This bill proposes the establishment of a County Tenant Legal Assistance Program in each county of New Jersey, aimed at providing legal representation for low-income families involved in landlord-tenant disputes. To fund this program, the bill mandates that $300 from each residential mortgage execution sale fee collected by the county sheriff be allocated to a newly created County Tenant Legal Assistance Program Fund. This fund will be used exclusively for the operation of the tenant legal assistance program and will not be subject to budgetary reductions by the counties. Additionally, the bill allows counties to create a trust fund account for these revenues, ensuring that the funds are available beyond the typical one-year budget cycle.

Furthermore, the bill outlines the responsibilities of county governing bodies, which must establish the tenant legal assistance program and promote public awareness of its services, as well as those provided by Legal Services of New Jersey and its affiliates. If a county opts not to establish the program, it is still required to run a public awareness campaign about the available legal services. The bill also clarifies that individuals hired to provide legal assistance under the program will be considered county employees. Overall, this legislation aims to enhance access to legal support for vulnerable tenants while ensuring dedicated funding for these essential services.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 22A:4-8.1