NJ Lawmakers Pass Bill To End COVID Public Health Emergency

UPDATE: Gov. Phil Murphy signed the bill into law that ended the public health emergency. Read more: NJ Ends COVID Public Health Emergency: Here's What It Means

NEW JERSEY – State lawmakers passed legislation on Thursday to end the public health emergency that spawned so many executive orders throughout the pandemic.

The legislation, however, would codify some executive orders by law, allowing the Murphy administration to retain a few of their powers, including controlling vaccine and masking rules.

The bill would not currently change the actions Gov. Phil Murphy has taken in recent weeks, such as lifting the order to wear masks and reopening businesses. But it could give him the ability to reimpose some of those rules if Murphy felt steps were needed to protect public health once again.

The bill needs Murphy's signature in order to become law, and the governor and legislative leaders indicated on Thursday that he will sign it on Friday.

“New Jerseyans have proven their resilience over the past 15 months as our state has fought the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, we take a substantial step toward restoring normalcy to our state and to the lives of those who call New Jersey home," according to a joint statement from Murphy, Senate President Steve. Sweeney and Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin.

Democrats and Republicans debated the legislation on Thursday as a crowd outside the Statehouse in Trenton chanted and called for the lawmakers to reject it.

Republican lawmakers were critical of the legislation that passed along partisan lines, saying it will give Murphy too much power when he doesn't need it anymore.

"Governor Murphy could continue forcing our children to wear masks when the next school year starts in the fall. He recently said that’s a possibility. Well, it shouldn’t be," said Sen. Steven Oroho. "Other restrictions that could continue under this bill would cause real harm to real people.

"People who own rental properties, for example, would have to wait until next year to seek relief for tenants who haven’t paid rent."

The Senate passed the legislation by a 21-16 vote while the Assembly approved it by 44-28 vote.

Last month, Murphy signed Executive Order No. 240, which extends that public health emergency for another 30-day period, ending in mid-June. Read more: NJ Extends COVID Public Health Emergency – But This Could Be It

The emergency declaration means the state will, for the time being, continue to have the authority to order new shutdowns and take similar extraordinary acts if the virus resurges, as it has done in other states.

Once that order expires, the new legislation would leave in place more than a dozen emergency measures. These include:

• Orders related to vaccines
• Orders compelling daily hospital data reporting
• Orders issued by the head of a state agency
• Orders related to face coverings
• Orders related to evictions
• Orders related to utility shutoffs
• Orders to support dining

“Ending New Jersey’s COVID-19 Public Health Emergency is one of the most significant steps we have taken in our recovery efforts to date. With our state’s public health metrics continuing to trend decisively in the right direction, we are confident that now is the right time to take this action, particularly as the final limits on gatherings are lifted tomorrow," according to the Democrats' joint statement.

"With the passage of this bill today and its signing tomorrow, followed by the governor's signing of an executive order terminating the Public Health Emergency, we will move closer to normal than at any time since March 2020."

With reporting from Russ Crespolini