Bill Text: NJ AR131 | 2016-2017 | Regular Session | Amended

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Bill Title: Urges Congress to reintroduceand pass federal "Sustainable Water Infrastructure Investment Act of 2016." *

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 6-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2017-01-12 - Reported out of Assembly Comm. with Amendments, 2nd Reading [AR131 Detail]

Download: New_Jersey-2016-AR131-Amended.html

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[First Reprint]

ASSEMBLY RESOLUTION No. 131

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

217th LEGISLATURE

INTRODUCED APRIL 4, 2016

 

 

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman  TROY SINGLETON

District 7 (Burlington)

Assemblyman  HERB CONAWAY, JR.

District 7 (Burlington)

Assemblyman  WAYNE P. DEANGELO

District 14 (Mercer and Middlesex)

Assemblyman  BENJIE E. WIMBERLY

District 35 (Bergen and Passaic)

 

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS

     Urges Congress to reintroduce and pass federal "Sustainable Water Infrastructure Investment Act of 2016."

 

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     As reported by the Assembly Telecommunications and Utilities Committee on January 12, 2017, with amendments.

 

An Assembly Resolution urging Congress to ¹reintroduce and¹ pass the federal "Sustainable Water Infrastructure Investment Act of 2016."

 

Whereas, On February 29, 2016, U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) introduced the "Sustainable Water Infrastructure Investment Act of 2016," to help provide financing for critical water infrastructure upgrades by facilitating private investment in projects; and

Whereas, The recent water crisis in Flint, Michigan, where thousands of children have been exposed to high levels of lead in their drinking water from corroded pipes in the Flint River, has focused national attention on the aging water infrastructure systems throughout the United States, including New Jersey; and

Whereas, The United States has significantly under-invested in its infrastructure, especially its water systems, and, as a result, the health of families and their children have been jeopardized over time; and

Whereas, All across the nation, cities and states are facing steep challenges to find funding for necessary repairs to their water infrastructure systems; and

Whereas, Currently, the Congress of the United States provides states with an annual allocation of private activity bonds (PABS), which are issued by public entities to provide low-cost financing for the projects of nonprofit organizations or companies that serve a public purpose; however, most of these bonds are used to finance other short-term projects, hindering the use of PABs for water and wastewater infrastructure, which are generally multi-year projects; and

Whereas, Under the proposed federal legislation, the federal tax code would be amended to remove the state volume caps on PABs for water and wastewater projects, which will provide a much needed influx of funding for municipalities and other public organizations to begin crucial upgrades on their vulnerable water infrastructure systems; and

Whereas, The "Sustainable Water Infrastructure Investment Act of 2016" will stimulate billions of dollars in private-sector investment to fund large-scale repairs and upgrades to the country's water system, help create and support thousands of jobs in the water industry and related sectors, and most importantly, protect the health and well-being of families in every community; and

Whereas, It is altogether fitting and proper for this House, and in the public interest, to respectfully urge the Congress to pass the "Sustainable Water Infrastructure Investment Act of 2016" to remove the annual caps placed on PABs for the purpose of water and wastewater infrastructure projects; now, therefore,

 

     Be It Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

 

      1.   The General Assembly of the State of New Jersey respectfully urges the Congress of the United States to ¹reintroduce and¹ pass Senate Bill No. 2606 of 2015-2016, known as the "Sustainable Water Infrastructure Investment Act of 2016."

 

     2.  Copies of this resolution, as filed by the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Clerk of the General Assembly to the Majority and Minority Leaders of the United States Senate, the Majority and Minority Leaders of the United States House of Representatives, and each member of Congress elected from this State.