55:13C-3 State regulation.

3. Notwithstanding any provision of any other statute or any municipal ordinance other than a zoning ordinance, or regulation to the contrary, the licensing, regulation and inspection of emergency shelters for the homeless in all municipalities of this State and the issuance of all necessary permits, approvals and certificates of occupancy shall be conducted by a public officer designated by the municipality in accordance with the regulations promulgated by the Commissioner of the Department of Community Affairs pursuant to section 5 of P.L.1985, c.48 (C.55:13C-5). A municipality shall file with the commissioner a copy of an inspection report prepared following an inspection conducted by the public officer pursuant to this section. The commissioner may prescribe a standard inspection report format to be used by the public officer.

The Department of Community Affairs shall post on its Internet website each inspection report filed with the commissioner pursuant to this section, along with any other inspection report prepared by or on behalf of the department for an emergency shelter for the homeless.

If an inspection reveals a serious health and safety violation at an emergency shelter for the homeless, the department shall post the inspection report, including the name of the shelter and the owner of the shelter, on its website no later than 72 hours following the inspection. If a license of an emergency shelter for the homeless is suspended, the department shall post the suspension on its website no later than 72 hours following the suspension. The department shall update its website to reflect the correction of a serious health and safety violation, and the lifting of a suspension.

The department shall notify, as soon as possible, the Commissioner of Human Services, or the commissioner's designee, and the director of the county board of social services or county welfare agency, as appropriate, in the county in which an emergency shelter for the homeless is located, of a serious health and safety violation at the shelter and of any suspension of a license to operate such shelter.

L.1985, c.48, s.3; amended 2015, c.6, s.3.