Technology (Public Safety)

This bill directs funds from the state's 9-1-1 System and Emergency Response Trust Fund Account to be distributed equally among all New Jersey counties. The money is intended to support the operation, maintenance, and upgrades of local 9-1-1 emergency response systems. Under the proposed changes, counties would receive these funds directly rather than having the money used for broader state-level emergency services or telecommunications projects. The legislation takes effect immediately upon passage.

This bill prohibits government entities from releasing the home addresses of certain public safety employees. It directly affects law enforcement agencies, fire departments, and other public safety organizations in New Jersey. The legislation amends existing state laws to add specific protections for the personal addresses of these workers, preventing their disclosure through public records requests. This change aims to enhance the safety and privacy of public safety personnel by restricting access to their residential information. The bill does not specify which public safety roles are covered, leaving that determination to the implementing agencies.

This bill amends New Jersey law to make intentionally disrupting 9-1-1 call centers a second-degree crime. It specifically targets individuals who deny, disrupt, or impair access to public safety answering points (PSAPs) - the facilities that handle 9-1-1 emergency calls - without authorization. The law clarifies that interfering with these critical emergency systems now carries the same penalty as other computer crimes against public infrastructure. This applies to anyone who intentionally disrupts 9-1-1 services, including hackers or others causing interference.

This bill establishes an annual grant program to fund county public safety answering points (PSAPs), which are local emergency call centers handling 9-1-1 calls. It allocates 10% of the $0.90 fee collected from telephone bills (under existing law) to support PSAPs in purchasing, upgrading, maintaining, and operating essential emergency call technology. The Office of Information Technology, with input from the Office of Emergency Management, will administer the grants and submit annual reports to the Governor and Legislature. The program directly affects New Jersey counties by providing recurring funding to modernize their emergency response systems.

This bill allows New Jersey law enforcement officers to voluntarily receive one-time emergency alerts on their personal cell phones or laptops during public safety threats. The alerts - defined as messages about emergencies endangering public health or safety - must be stored externally (not on the device) and expire automatically, with no access permitted afterward. Crucially, the alert content cannot be used as evidence in court or considered a public record under New Jersey's Open Public Records Act.