Bill Text: NJ A4818 | 2022-2023 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Directs DCA and BPU to allow certain tenants seeking sewer or water utility bill assistance to provide proof tenant is paying water bill when tenant is different than customer of record.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-10-20 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Telecommunications and Utilities Committee [A4818 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2022-A4818-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman ANGELICA M. JIMENEZ
District 32 (Bergen and Hudson)
Assemblyman WILLIAM B. SAMPSON, IV
District 31 (Hudson)
Assemblyman REGINALD W. ATKINS
District 20 (Union)
SYNOPSIS
Directs DCA and BPU to allow certain tenants seeking sewer or water utility bill assistance to provide proof tenant is paying water bill when tenant is different than customer of record.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning tenants and water utility bill assistance programs and supplementing Title 40A of the New Jersey Statutes and Title 48 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. The Department of Community Affairs shall allow a residential tenant who has submitted an application to the department for assistance under the Low Income Household Water Assistance Program, established pursuant to the federal "Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021," Pub.L.116-260, through an appropriation to federal Department of Health and Human Services for Children and Families Services Programs, or any other State, local, or utility program that provides assistance or discounted rates to assist eligible households in paying sewer or water bills, to provide proof, in a form and manner to be determined by the department, that the tenant is responsible for paying the bill if the tenant is not the customer of record. The department shall, within 21 days following submission, evaluate a submission made pursuant to this section and make a determination of whether the tenant is responsible for paying the bill.
b. As used in this section:
"Residential tenant" or "tenant" means a person renting or leasing real property for use as their principal residence who receives sewer or water service from a sewer or water utility.
"Sewer or water utility" means a local authority, as defined in section 3 of P.L.1983, c.313 (C.40A:5A-3), a water district established pursuant to R.S.40:62-96 et seq., a municipal public utility, as defined in N.J.S.40A:1-1, or public utility, as defined pursuant to R.S.48:2-13, that provides sewer or water service.
2. The Department of Community Affairs shall promulgate rules and regulations, pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), to effectuate the purposes of section 1 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).
3. a. The Board of Public Utilities shall allow a residential tenant who has submitted an application to the board or to a Statewide nonprofit energy assistance organization for assistance under any State, local, or utility program that provides assistance or discounted rates to assist eligible households in paying sewer or water bills, to provide proof, in a form and manner to be determined by the board, that the tenant is responsible for paying the bill if the tenant is not the customer of record. The board shall, within 21 days following submission, evaluate a submission made pursuant to this section and make a determination of whether the tenant is responsible for paying the bill.
b. As used in this section:
"Residential tenant" or "tenant" means a person renting or leasing real property for use as their principal residence who receives sewer or water services from a sewer or water utility.
"Sewer or water utility" means a local authority, as defined in section 3 of P.L.1983, c.313 (C.40A:5A-3), a water district established pursuant to R.S.40:62-96 et seq., a municipal public utility, as defined in N.J.S.40A:1-1, or public utility, as defined pursuant to R.S.48:2-13, that provides sewer or water service.
4. The Board of Public Utilities shall promulgate rules and regulations, pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), to effectuate the purposes of section 3 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).
5. This act shall take effect on the 30th day after the date of enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill directs the Department of Community Affairs (DCA) and the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) to allow residential tenants who apply to sewer or water utility bill assistance programs to provide proof, in a form and manner to be determined by the DCA and BPU, that the residential tenant is responsible for paying the sewer or water bill when they are not the customer of record.
