Bill Text: NJ A1398 | 2022-2023 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes housing expense reimbursements for families of certain public safety officers killed in line of duty.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-01-11 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Law and Public Safety Committee [A1398 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2022-A1398-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
220th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2022 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman ROBERT AUTH
District 39 (Bergen and Passaic)
SYNOPSIS
Establishes housing expense reimbursements for families of certain public safety officers killed in line of duty.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act establishing housing assistance for the families of certain fallen public safety officers, and supplementing chapter 18A of Title 52 of the Revised Statutes and chapter 9 of Title 54A of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. The surviving spouse of a State, county, or municipal police officer, including a member of the Division of State Police or special law enforcement officer; firefighter, whether volunteer or paid; sheriff's officer; or corrections officer, who was killed in the line of duty, may apply to the State Treasurer for reimbursement of any rent or mortgage payments and property taxes due and owing on the domicile of the surviving spouse, up to a maximum of $15,000, for each year in which any dependent children reside in the domicile until and including the year in which the youngest child graduates from secondary school or, if that child enrolls as an undergraduate student at an institution of higher education, until and including the last year in which the child remains enrolled as a full-time matriculating undergraduate student at such an institution.
b. The State Treasurer shall remit a reimbursement pursuant to subsection a. of this section, from the "Fallen Public Safety Officer Surviving Spouse Housing Assistance Fund" established by section 2 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), upon approval of an application of a surviving spouse that establishes eligibility for a reimbursement pursuant to this section. The application shall include information and documents as may be reasonably prescribed by the State Treasurer for the purposes of determining the eligibility of a surviving spouse.
c. A reimbursement pursuant to subsection a. of this section shall not be considered income for purposes of the "New Jersey Gross Income Tax Act," N.J.S.54A:1-1 et seq.
d. As used in this section, "in the line of duty" means actively engaged in the detection, investigation, apprehension, arrest, or detention of persons violating the criminal laws of the State; the discharge of emergency services; firefighting; or the discharge of inmate supervision and control responsibilities.
2. a. There is established in the Department of the Treasury a special fund to be known as the "Fallen Public Safety Officer Surviving Spouse Housing Assistance Fund."
b. Each taxpayer shall have the opportunity to indicate on the taxpayer's New Jersey gross income tax return that a portion of the taxpayer's tax refund or an enclosed contribution shall be deposited into the special fund.
c. Any costs incurred by the Division of Taxation for collection or administration attributable to this section may be deducted from receipts collected pursuant to this section, as determined by the Director of the Division of Budget and Accounting. The State Treasurer shall deposit net contributions collected pursuant to this section into the "Fallen Public Safety Officer Surviving Spouse Housing Assistance Fund."
d. The Legislature shall annually appropriate all funds deposited in the "Fallen Public Safety Officer Surviving Spouse Housing Assistance Fund" established pursuant to this section, and other funds as may be necessary, to the Department of the Treasury for the purposes of providing reimbursements to all qualified surviving spouse applicants pursuant to section 1 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).
3. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill would provide housing assistance, in the form of reimbursements, to the surviving spouses of public safety officers, including police officers, firefighters, and sheriff's and corrections officers, who were killed in the line of duty, for as long as dependent children continue to reside with the surviving spouse through high school or college. These public safety officers have made the ultimate sacrifice in service of their communities, and their families deserve the support of the State to ensure that they can remain in their current homes until the youngest child residing in the home has graduated from high school or college, if attended.
The reimbursements would cover rent or mortgage payments and property taxes due and owing on the home of the surviving spouse up to $15,000 for each year of eligibility. The bill enables the collection of voluntary contributions through gross income tax returns to support these reimbursements.
