Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman ROSAURA "ROSY" BAGOLIE
District 27 (Essex and Passaic)
Assemblywoman ANNETTE QUIJANO
District 20 (Union)
SYNOPSIS
Establishes New Jersey Low Income Household Water Assistance Program to provide water service and water bill payment assistance to certain low-income households; appropriates $25 million.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning water service and water bill payment assistance for certain households, supplementing 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. As used in P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill:
"Arrears" means debt owed by a customer of a water system for unpaid water service bills.
"Assistance" means financial and other assistance provided to or on behalf of an eligible household to reduce the households costs of water service.
"Board" means the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities.
"Commissioner" means the Commissioner of Community Affairs.
"Department" means the Department of Community Affairs.
"Eligible household" means a household that pays for its own water or sewer services and which has a monthly household income at or below 60 percent of the New Jersey State median income to be established by the department based on the most recent Statewide data from the United States Census Bureau.
"Fund" means the New Jersey Low Income Household Water Assistance Program Fund, established pursuant to section 3 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).
"Local authority" or "authority" means an authority, as defined in N.J.S.40A:5A-3, or a water district established pursuant to R.S.40:62-96 et seq., that provides water or wastewater service.
"Municipal utility" or "utility" means a municipal public utility, as defined in N.J.S.40A:1-1, a joint meeting or regional service agency, as defined in section 3 of P.L.2007, c.63 (C.40A:65-3), or a water commission appointed pursuant to R.S.40:62-109 that provides water or wastewater service.
"Program" means the New Jersey Low Income Household Water Assistance Program, established pursuant to section 2 of P.L. c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).
"Public utility" means and includes a public utility as defined in R.S.48:2-13 that provides water, wastewater, or sewer service.
"Qualifying customer" means a residential customer who has been approved by the department to participate in the program.
"Residential customer" means a residential customer of record of a local authority or municipal utility, or any residential tenant of a residence where the owner of the residence, or any agent or other representative thereof, is a customer of record of the local authority or municipal utility.
"Vendor contract" means one or more written agreements entered into between a local authority or municipal utility and the department to effectuate the local authority or municipal utilitys participation in the program, which agreement or agreements shall allow qualifying customers of the local authority or municipal utility to participate in the program.
"Water service" means service provided by a water system.
"Water system" means all of the following:
a. a public community water system, as defined in section 3 of P.L.1977, c.224 (C.58:12A-3);
b. a stormwater utility established pursuant to section 4 of P.L.2019, c.42 (C.40A:26B-4); and
c. an authority, as defined in P.L.1983, c. 313 (C.40A:5A-3), municipal public utility, as defined in P.L.1960, c.169 (C.40A:1-1), or public utility, as defined pursuant to R.S.48:2-13, that provides sewer service.
2. a. The Commissioner of Community Affairs, in consultation with the Board of Public Utilities, shall establish the "New Jersey Low Income Household Water Assistance Program" not later than the first day of the sixth month next following the enactment of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill). The purpose of the program shall be to provide grants to public utilities, local authorities, and municipal utilities to assist eligible households by:
(1) providing financial and other assistance to, or on behalf of, eligible households throughout New Jersey;
(2) reducing the cost of water services to those households;
(3) preventing the disconnection of water service to households due to inability to pay; and
(4) restoring water service to households disconnected due to inability to pay.
b. The program, to the greatest extent possible, shall ensure that the costs of water services are affordable for all eligible households and shall provide the following types of assistance:
(1) direct assistance;
(2) assistance to renters and other households who do not receive a bill from a water system but pay other amounts, fees, or charges related to residential water system service;
(3) water crisis intervention assistance;
(4) water efficiency, leak detection, and plumbing repair measures; and
(5) debt relief for arrears, including arrears accrued prior to implementation of the program.
c. In addition to the assistance provided pursuant to subsection b. of this section, the program shall also offer short-term financial support to water systems that are not public utilities as defined by R.S.48:2-13 to administer program components, including initial startup costs.
d. The program may provide financial support to a water system that is not a public utility as defined by R.S.48:2-13 to provide assistance pursuant to subsection b. of this section to eligible households provided that the total amount of funds used for this purpose shall not exceed three percent of the programs total annual budget.
e. If the commissioner secures federal funding that may be used to provide assistance under the program prior to the first day