Requires Director of Division of Housing and Community Resources in DCA to establish sandbag reserve program for local government to mitigate flooding.

A4574

ASSEMBLY, No. 4574

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED MARCH 10, 2026

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman� ROSAURA "ROSY" BAGOLIE

District 27 (Essex and Passaic)

SYNOPSIS

���� Requires Director of Division of Housing and
Community Resources in DCA to establish sandbag reserve program for local
governments to mitigate flooding.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

An Act
concerning the mitigation of flooding by local
governments and supplementing chapter 27D of Title 52 of the Revised Statutes.

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

���� 1.��� a.�������� The Director
of the Division of Housing and Community Resources in the Department of
Community Affairs shall establish a sandbag reserve program.� The purpose of
the program shall be to collect, process, store, and distribute an inventory of
sandbags to be used by local governments to mitigate the damage and destruction
caused by flooding.

���� b.��� As part of the initial
establishment of the sandbag reserve program established pursuant to subsection
a. of this section, the director, in consultation with the Commissioner of
Environmental Protection, shall conduct, or shall contract with another entity
to conduct, a study on the prevalence of flooding in the State.� The study
shall examine, at a minimum, factors to calculate the likelihood of flooding
based on a location�s history and geographic information, including: elevation;
climate; changes in the environment, including any soil and vegetation removal
and the grading or leveling of land surfaces associated with any proposed
construction projects; and proximity to bodies of water.

���� c.���� To participate in the
program established pursuant to subsection a. of this section, the governing
body of a local government shall submit an application to the division in a
manner and on such forms as determined by the director.� An application shall include
information detailing, but not limited to:

���� (1)�� the specific location or
locations where the local government proposes to place the sandbags;

���� (2)�� the estimated amount of
sandbags, in quantity and tonnage, the local government is requesting; and

���� (3)�� the location�s history
and geographic information concerning flooding, including: elevation; climate;
changes in the environment, including any soil and vegetation removal and the
grading or leveling of land surfaces associated with any proposed construction
projects; proximity to bodies of water; and the historic damage caused,
including, if determinable, the financial impact, of previous flooding in that
location.���������

���� d.��� In determining the
distribution of sandbags to local governments, the director, in addition to the
factors enumerated in subsection c. of this section, shall consult the report
conducted pursuant to subsection b. of this section to prioritize sandbag distribution
to areas most impacted by potential flooding.

���� 2.��� a.�������� Within one
year of the establishment of the sandbag reserve program pursuant to section 1
of P.L.��� , c.��� (C.������� ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill),
the Director of the Division of Housing and Community Resources shall submit a
report to the Governor, and the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991,
c.164 (C.52:14-19.1).� The report shall contain information on the
implementation of the sandbag reserve program including, but not limited to:

���� (1)�� the total number of
sandbags, in quantity and tonnage, in the reserve�s inventory;

���� (2)�� the total number of
local government applications received;

���� (3) the total amount of
sandbags, in quantity and tonnage, that were distributed to local governments;

���� (4)�� the impact, if
determinable, that the sandbag reserve program had in enabling local
governments to mitigate flooding and flood damage; and

���� (5)�� the average amount of
time it took, upon approving a local government�s application, to distribute
sandbags to the local government.

���� b.��� In addition to
submitting the report pursuant to subsection a. of this section, the director
shall post the report for public inspection on the division�s Internet website
in an easily accessible location.

���� c.���� Each year after the
date of enactment of P.L.��� , c.��� (C.��� ) (pending before the Legislature
as this bill), the Department of Community Affairs shall submit information on
the Division of Housing and Community Resources� needs under the sandbag reserve
program as part of the department�s annual budget request.

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

STATEMENT

���� This bill requires the
Director of the Division of Housing and Community Resources (director) in the
Department of Community Affairs (department) to establish a sandbag reserve
program.� The purpose of the program is to collect, process, store, and distribute
an inventory of sandbags to be used by local governments to mitigate the damage
and destruction caused by flooding.

���� As part of the initial
establishment of the sandbag reserve program, the director, in consultation
with the Commissioner of Environmental Protection, is required to conduct, or
to contract with another entity to conduct, a study on the prevalence of flooding
in the State.� Under the bill, the study, at a minimum, is required to examine
factors to calculate the likelihood of flooding based on a location�s history
and geographic information, including: elevation; climate; changes in the
environment, including any soil and vegetation removal and the grading or
leveling of land surfaces associated with any proposed construction projects;
and proximity to bodies of water.

���� To participate in the program,
the governing body of a local government is required to submit an application
to the division in a manner and on such forms as determined by the director.�
At a minimum, the application is required to include information detailing:

�

the specific location or locations where the local government
proposes to place the sandbags;

�

the estimated amount of sandbags, in quantity and tonnage, the
local government is requesting; and

�

the location�s history and geographic information concerning
flooding, including: elevation; climate; changes in the environment, including
any soil and vegetation removal and the grading or leveling of land surfaces
associated with any proposed construction projects; proximity to bodies of
water; and the historic damage caused by previous flooding in that location.�����������������

���� In determining the
distribution of sandbags to local governments, the director is required to
consult the report to prioritize sandbag distribution to areas most impacted by
potential flooding.

���� Under the bill, within one
year of the establishment of the sandbag reserve program, the director is
required to submit a report to the Governor and the Legislature on the program.

���� Each year after the enactment
of the bill, the department is required to submit information on the division�s
needs under the sandbag reserve program as part of the department�s annual
budget request.