Bill Text: NJ S682 | 2012-2013 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires sewerage companies to provide metered service to certain single family, age-restricted community housing customers upon request; prohibits those companies from assessing charges for sewer service prior to providing such service.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2012-01-10 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Economic Growth Committee [S682 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2012-S682-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
215th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2012 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Senator DAWN MARIE ADDIEGO
District 8 (Atlantic, Burlington and Camden)
SYNOPSIS
Requires sewerage companies to provide metered service to certain single family, age-restricted community housing customers upon request; prohibits those companies from assessing charges for sewer service prior to providing such service.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel
An Act concerning sewerage company service and billing practices and amending R.S.48:13-14.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. R.S.48:13-14 is amended to read as follows:
48:13-14. [Such] a. Subject to the provisions of subsections b. and c. of this section, a sewerage company may contract with property owners and others for the use of its system of sewerage for such price or rents and such restrictions as the company may think proper in accordance with approved tariffs filed with the Board of Public [Utility Commissioners] Utilities.
b. (1) Within 180 days of the receipt of a request by certified mail, return receipt requested, by a homeowners' association of an age-restricted community on an application provided by a sewerage company for metered sewer service on behalf of every dwelling unit within the community, such company shall install, operate and maintain a meter or other board-approved measuring device to measure the flow or discharge from each dwelling unit within the age-restricted community. For the purposes of this subsection, "age-restricted community" means a community of single family homes in which some property and facilities are owned in common by all of the resident owners of dwelling units, and which meets the definition of housing for older persons pursuant to section 5 of P.L.1945, c. 169 (C.10:5-5).
(2) Within 30 days after the enactment of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) and thereafter once annually, a sewerage company shall obtain the identity of those age-restricted communities which are registered with the Department of Community Affairs and notify those communities of the availability of metered service. Such notification information shall include the address, toll-free telephone number, Internet site, and electronic mail address whereby such customers of the sewerage company may request an application for metered service.
c. A sewerage company shall not render a bill to any customer that includes a charge for metered or unmetered sewer service that is assessed prior to the provision of that service.
(cf: P.L.1962, c.198, s.163)
2. This act shall take effect on the 90th day after the date of enactment, but the Board of Public Utilities may take such anticipatory administrative action in advance thereof as shall be necessary for the implementation of this act.
STATEMENT
This bill requires a sewerage company regulated by the Board of Public Utilities, within 180 days of the receipt of a request by certified mail, return receipt requested, by a homeowners' association of an age-restricted community on an application provided by the sewerage company for metered sewer service on behalf of every dwelling unit within the community, to install, operate and maintain a meter or other board-approved measuring device to measure the flow or discharge from each dwelling unit within the age-restricted community.
Within 30 days after the enactment of the bill and thereafter once annually, a sewerage company is to obtain the identity of those age-restricted communities which are registered with the Department of Community Affairs and notify those communities of the availability of metered service. Such notification information shall include the address, toll-free telephone number, Internet site, and electronic mail address whereby such customers of the sewerage company may request an application for metered service.
Further, the bill prohibits a sewerage company from rendering a bill to any customer that includes a charge for metered or unmetered sewer service that is assessed prior to the provision of that service.
