Bill Text: NJ A3010 | 2018-2019 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Provides $21 minimum annual energy assistance to qualified families; qualifies families to receive additional nutritional assistance.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 18-0)
Status: (Vetoed) 2018-05-31 - Received in the Senate, 2nd Reading - Concur. w/Gov's Recom. [A3010 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2018-A3010-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman GABRIELA M. MOSQUERA
District 4 (Camden and Gloucester)
SYNOPSIS
Provides $21 minimum annual energy assistance to qualified families; qualifies families to receive additional nutritional assistance.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning nutrition and energy assistance and supplementing Title 44 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Notwithstanding the provisions of any law, rule or regulation to the contrary, every household in the State that is eligible to receive benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) established pursuant to the "Food and Nutrition Act of 2008," Pub.L.110-246 (7 U.S.C. s.2011 et seq.) shall receive a minimum annual energy assistance payment of $21 in order to qualify the household for a heating and cooling standard utility allowance under the SNAP program, in accordance with 7 U.S.C. s.2014(e)(6)(C), unless a standard utility allowance would have been unavailable to the household under the State and federal criteria for SNAP and any applicable energy assistance programs that were in place as of July 1, 2013. This annual payment shall be disbursed in accordance with the provisions of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), established pursuant to Pub.L.97-35, Title XXVI (42 U.S.C. s.8621 et seq.) or other energy assistance program for which the household is eligible, as applicable. Any costs associated with increasing LIHEAP payments shall first be charged to the unexpended balance of federal funds available for the LIHEAP program, to the extent permitted by federal law and regulation.
2. The Commissioner of Human Services, in consultation with the Commissioner of Community Affairs, shall adopt, pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), such rules and regulations as may be necessary to implement this act.
3. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill provides that every household in the State that is eligible to receive benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) shall receive a minimum annual energy assistance payment of $21 to qualify the household for a heating and cooling standard utility allowance under the SNAP program, unless a standard utility allowance would have been unavailable to the household under the State and federal criteria for SNAP and any applicable energy assistance programs in place as of July 1, 2013. Under the bill, this annual energy assistance payment is to be disbursed in accordance with the provisions of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) or other energy assistance program for which the household is eligible, as applicable. The bill provides that any costs associated with increasing LIHEAP payments must first be charged to the unexpended balance of federal funds available for the LIHEAP program, to the extent permitted by federal law and regulation. The bill authorizes the Commissioner of Human Services, in consultation with the Commissioner of Community Affairs, to adopt rules and regulations to implement the bill.
Prior to July 2014, the State had engaged in a practice called "heat & eat," whereby the State made annual energy assistance payments of $1 to SNAP recipient households that were not enrolled in LIHEAP. This payment qualified these households for a "heating and cooling standard utility allowance" within the SNAP program, which had the effect of increasing the household's monthly SNAP benefit. Under the federal Agricultural Act of 2014, households must receive more than $20 in annual energy assistance payments to maintain the household's eligibility for the standard utility allowance under SNAP. This bill therefore ensures that eligible SNAP households that are not currently enrolled in LIHEAP can receive the heating and cooling standards utility allowance.
