Bill Text: NJ A429 | 2018-2019 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Prohibits water companies from assessing more than one charge per fire hydrant to fire departments, fire districts, or volunteer fire companies for use of fire hydrants.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2018-01-09 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly State and Local Government Committee [A429 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2018-A429-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
218th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2018 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman GABRIELA M. MOSQUERA
District 4 (Camden and Gloucester)
Assemblywoman CAROL MURPHY
District 7 (Burlington)
SYNOPSIS
Prohibits water companies from assessing more than one charge per fire hydrant to fire departments, fire districts, or volunteer fire companies for use of fire hydrants.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act concerning certain water company charges and amending R.S.48:19-18.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. R.S.48:19-18 is amended to read as follows:
48:19-18. Each water company organized under the laws of this State may sell and dispose of the water issuing from its reservoirs, aqueducts, or pipes for such rates and pursuant to such terms and conditions as are in accordance with its approved tariffs on file with the Board of Public Utilities, provided, however [, as follows]:
a. No tariff shall be approved that provides for or allows the imposition of any standby fees or charges for any fire protection system to a residential customer served by a water service line of two inches or less in diameter.
b. No tariff shall be approved that provides for or allows the imposition of any fees in excess of the cost of water actually used for any sprinkler system required to be installed in any residential health care facility pursuant to the "Health Care Facilities Planning Act," P.L.1971, c.136 (C.26:2H-1 et seq.) and regulations promulgated thereunder or in any rooming or boarding house pursuant to the "Rooming and Boarding House Act of 1979," P.L.1979, c.496 (C.55:13B-1 et al.) and regulations promulgated thereunder. Nothing herein shall preclude any water company from charging for the actual cost of water main connection.
c. Notwithstanding the provisions of R.S.48:3-1, R.S.48:3-4, or the provisions of any other law, rule, regulation, or order to the contrary, no tariff shall be approved that provides for, or allows the imposition of, more than one charge or fee per fire hydrant imposed on any periodic bill by a water company to a fire department, as defined in section 2 of P.L.1977, c.85 (C.34:13A-15), a fire district organized pursuant to the provisions of N.J.S.40A:14-70 et seq., or a volunteer fire company organized pursuant to Title 15 of the Revised Statutes or Title 15A of the New Jersey Statutes, for the use of any fire hydrant.
d. Nothing in this section shall preclude a water company from requiring separate dedicated service lines for fire protection. The water company may require that fire service lines be metered. Nothing in this section shall alter the liability for maintenance and repair of service lines which exists on the effective date of P.L.2003, c.278.
(cf: P.L.2003, c.278, s.8)
2. This act shall take effect immediately, but shall remain inoperative for 60 days following the date of enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill prohibits the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities from approving a tariff for a water company (i.e., an investor-owned water public utility) under its jurisdiction that includes more than one rental charge or fee per fire hydrant on any periodic bill of the water public utility for the use of a fire hydrant to a fire department, fire district, or volunteer fire company.
