A 2401

[Second Reprint]
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
ASSEMBLY, No. 2401
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
222nd LEGISLATURE
� ADOPTED
MARCH 16, 2026
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman� WILLIAM F. MOEN, JR.
District 5 (Camden and Gloucester)
Senator� NILSA I. CRUZ-PEREZ
District 5 (Camden and Gloucester)
Senator� ANDREW ZWICKER
District 16 (Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex and Somerset)
SYNOPSIS
���� Establishes measures to improve safety of scrap metal
businesses.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
���� As reported by the Senate Budget and Appropriations
Committee on June 4, 2026, with amendments.
�
An Act concerning safety measures for scrap metal
businesses and supplementing the �Uniform Fire Safety Act,� P.L.1983, c.383
(C.52:27D-192 et seq.).
���� Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
���� 1.��� Each scrap metal business, as defined pursuant
to section 1 of P.L.2009, c.8 (C.45:28-1), in the State shall reduce the
likelihood of a fire by, at a minimum:
���� a.��� installing
and maintaining heat detection equipment capable of detecting an incipient fire
or potential hot spots1, except that this
requirement shall only apply to a property that exceeds one acre in area or to
a property upon which a scrap grinder, crusher, hammer mill, or shredder is
operated1;
���� b.��� developing a fire safety plan in coordination
with the 1[local] a1 fire 1[department]1 official or
fire marshal, which shall be made in writing and publicly available upon
request;
���� c.��� making available, to any fire code official
investigating the scrap metal business as a result of a fire at the business,
records retained pursuant to subsection c. of section 2 of P.L.2009, c.8
(C.45:28-2); and
���� d.��� confirming that the pile height of combustible
material, noncombustible material, or a combination of each does not exceed 2[55] 202 feet.
���� 2.��� A scrap metal business with an unprepared metal
shredder feedstock stockpile with over 200 tons of unprepared metal in a single
stockpile for any 24-hour period shall install a fire suppression system that 1[can be remotely operated and]1 is designed 1by a fire protection engineer and that can be remotely
operated1 to prevent hot spots
from flashing into fires by rapidly extinguishing future fires and reflash.�
The system shall include, but not be limited to:�
���� a.��� an overhead fire suppression system including water
towers with articulating water supply heads and related water supply
improvements;
���� b.��� monitored heat detection equipment around stockpiles
of unprepared metal of at least 500 tons to identify hot spots prior to
ignition; and
���� c.��� annual certification, for a nominal fee as determined
by the Commissioner of Community Affairs, by 1[a fire safety engineer, the National Fire Protection
Association (NFPA) and the Division of Fire Safety within the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs] the local enforcing agency1 that the system meets all 1[NFPA and]1 State
regulatory fire prevention 1and National Fire
Protection Association1 standards for the
scrap metal industry.
���� 3.��� The 1[county] local1
enforcing agency, as defined pursuant to N.J.A.C.5:71-1.4, shall review and 1[approve] confirm1, in
writing and to be displayed in a conspicuous manner in the office of the scrap
metal business or on the Internet website of the business, that a scrap metal
business meets the requirements of section 1 and, if applicable, section 2 of
this act.
���� 4.���  The Commissioner of Community Affairs may,
pursuant to the provisions of the �Administrative Procedure Act,� P.L.1968,
c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), promulgate rules and regulations to effectuate the
implementation of this act.
���� 5.��� This
act shall take effect on the first day of the twelfth month next following the
date of enactment, except that:
���� a. a scrap metal business that
maintains an unprepared metal shredder feedstock stockpile with over 200 tons
in a single stockpile for any 24-hour period shall have until the first day of 1[48th] 2[24th1] 48th2 month
next following the date of enactment to install an on-site fire suppression
system that can be remotely operated;
���� b.��� a scrap metal business
that maintains an unprepared metal shredder feedstock stockpile with over 500
tons in a single stockpile for any 24-hour period shall have until the first
day of 1[24th] 2[48th1] 24th2 month
next following the date of enactment to install an on-site fire suppression
system that can be remotely operated.