Sponsored by:
Assemblyman LOUIS D. GREENWALD
District 6 (Burlington and Camden)
SYNOPSIS
Establishes Boardwalk Preservation Fund in DCA; appropriates $100 million from federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act establishing a Boardwalk Preservation Fund, supplementing chapter 27D of Title 52 of the Revised Statutes, and making an appropriation.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. There is established a Boardwalk Preservation Fund in the Department of Community Affairs for the purpose of providing matching grants to counties and municipalities in amounts equal to reasonable and necessary county and municipal expenditures or contributions concerning boardwalk construction, maintenance, reconstruction, and repair projects. The fund shall be administered by the department through the Division of Housing and Community Resources.
b. (1) The department shall develop an application process and promulgate criteria for a county or municipality, individually or jointly, to qualify for a matching grant. This information shall be disseminated to coastal counties and municipalities in a form and manner to be determined by the department.
(2) The division shall accept and review applications submitted by counties and municipalities and determine whether the application has met the criteria established by the department pursuant to paragraph (1) of this subsection to qualify for a matching grant.
c. The division shall approve in advance any projects proposed to be funded with matching grants and enter into an agreement with the county or municipality, as negotiated by the division, for the expenditure or allocation of matching grant funds and for reporting on expenditures and project outcomes. The award of matching grants to a county or municipality, individually or jointly, pursuant to this section shall be conditioned upon compliance with the provisions of an agreement approved pursuant to this section, and as determined by the division. The division shall award matching grants based on criteria established by the department pursuant to paragraph (1) of subsection b. of this section.
d. The department shall submit annual reports to the Governor and, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), to the Legislature, related to the awarding of matching grants pursuant to this section, and related to the expenditure of matching grant funds and project outcomes.
2. Out of the amounts of federal funds provided or made accessible to the State by the federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, Pub.L.117-2, there is appropriated to the Department of Community Affairs the sum of $100,000,000 for the administration of the Boardwalk Preservation Fund and the award of matching grant funding pursuant to 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 a Boardwalk Preservation Fund (fund) in the Department of Community Affairs (DCA) for the purpose of providing matching grants to counties and municipalities in amounts equal to reasonable and necessary county and municipal expenditures or contributions concerning boardwalk construction, maintenance, reconstruction, and repair projects. The fund is to be administered by the DCA through the Division of Housing and Community Resources (division).
The DCA is to develop an application process and promulgate criteria for a county or municipality, individually or jointly, to qualify for a matching grant. This information is to be disseminated to coastal counties and municipalities in a form and manner to be determined by the DCA. The division is to accept and review applications submitted by a counties and municipalities and determine whether the application has met the criteria established by the DCA to qualify for a matching grant pursuant to the bill.
The division is to approve in advance any projects proposed to be funded with matching grants and enter into an agreement with the county or municipality, individually or jointly, and as negotiated by the division, for the expenditure or allocation of matching grant funds and for reporting on expenditures and project outcomes. The award of matching grants pursuant to the bill is to be conditioned upon compliance with the provisions of an agreement approved pursuant to the bill, and as determined by the division. The division is to award matching grants based on criteria established by the DCA.
This bill appropriates $100 million from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, Pub.L.177-2, for the administration of the Boardwalk Preservation Fund and the award of matching grant funding pursuant to the bill.