Bill Text: NJ AR140 | 2016-2017 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Urges HUD to reimburse housing authorities for volunteer insurance costs.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 4)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-04-14 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee [AR140 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2016-AR140-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman ANNETTE CHAPARRO
District 33 (Hudson)
Assemblyman RAJ MUKHERJI
District 33 (Hudson)
Assemblywoman ANGELA V. MCKNIGHT
District 31 (Hudson)
Assemblyman NICHOLAS CHIARAVALLOTI
District 31 (Hudson)
SYNOPSIS
Urges HUD to reimburse housing authorities for volunteer insurance costs.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Assembly Resolution urging the Department of Housing and Urban Development to establish policies to reimburse housing authorities for the cost of insuring volunteers.
Whereas, Volunteer labor can be a valuable asset for a housing authority in its efforts to construct and maintain quality affordable housing; and
Whereas, Volunteers have routinely aided housing authorities around the country through construction and maintenance work such as painting, cleaning gutters, repairing, weeding and landscaping, power washing buildings, and many other valuable tasks; and
Whereas, In addition to the visible physical improvements that volunteers can generate for a housing authority, volunteerism also reaps immeasurable benefits for both the public at large and the individual volunteer by strengthening trust, solidarity, and reciprocity within the community; and
Whereas, Inescapably, the tasks volunteers undertake are often located in potentially hazardous work spaces, and require the use of potentially dangerous equipment such as ladders, power tools, and saws; and
Whereas, As a result of several serious accidents involving volunteers working on affordable housing projects in recent years, including a Habitat for Humanity volunteer who was fatally injured in Pennsylvania in 2010, insurance carriers have elevated their concerns over volunteer safety; and
Whereas, Despite the many benefits of volunteerism, these unfortunate events have driven many housing authorities to avoid the use of volunteer labor out of concerns both for safety and the potential impact of volunteers on insurance costs; and
Whereas, As the federal agency tasked with regulating the nation's many housing authorities, the Department of Housing and Urban Development would more effectively serve its mission to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all if the agency adopted a policy to reimburse housing authorities for the insurance costs associated with volunteer labor, or establish a federal insurance program for this purpose, thereby encouraging volunteerism and all its positive impacts; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. The General Assembly hereby respectfully urges
the Department of Housing and Urban Development to adopt policies
to reimburse housing authorities for the costs of insuring volunteer laborers,
or establish a federal insurance program for this purpose.
2. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Clerk of the General Assembly to the Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and to every member of the New Jersey Congressional delegation.
STATEMENT
This Assembly Resolution urges the Department of Housing and Urban Development to adopt policies to reimburse housing authorities for the costs of insuring volunteer laborers.
Volunteer labor has often been a valuable asset for many housing authorities in their efforts to construct and maintain quality affordable housing. Volunteers have routinely aided housing authorities around the country through construction and maintenance work of a wide variety. In addition to the visible physical improvements that volunteers often produce, volunteerism also reaps benefits for both the public at large and the individual volunteer by strengthening trust, solidarity, and reciprocity in the community.
The tasks volunteers undertake, inescapably, are often located in potentially hazardous work spaces, and require the use of potentially dangerous equipment. As a result of several serious accidents involving volunteers working on affordable housing projects in recent years, insurance carriers have elevated their concerns over volunteer safety, and many housing authorities are now avoiding the use of volunteer labor out of concerns over insurance costs.
To help remedy this unfortunate series of events, this Assembly Resolution respectfully urges the Department of Housing and Urban Development to adopt policies to reimburse housing authorities for the costs of insuring volunteer laborers, or establish a federal insurance program for this purpose. As the federal agency tasked with regulating the country's many housing authorities, the Department of Housing and Urban Development would more effectively serve its mission to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all through policies that encourage volunteerism and the many benefits it produces.
