Bill Text: NJ S650 | 2016-2017 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Provides $21 minimum annual energy assistance to qualified families; qualifies families to receive additional nutritional assistance.
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 9-1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-03-14 - Substituted by A1210 [S650 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2016-S650-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
217th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2016 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Senator SHIRLEY K. TURNER
District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)
Senator JOSEPH F. VITALE
District 19 (Middlesex)
Co-Sponsored by:
Senators Lesniak, Weinberg, Pou, Gordon, Ruiz and Stack
SYNOPSIS
Provides $21 minimum annual energy assistance to qualified families; qualifies families to receive additional nutritional assistance.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act concerning nutrition and energy assistance and supplementing Title 44 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Notwithstanding the provisions of any law, rule or regulation to the contrary, every household in the State that is eligible to receive benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) established pursuant to the "Food and Nutrition Act of 2008," Pub.L.110-246 (7 U.S.C. s.2011 et seq.) shall receive a minimum annual energy assistance payment of $21 in order to qualify the household for a heating and cooling standard utility allowance under the SNAP program, in accordance with 7 U.S.C. s.2014(e)(6)(C), unless a standard utility allowance would have been unavailable to the household under the State and federal criteria for SNAP and any applicable energy assistance programs that were in place as of July 1, 2013. This annual payment shall be disbursed in accordance with the provisions of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), established pursuant to Pub.L. 97-35, Title XXVI (42 U.S.C. s.8621 et seq.) or other energy assistance program for which the household is eligible, as applicable. Any costs associated with increasing LIHEAP payments shall first be charged to the unexpended balance of federal funds available for the LIHEAP program, to the extent permitted by federal law and regulation.
2. The Commissioner of Human Services, in consultation with the Commissioner of Community Affairs, shall adopt, pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), such rules and regulations as may be necessary to implement this act.
3. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill provides that, notwithstanding the provisions of any law, rule or regulation to the contrary, every household in the State that is eligible to receive benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) shall receive a minimum annual energy assistance payment of $21 in order to qualify the household for a heating and cooling standard utility allowance under the SNAP program, unless a standard utility allowance would have been unavailable to the household under the State and federal criteria for SNAP and any applicable energy assistance programs that were in place as of July 1, 2013. This annual payment is to be disbursed in accordance with the provisions of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) or other energy assistance program for which the household is eligible, as applicable. Any costs associated with increasing LIHEAP payments shall first be charged to the unexpended balance of federal funds available for the LIHEAP program, to the extent permitted by federal law and regulation.
Under the federal Agricultural Act of 2014, households that qualify for energy assistance must receive more than $20 in annual energy assistance payments in order to maintain the household's eligibility for a standard utility allowance under SNAP, which provides added SNAP benefits. This bill would ensure that every household in the State that currently receives these added SNAP benefits will continue to receive them.
