New Jersey § 52:16a-123

§ 52:16a-123.

The Legislature finds and declares that: a. Approximately 5.1 million Hispanics of Puerto Rican origin resided in the 50 states

of the United States and in the District of Columbia prior to the devastation of Hurricane

Maria; and b. The number is significantly greater than Puerto Rico's population of 3.6 million,

which was in decline due to out-migration before Hurricane Maria; and c. The storm made landfall on September 20, 2017, and caused a degree of destruction

and disorganization rarely experienced in American history, so that months after the

storm abated, many of the island's residents still lack access to electricity and

clean water; and d. Hurricane Maria was a worst-case scenario from a meteorological standpoint, as

the center of the huge Category 5 hurricane passed directly over Puerto Rico with

wind and rain lasting over 30 hours; and e. Hurricane Maria exhibited many of the elements of a catastrophic event, not just

a disaster, as catastrophic events are rarer than disasters because they result in

the destruction of critical infrastructure over a large swath of land, which is exactly

what happened in Puerto Rico; and f. Though the true extent of Hurricane Maria's damage to Puerto Rico is still being

assessed, there are some indications of what the long term effects of it will be,

including: predictions that the island's economy will shrink by about eight percent

in 2018, thus making Puerto Rico among the slowest growing economies in the world;

thousands of businesses have been unable to open due to continuing electrical blackouts

months after the storm; and over 200,000 people have left the island; and g. Approximately 500,000 persons of Puerto Rican descent live in New Jersey, which

is the third-largest Puerto Rican population of any state, and it is estimated that

approximately 30,000 displaced Puerto Ricans have come to New Jersey in the wake of

Hurricane Maria; and h. New Jersey recognizes its moral obligation to provide relief to all Americans in

distress who come to our State; and i. This State is committed to contributing to the stabilization of Puerto Rico, so

that those who wish to return to their homes on the island will have an opportunity

to do so and to find a safe, stable, and sustainable environment in which they can

raise a family, educate their children, find gainful employment, and enjoy a level

of services similar in quality to those with which New Jersey is blessed.