NJ A3458

Establishes a three-year pilot program requiring county emergency management offices to create Code Red alert plans for sheltering at-risk individuals (those living outdoors, on streets, in parks, or poorly insulated settings) during extreme heat and poor air quality events.

County coordinators must declare a Code Red alert when the National Weather Service issues a heat advisory or reports an Air Quality Index of 151 or higher for their region.

Counties must coordinate with municipalities having documented homeless populations of at least 10 people to establish cooling centers, communication/outreach plans, and transportation during Code Red alerts; cooling center locations must be reported to the Department of Environmental Protection for inclusion in Heat Hub NJ.

The State Office of Emergency Management must submit a report to the Governor and Legislature by 30 months after enactment evaluating the program's success and recommending whether to make it permanent; counties may seek reimbursement for certified administrative costs after the pilot concludes.

Provides "Good Samaritan" liability protection to the State, local governments, employees, and volunteer organizations providing services under a Code Red alert plan.