Bill Text: NJ S4359 | 2026-2027 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes certain water and wastewater utility shutoff protections for tenants.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2)
Status: (Introduced) 2026-05-28 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Economic Growth Committee [S4359 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2026-S4359-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator M. TERESA RUIZ
District 29 (Essex and Hudson)
SYNOPSIS
Establishes certain water and wastewater utility shutoff protections for tenants.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act establishing certain utility shutoff protections 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. As used in this section:
"Department" means the Department of Community Affairs.
"End user" means a person who receives, uses, or consumes water or wastewater service from a water utility but is not a customer of record with the water utility.
"Single service connection" means the provision of water or wastewater service by a water utility to a multi-unit dwelling where multiple units within the multi-unit dwelling are registered with the water utility under a single customer of record other than the end user.
"Tenant" means any end user of a water utility who is an occupant of a residential rental property pursuant to a residential lease agreement, whether written or oral, where the owner of the residence, or any agent or other representative of the owner, is a customer of record of a water utility.
"Water utility" means any of the following entities that provide water or wastewater service in New Jersey: a municipal public utility, as defined in N.J.S.40A:1-1; a sewerage authority authorized pursuant to section 4 of P.L.1946, c.138 (C.40:14A-4); a municipal utilities authority authorized pursuant to section 4 of P.L.1957, c.183 (C.40:14B-4); a water commission appointed pursuant to R.S.40:62-109; a water district authorized pursuant to R.S.40:62-96; or any other public water system, as that term is defined in section 3 of P.L.1977, c.224 (C.58:12A-3), that is not subject to the jurisdiction of the Board of Public Utilities.
b. A water utility shall provide written notice to a tenant 30 days prior to discontinuing service to the tenant.
c. A water utility shall not discontinue service to a tenant if:
(1) upon receiving a shutoff notice pursuant to subsection b. of this section, a tenant informs the water utility that the tenant is not the customer of record of the water utility; or
(2) the tenant resides in a multi-unit dwelling that is served by a single service connection.
d. If a tenant qualifies for shutoff protections pursuant to subsection c. of this section, a water utility shall seek any outstanding payment from the customer of record and not from the tenant, and the customer of record shall not recover the cost of any outstanding payment owed to the water utility from the tenant.
e. The department shall notify any water utility that does business in this State of the requirements of this section and shall publish information on the department's Internet website to notify water utility customers of the shutoff protections established by this section.
f. The department, in consultation with the Board of Public Utilities, shall adopt rules and regulations, in accordance with the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), as necessary to implement the provisions of this section. However, any rules and regulations adopted by the department pursuant to this subsection shall be consistent with any rules and regulations adopted by the Board of Public Utilities pursuant to subsection f. of section 2 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).
2. a. As used in this section:
"Board" means the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities or a successor agency.
"End user" means a person who receives, uses, or consumes water or wastewater service from a water public utility but is not a customer of record with the water public utility.
"Single service connection" means the provision of water or wastewater service by a water public utility to a multi-unit dwelling where multiple units within the multi-unit dwelling are registered with the water public utility under a single customer of record other than the end user.
"Tenant" means any end user of a water public utility who is an occupant of a residential rental property pursuant to a residential lease agreement, whether written or oral, where the owner of the residence, or any agent or other representative of the owner, is a customer of record of a water public utility.
"Water public utility" means a public utility, as defined pursuant to R.S.48:2-13, that provides water or wastewater service.
b. A water public utility shall provide written notice to a tenant 30 days prior to discontinuing service to the tenant.
c. A water public utility shall not discontinue service to a tenant if:
(1) upon receiving a shutoff notice pursuant to subsection b. of this section, a tenant informs the water public utility that the tenant is not the customer of record of the water public utility; or
(2) the tenant resides in a multi-unit dwelling that is served by a single service connection.
d. If a tenant qualifies for shutoff protections pursuant to subsection c. of this section, a water public utility shall seek any outstanding payment from the customer of record and not from the tenant, and the customer of record shall not recover the cost of any outstanding payment owed to the water public utility from the tenant.
e. The board shall notify any water public utility that does business in this State of the requirements of this section and shall update the board's Utility Customer Bill of Rights to include the shutoff protections established by this section.
f. The board, in consultation with the Department of Community Affairs, shall adopt rules and regulations, in accordance with the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), as necessary to implement the provisions of this section. However, any rules and regulations adopted by the board pursuant to this subsection shall be consistent with any rules and regulations adopted by the Department of Community Affairs pursuant to subsection f. of section 1 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).
3. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill establishes water utility shutoff protections for tenants who are end users of water or wastewater service through a municipal public utility, a sewerage authority, a municipal utilities authority, a water commission, a water district, certain public water systems, or a water public utility (collectively, "water utilities") but who are not the customer of record with the water utilities. Specifically, the bill requires water utilities to notify tenants 30 days prior to discontinuing service. The bill also prohibits water utilities from discontinuing service to a tenant who is not the customer of record of the water utility or to a tenant who resides in a multi-unit dwelling that is served by a single service connection. The bill also requires water utilities to collect outstanding payments for service from the customer of record and not from the tenant. In addition, the customer of record is prohibited from recovering the cost of outstanding payments for service owed to a water utility from a tenant.
Finally, the bill establishes certain notice and public information requirements for the Department of Community Affairs and the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) to inform water utilities and their customers of the shutoff protections established by the bill. The bill also requires the BPU to update its Utility Consumer Bill of Rights to include certain shutoff protections established by the bill.
