This bill establishes the NJ SHARES Fund within the Department of the Treasury, allowing taxpayers to voluntarily contribute to the fund through their New Jersey gross income tax returns. Taxpayers can indicate a portion of their tax refund or make an enclosed contribution to be deposited into the NJ SHARES Fund. The bill also stipulates that any administrative costs incurred by the Division of Taxation for the collection of these contributions may be deducted from the receipts, with the net contributions being deposited into the fund. Furthermore, the Legislature is required to annually appropriate all funds in the NJ SHARES Fund to New Jersey SHARES, Inc. for assisting households facing temporary financial crises in paying their energy bills.

The NJ SHARES Fund aims to support individuals and families in New Jersey who are experiencing short-term financial difficulties and are not eligible for welfare or other income-based energy assistance programs. To qualify for assistance, recipients must demonstrate a history of good-faith payments on their utility bills. The bill is set to take effect immediately and will apply to taxable years beginning on or after January 1 following its enactment.