This bill mandates that public utilities are responsible for reimbursing the State or local governments for costs incurred in securing potentially dangerous conditions on properties they control. When such a condition arises, the State or local unit can file a claim for reimbursement, provided they have notified the public utility of the issue and deployed personnel to secure the area. The public utility has a one-hour grace period to respond and take control of the situation before liability is incurred. The bill also stipulates that these provisions do not apply during declared states of emergency.

Additionally, the bill requires the Commissioner of Community Affairs to establish a fee schedule to assist in the reimbursement claims process, based on federal guidelines. The Board of Public Utilities is tasked with verifying emergency contact information for public utilities and ensuring this information is disseminated to relevant State and local government offices. Importantly, any amounts paid by public utilities under this bill will not be considered in their base rate cases before the Board of Public Utilities.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 2A:62A-21