.1989, c.222 (C.App.A:9-43.3),' giving counties broader discretion in deciding what goes in the kits.

TECHNICAL

Self-referencing placeholder citations ('P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill)') were replaced with 'this act' throughout, reflecting that the bill is now self-contained rather than referencing itself as a separate pending measure.

The short title changed from 'making appropriations' (plural) to 'making an appropriation' (singular), aligning with the single appropriation provision in Section 2.

The entire STATEMENT section at the end of the bill was removed, which is standard after committee report as it served only as a summary for legislators during introduction.

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Committee

Jan 13, 2026

Introduced

Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Law and Public Safety Committee

upper

1 primary · 3 co-sponsors