Requires association of age-restricted community to retain emergency contact information for residents.

S3563

SENATE, No. 3563

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED FEBRUARY 19, 2026

Sponsored by:

Senator� LINDA R. GREENSTEIN

District 14 (Mercer and Middlesex)

SYNOPSIS

���� Requires association of age-restricted community to
retain emergency contact information for residents.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

An Act
concerning emergency contact information in
age-restricted communities, and supplementing P.L.1993, c.30 (C.45:22A-43 et
al.).

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

���� 1.� a.� An association of an
age-restricted community shall establish and implement procedures for the
collection of emergency contact information for each resident of each dwelling
unit in the age-restricted community, which information shall be used to
provide notice in the event of the hospitalization or death of a resident.

���� b.��� The procedures required
pursuant to subsection a. of this section shall include the provision of notice
to, and opportunity for, each current and prospective resident to provide, and
update as necessary, emergency contact information to enable the association to
notify the emergency contacts in the event of the hospitalization or death of
the resident.

���� c.���� Upon learning of the
hospitalization or death of a resident, an association shall notify the
emergency contacts for that resident as soon as is practicable, but no later
than 24 hours thereafter.� An association that fails to provide notice as
required pursuant to this subsection shall be liable to a civil penalty of
$500, which may be collected and enforced by the Commissioner of Community
Affairs, the Attorney General, or any other person pursuant to the
"Penalty Enforcement Law of 1999," P.L.1999, c.274 (C.2A:58-10 et
seq.).� The municipal court and the Superior Court shall have jurisdiction of
proceedings for the enforcement of the penalties provided by this subsection.�
All penalties assessed under this subsection shall be payable to the State
Treasurer.�

���� d.��� The Commissioner of
Community Affairs, in consultation with the Commissioners of Health and Human
Services, may adopt regulations, pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure
Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), concerning the collection of
emergency contact information and the notification of the emergency contacts as
required pursuant to this section.

���� e.� As used in this section:

���� �Age-restricted community�
means a planned real estate development that complies with the "housing
for older persons" exception from the federal "Fair Housing
Amendments Act of 1988," Pub.L.100-430 (42 U.S.C. ss.3601 et seq.) for
that community as set forth in section 100.301 of Title 24, Code of Federal
Regulations.

���� �Emergency contact� means each
individual identified in the emergency contact information provided by an
age-restricted community resident.�

���� �Emergency contact
information� means contact information provided by a resident of an
age-restricted community to the association which includes the resident�s
next-of-kin and preferred contact in the event of the resident�s
hospitalization or death.�

���� 2.� This act shall take effect
on the first day of the fifth month next following enactment, except the
Commissioner of Community Affairs may take any anticipatory administrative
action in advance as shall be necessary for the implementation of this act.�

STATEMENT

���� This bill would authorize the
association of an age-restricted community to establish and implement
procedures for the collection of emergency contact information for each
resident of each dwelling unit in the community.� The emergency contact
information collected and retained would include that of the resident�s
next-of-kin, and preferred contact in the event of an emergency.� The
information would be used to provide notice in the event of the hospitalization
or death of a resident.� The bill defines an �age-restricted community� as a
planned real estate development that complies with the "housing for older
persons" exception from the federal "Fair Housing Amendments Act of
1988," Pub.L.100-430 (42 U.S.C. ss.3601 et seq.) for that community as set
forth in section 100.301 of Title 24, Code of Federal Regulations.�

���� The bill would require an
association to provide notice to, and opportunity for, each current and
prospective resident to provide, and update as necessary, emergency contact
information to enable the association to notify the emergency contacts in the
event of the hospitalization or death of the resident.

���� Upon learning of the
hospitalization or death of a resident, an association would be required to
notify the emergency contacts for that resident as soon as is practicable, but
no later than 24 hours thereafter.� An association that fails to provide the required
notice would be liable to a civil penalty of $500, which may be collected and
enforced by the Commissioner of Community Affairs (�commissioner�), the
Attorney General, or other persons, pursuant to the "Penalty Enforcement
Law of 1999," P.L.1999, c.274 (C.2A:58-10 et seq.).�

���� The bill directs the
commissioner, in consultation with the Commissioners of Health and Human
Services, to adopt regulations on the collection of emergency contact
information and the notification of the emergency contacts as required by the
bill.� The bill would take effect on the first day of the fifth month next
following enactment.