BILL NUMBER: S680

SPONSOR: MARTINEZ
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the executive law, in relation to the timing of emergen-
cy public safety alerts  in the event of a disaster or state disaster
emergency

 
PURPOSE:

The purpose of this legislation is to ensure NY-Alerts are issued in a
timely manner to inform and secure the public in the event of a disas-
ter.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

  Section  1. Subparagraphs 3 and 5 of paragraph b of subdivision 3 of 2
section 22 of the executive law, as amended by section 3 of part B of  3
chapter  56  of the laws of 2010, are amended to require NY-Alerts to be
issued within thirty minutes of a disaster or state  disaster  emergency
or as soon as practicable.
              

  Section 2. Establishes the enacting clause.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

On  April  5,  2024, New York experienced what is being coined as one of
the largest East Coast quakes to occur in the last century. The  effects
of  a 4.8 magnitude earthquake originating in New Jersey was felt state-
wide at approximately 10:23am.  Three  subsequent  aftershocks  occurred
between  the  hours  of  12:30  and 3:00 pm the same day.' Minimal to no
damage was reported in New York, but  three  multifamily  homes  in  New
Jersey  were  reportedly  damaged by the tremor displacing nearly thirty
residents.'

At approximately noon, many residents received  a  public  safety  alert
from  NYS  Emergency  Management.  At this time, information had already
been circulated online and the Governor had addressed  the  state.  Many
New  York  city residents were publicly displeased with the delay in the
city issued alert as well taking to the platform X to express such. 3

While there are many factors  involved  in  the  issuance  of  emergency
alerts  including  service  carriers,  response time and planning, it is
ultimately vital we are striving to distribute public safety information
at a rapid pace in the event of a disaster.  This  legislation  aims  to
call attention to the urgency public communication warrants by requiring
state  emergency disaster plans include the issuance of NY-Alerts within
thirty minutes of a disaster or as soon as practicable to ensure  public
security and knowledge throughout emergency situations.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New Bill

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.
1         CBS         News,         2024.         Retrieved        from:
https://wvvw.cbsnews.cominewyork/news/earthquake-new-york-new-jersey/
2            WSFA            12.             Retrieved             from:
https://www.wsfa.com/2024/04/05/earthquake-shakes-new-york-city-area/
3      New      York      Magazine,      2024.      Retrieved      from:
https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/new-york-eric-adams-earthquake-
response.html