Committee advances bill requiring alternate access or two-hour elevator restoration for multistory buildings

The Assembly Housing Committee moved to release Assembly Bill A4480, which would require owners of multistory buildings to ensure access to and from each floor for persons with disabilities in the event of an elevator outage by restoring service within two hours of notification or providing an alternative means of access.

Committee staff said the Division of Codes and Standards in the Department of Community Affairs would enforce the measure and that the committee amended the bill to allow the director discretion to establish a grant or low-interest loan program to help owners purchase accessibility equipment.

Industry witnesses including the New Jersey Builders Association and apartment-owner groups opposed aspects of the bill as drafted, citing technical and safety constraints: modern and older elevator systems sometimes require parts or bespoke fixes that make two-hour restoration infeasible, and stairway retrofits and chair-lift options can raise fire-code and egress issues. Witnesses recommended focusing grant or loan support on replacing end-of-life elevators rather than imposing strict two-hour repair mandates for all buildings.

Committee members asked about registries for tenants with mobility impairments so first responders can prioritize assistance during outages or emergencies. Witnesses and members discussed options for municipal registries and targeted replacement grants.

After discussion the committee voted to amend and release A4480; two members voted no and the bill was released.