The proposed bill establishes the "Household Water Assistance Program" in New Jersey, designed to provide financial assistance to eligible low-income households for covering costs associated with water, sewer, and stormwater utility services. The program will be administered by the Commissioner of the Department of Community Affairs in collaboration with the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities. Eligible households are defined as those with an adjusted gross income at or below a threshold set by the department, which must be at least 200 percent of the federal poverty guidelines. The program aims to prevent disconnections of water service due to nonpayment and to restore service for those who have been disconnected.

To support this initiative, the bill appropriates $75 million from federal funds under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and creates a non-lapsing Water Rate Assistance Fund, which will be funded through state appropriations and federal grants. The program will offer various forms of assistance, including direct financial aid, crisis intervention, and debt relief for arrears. Additionally, the bill mandates the establishment of a Household Water Assistance Advisory Group to guide the program's development and implementation, and requires the commissioner to adopt an annual expenditure plan for the fund while ensuring data sharing among public utilities to enhance program effectiveness while maintaining confidentiality protections.