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A 1874

Relates to monetary penalties that a parking violations bureau may impose for illegally idling the engine of a motor vehicle

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Linda Rosenthal

The bill requires all New Jersey correctional facilities to have air conditioning that keeps heat index at or below 85, with retrofits within 3 years and public reporting of daily

REFERRED TO TRANSPORTATION
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Bill Summary · A 1874

Summary of New Jersey Bill A 1874 (Introduced Jan 9, 2024)

Note: The text provided for A 1874 appears to address corrective facilities and climate control rather than parking penalties for idling engines. The summary below follows the introduced content as written, which focuses on air conditioning in state correctional facilities. The bill title listed in your prompt seems inconsistent with the bill’s substantive provisions.

Purpose and intent

  • To ensure that all state correctional facilities are equipped with air conditioning and to regulate indoor temperatures to protect the health and safety of inmates, particularly the elderly and those with health conditions.
  • To set a measurable standard for indoor heat exposure (the heat index, “feels like” temperature) and require ongoing monitoring and public reporting.

Key provisions

  • Definitions

    • Correctional facility: any state correctional facility.
    • Heat index: the perceived temperature combining air temperature and humidity.
    • State correctional facility: a state prison or other penal institution.

  • Administrative rules and implementation

    • The Commissioner of Corrections must adopt rules and regulations to implement the act, under the authority of existing law (P.L.1976, c.98, s.6).

  • Air conditioning requirements

    • Existing facilities not equipped with air conditioning must be retrofitted within three years of the act’s effective date.
    • The air conditioning system must maintain a heat index not exceeding 85 degrees.
    • All new state correctional facilities must be equipped with air conditioning when constructed under the act.

  • Reporting and transparency

    • The Commissioner must require all state correctional facilities to record the daily maximum indoor temperature.
    • Temperature data must be included in the department’s annual reports and in the Office of the Corrections Ombudsperson’s annual reports.
    • Data must be made available on the official websites of the Department of Corrections and the Office of the Corrections Ombudsperson.

  • Effective date

    • The act takes effect immediately, with the Commissioner allowed to take anticipatory administrative actions as needed for implementation.
    • The sponsor emphasizes indoor temperatures should be maintained between 60 and 85 degrees (heat index standard), clarifying that the 85-degree limit refers to heat index, not air temperature.

What is affected

  • State correctional facilities (existing and new) in New Jersey.
  • The Department of Corrections and the Office of the Corrections Ombudsperson, via reporting obligations.
  • The Commissioner of Corrections, who would develop and enforce the new regulations.

Timeline and procedural notes

  • Introduced: January 9, 2024.
  • Initial referral: Assembly Public Safety and Preparedness Committee.
  • Subsequent referral: Transportation (noted on January 14, 2025; text shows two entries on that date).
  • Status: Listed as REFERRED TO TRANSPORTATION.

Sponsor and related information

  • Primary sponsor: Linda Rosenthal.
  • Related bills (prior-session references): A 1008, A 243, A 1844, A 6903, A 11524, A 4799, A 1296, A 2249, A 721.

Potential impact

  • Health and safety: Enhanced protection against heat-related risks for inmates, especially vulnerable populations.
  • Financial: Significant costs for retrofitting existing facilities within three years; ongoing energy operating costs for climate control in facilities.
  • Transparency: Increased public availability of indoor climate data for correctional facilities.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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