Bill Text: NJ A1109 | 2016-2017 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires oversight reporting on Hurricane Sandy recovery funds.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 11-0)
Status: (N/A - Dead) 2016-01-27 - INT 1RA REF ARO [A1109 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2016-A1109-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
217th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2016 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman SHEILA Y. OLIVER
District 34 (Essex and Passaic)
Assemblywoman ANNETTE QUIJANO
District 20 (Union)
Assemblyman JOSEPH A. LAGANA
District 38 (Bergen and Passaic)
Assemblywoman SHAVONDA E. SUMTER
District 35 (Bergen and Passaic)
Assemblyman VINCENT MAZZEO
District 2 (Atlantic)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblyman Gusciora, Assemblywomen Jimenez, Pinkin, Caride, Jasey and Assemblyman Eustace
SYNOPSIS
Requires oversight reporting on Hurricane Sandy recovery funds.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act requiring reports to ensure oversight of Hurricane Sandy recovery funds, supplementing Title 52 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. The State Treasurer shall provide a report to the Legislature, in accordance with section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), and the Governor concerning the receipt, distribution, and administration of Hurricane Sandy recovery funding entitled New Jersey's Comprehensive Hurricane Sandy Recovery Funding Report. The initial issue of New Jersey's Comprehensive Hurricane Sandy Recovery Funding Report shall be due on November 1, 2014 with updated issues of the report due each succeeding thirtieth day thereafter until all Hurricane Sandy recovery funding has been spent and reported. The State Treasurer shall make New Jersey's Comprehensive Hurricane Sandy Recovery Funding Report available to the public by posting each issue of the report on the New Jersey Department of the Treasury's website on the date of the report's transmission to the Legislature and Governor.
b. New Jersey's Comprehensive Hurricane Sandy Recovery Funding Report shall contain detailed information concerning: the amount of Hurricane Sandy recovery funding the State has received, the manner in which Hurricane Sandy recovery funding is received, the processes by which Hurricane Sandy recovery funding is distributed upon initial receipt, State operating plans for Hurricane Sandy recovery funding projects and administration, analysis of whether the use of Hurricane Sandy recovery funding is accomplishing its intended purpose, the number of jobs created by Hurricane Sandy recovery funding State administered projects, recommendations for enhanced efficiency and transparency in the administration of Hurricane Sandy recovery funding, recommendations for enhanced coordination in Hurricane Sandy recovery efforts, the distribution of Hurricane Sandy recovery funding by county and municipality, the issuance of each State contract associated with Hurricane Sandy recovery funding including, but not limited to, the recipient's identity, the purpose of the contract, the amount of the contract's consideration, whether the bid was subject to public bidding, and background information on the State contract recipient's qualification for receipt of the State contract, the issuance of each State grant associated with Hurricane Sandy recovery funding including, but not limited to, the recipient's identity, the purpose of the grant, the amount of the grant, whether the grant was subject to a selective award process and the nature of that process, and background information on the State grant recipient's qualification for receipt of the State grant, and any other information the State Treasurer deems relevant to the transparent administration of Hurricane Sandy recovery funding.
c. The New Jersey's Comprehensive Hurricane Sandy Recovery Funding Report shall not be construed to prevent the State Treasurer from providing the Legislature, in accordance with section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), and the Governor with a priority report on Hurricane Sandy recovery funding at any time as the State Treasurer deems appropriate for administrative problems associated with Hurricane Sandy recovery funding requiring immediate attention of the Legislature and the Governor.
d. Reports issued pursuant to this section shall not be used to distribute information which if disclosed would jeopardize compliance with State or federal law, threaten public health, welfare, or safety, or harm the competitive economic position of a party.
e. As used in this section:
"Hurricane Sandy recovery funding" means (1) funds provided pursuant to federal legislation which contains, but is not limited to, disaster assistance for impacts associated with Hurricane Sandy, or other major storms, in New Jersey; and (2) funds disbursed through the State treasury for undertakings to address the damage associated with the State of Emergency identified in the Governor's Executive Order 104, dated October 27, 2012, concerning Hurricane Sandy, which undertakings shall include emergency operations, loss reimbursement, repairs, rebuilding, restorations, reconstruction, removal of debris, temporary housing, household assistance, relief, hazard mitigation improvements, construction, and other recovery and rebuilding activities deemed by the State Treasurer to be associated with Hurricane Sandy recovery and rebuilding.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill requires oversight reporting on Hurricane Sandy recovery funds to ensure the transparent and efficient administration of those funds.
The bill requires the State Treasurer to issue a New Jersey's Comprehensive Hurricane Sandy Recovery Funding Report. The report is to address:
· The amount and manner of recovery funding receipt;
· The processes by which recovery funding is distributed;
· Operating plans for recovery funding projects and administration;
· The award of State grants or contracts using recovery funding;
· Analysis of whether recovery funding is achieving its objectives;
· Recovery funding job creation through State administered projects;
· Recommendations for enhanced efficiency, transparency, and coordination in the administration of recovery funding;
· The distribution of recovery funding by county and municipality; and
· Any other information the State Treasurer deems relevant to the transparent administration of recovery funding.
The bill takes effect upon enactment. It schedules New Jersey's Comprehensive Hurricane Sandy Recovery Funding Report to be due on November 1, 2014 with updated issues of the report due every 30 days thereafter until all Hurricane Sandy recovery funding has been spent and reported. The bill also requires the State Treasure to publish each issue of the report on the Department of the Treasury's website on the same date the report is submitted to the Legislature and the Governor.
The bill also contains two administrative provisions: (i) noting that the comprehensive report does not preclude the State Treasurer from issuing expedited priority reports on problems encountered in recovery funding; and (ii) restricting report contents from containing information that may jeopardize compliance with State or federal law, threaten public health, welfare, or safety, or harm the competitive economic position of a party.
