This bill establishes the State Smart Solar Permitting Platform, which will be managed by the Commissioner of Community Affairs in New Jersey. The platform aims to streamline the approval process for residential solar energy system installations by automating plan reviews, ensuring code compliance, and facilitating instant permit releases. Local enforcing agencies are required to adopt this platform or an equivalent automated system within specified timeframes to reduce bureaucratic delays and costs that currently impede solar installations and affect housing affordability. The bill also includes compliance reporting requirements for agencies that opt for alternative platforms, with penalties for non-compliance directed to the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.

Furthermore, the bill empowers the Department of Community Affairs (DCA) to impose penalties on local enforcing agencies that do not allow applications for residential solar energy systems through the mandated platform. The DCA can also condition or deny funding to non-compliant local units. To support the implementation of the platform, the DCA is required to provide training for local agency employees and is authorized to implement solar permit surcharge fees, which will help cover the costs of developing and managing the platform.