Creates stockpile of protective masks for use by first responders under certain circumstances.

A4347

ASSEMBLY, No. 4347

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED FEBRUARY 19, 2026

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman� SHANIQUE SPEIGHT

District 29 (Essex and Hudson)

SYNOPSIS

���� Creates stockpile of protective masks for use by
first responders under certain circumstances.�

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

An Act
concerning first responders and supplementing chapter 9
of Appendix A.�

����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.��� a.� As used in this
section:

���� �Director� means the Director
of the Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness.�

���� "Emergency medical
response entity" means an organization, company, governmental entity,
community-based program, or healthcare system that provides pre-hospital
emergency medical services.

���� "Emergency medical
responder" means a person, other than a health care practitioner, who is
employed on a paid or volunteer basis in the area of emergency response,
including, but not limited to, an emergency medical technician acting in a professional
capacity.

���� �First responder� means a law
enforcement officer, paid or volunteer firefighter, emergency medical
responder, or any other person who, in the course of that person�s employment,
is dispatched to the scene of an emergency for the purpose of providing assistance.

���� �First response entity� means
an organization, company, governmental entity, community-based agency or
program, or other organized groups that employ two or more first responders,
whether on a paid or volunteer basis, for dispatch to emergency scenes.

���� �Protective mask� means an N95
face mask and respirator capable of protecting a person from exposure to
hazardous materials that may be released in the event of a military or
terrorist attack on this State or any other event where protective masks are necessary
to protect first responders from inhaling air pollutants or toxic gases.

���� b.��� Within 180 days of the
effective date of this act, the director, in consultation with the New Jersey
Office of Emergency Management county coordinators shall stockpile a sufficient
quantity of protective masks to distribute to first responders as needed in the
event of a military or terrorist attack or any other event that would require
protective masks to protect from inhaling air pollutants and toxic gases.� In
creating this stockpile, the director also shall seek input from the New Jersey
Hospital Association, EMS Council of New Jersey, and other emergency medical
responders and emergency medical response entities operating in the county. The
director shall establish a central depository for the storage of protective
masks and create and implement a system for the maintenance and periodic
replacement of protective masks, as necessary to maintain a supply of properly
functioning protective masks.� In addition, the director shall establish a plan
for deploying the protective masks to first responders throughout the State as
the need arises.�

���� c.���� The director shall
adopt guidelines to effectuate the purposes of this section.�

���� 2.��� This act shall take
effect immediately.

STATEMENT

���� This bill requires the
Director of the Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness to create a
stockpile of protective masks to be used by first responders in the event of a
military or terrorist attack or any other event, such as wildfires, where protective
masks are necessary to protect first responders from inhaling air pollutants
and toxic gases.

���� Within 180 days of the
effective date of this bill, the director is required to stockpile a sufficient
quantity of protective masks to distribute to first responders as necessary in
the event of a military or terrorist attack or other event in this State.� The
bill requires the director to consult with the New Jersey Office of Emergency
Management and county coordinators, and to seek input from the New Jersey
Hospital Association, the EMS Council of New Jersey, and other emergency
medical responders and emergency medical response entities operating in the
county when creating the stockpile.�

���� In addition, the director is
required to establish a central depository for the storage of protective masks;
create and implement a system for the maintenance and periodic replacement of
protective masks, as necessary to maintain a supply of properly functioning
protective masks; and create a plan for deploying protective masks to first
responders throughout the State as needed.�

���� The sponsor notes that when
the COVID-19 pandemic began, first responders were not properly supplied with
the necessary personal protective equipment to allow them to safely aid those
in need of assistance.� Given the current conflict between Russia and Ukraine,
it is the sponsor�s intent to have a plan in place prior to a possible military
or terrorist attack.� In addition, the sponsor recognizes that climate change
is impacting forests across the entire continent and that the frequency and
severity of wildfires and resulting smoke will likely increase throughout the
entire United States, including the mid-Atlantic region, due to drought, pests,
disease, and rising temperatures.� Gas masks and N95 face masks will help
protect first responders from inhaling air pollutants and toxic gases.� In an
emergency, first responders are the first to arrive and provide aid; therefore,
they should be afforded the appropriate level of protective equipment to ensure
that they can do their job effectively and safely.�