LEGISLATIVE FISCAL ESTIMATE
[First Reprint]
ASSEMBLY, No. 4031
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
220th LEGISLATURE
DATED: AUGUST 9, 2023
SUMMARY
Synopsis: Establishes food rescue hotline.
Type of Impact: Annual State cost increase.
Agencies Affected: Office of the Food Security Advocate.
Office of Legislative Services Estimate
Fiscal Impact Annual
State Cost Increase $230,000 to $1.2 million
 The Office of Legislative Services (OLS) concludes that the Office of the Food Security
Advocate would realize higher annual costs, in an amount ranging from $230,000 to $1.2
million, in order to establish the food rescue hotline and engage in a public awareness campaign
on the availability and purpose of the hotline.
 The OLS estimates that the Office of the Food Security Advocate will spend between $90,000
and $1 million on the public awareness campaign regarding the food rescue hotline, depending
upon the scope of the campaign. This estimate falls within the range of costs for similar public
awareness initiatives.
 The OLS also assumes that the Office of the Food Security Advocate would require one
additional full-time equivalent employee, at an annual cost of $145,000, inclusive of fringe
benefits, to manage and respond to incoming calls on the food rescue hotline, and to compile,
update, and disseminate information regarding organizations in the State that will accept large
quantities of donated food. If additional personnel were required, this cost estimate would
increase accordingly.
Office of Legislative Services Legislative Budget and Finance Office
State House Annex Phone (609) 847-3105
P.O. Box 068 Fax (609) 777-2442
Trenton, New Jersey 08625 www.njleg.state.nj.us
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BILL DESCRIPTION
This bill requires the Food Security Advocate to establish and maintain a food rescue hotline
in order to: 1) receive and respond to telephone, electronic, or in-person requests from individuals
or organizations seeking to donate large quantities of food; and 2) direct each individual or
organization requesting hotline assistance to an appropriate food bank, or to other appropriate
community resources or entities, in order to facilitate the delivery of the donated food to an
appropriate location.
The bill also would require the Food Security Advocate to launch a public awareness
campaign, using all available media, including television, print, electronic, and social media, to
inform the public about the availability and purpose of the food rescue hotline.
FISCAL ANALYSIS
EXECUTIVE BRANCH
None received.
OFFICE OF LEGISLATIVE SERVICES
The OLS concludes that the Office of the Food Security Advocate would realize higher annual
costs, in an amount ranging from $230,000 to $1.2 million, in order to establish the food rescue
hotline and engage in a public awareness campaign on the availability and purpose of the hotline.
Pursuant to the statute establishing the Office of the Food Security Advocate, the advocate is
required to operate a toll-free hunger hotline to disseminate information to the public regarding
food assistance programs across the State; to the extent that this hotline could be modified to
accommodate calls regarding large-scale food donations, State costs may be minimized.
The OLS assumes that the Office of the Food Security Advocate would require one additional
full-time equivalent employee to manage and respond to incoming calls on the food rescue hotline,
and to compile, update, and disseminate information regarding organizations in the State that will
accept large quantities of donated food. This estimate assumes that annual costs for the Office of
the Food Security Advocate will increase by $145,000, inclusive of salary and fringe benefits, to
add of one new full-time equivalent employee.
The OLS additionally estimates that the Office of the Food Security Advocate will spend
between $90,000 and $1 million on the public awareness campaign regarding the food rescue
hotline, depending upon the scope of the campaign. This estimate falls within the range of costs
for similar public awareness initiatives. The bill provides that all available media are to be used
in the campaign, including television, radio, print, the Internet, and social media. Of note, the bill
does not specify whether this public awareness campaign would be time-limited in nature, or
ongoing. The duration of the campaign will determine whether the Office of the Food Security
Advocate will require one-time support or an annual funding increase to carry out the public
awareness campaign.
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Section: Human Services
Analyst: Anne Cappabianca
Senior Fiscal Analyst
Approved: Thomas Koenig
Legislative Budget and Finance Officer
This legislative fiscal estimate has been produced by the Office of Legislative Services due to the
failure of the Executive Branch to respond to our request for a fiscal note.
This fiscal estimate has been prepared pursuant to P.L.1980, c.67 (C.52:13B-6 et seq.).