Sponsored by:
Assemblyman ANTHONY S. VERRELLI
District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)
SYNOPSIS
Establishes Household Water Assistance Program appropriates $75 million.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act providing water assistance, sewer assistance, and stormwater utility assistance to low-income households and supplementing Title 52 of the Revised Statutes and making an appropriation.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. As used in P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill):
Affordable means, with respect to a household s costs for water services that the household is able to pay for water services that are adequate to meet the household s basic needs while maintaining the ability to pay for other essential costs.
Arrears means debt owed by a customer of a water system for unpaid water service bills.
Assistance means financial and other assistance provided to or on behalf of an eligible household to reduce the household s costs of water service.
Board means the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities.
Commissioner means the Commissioner of Community Affairs.
Department means the Department of Community Affairs.
Eligible household means a household, regardless of federal immigration status of the members of the household that:
(1) has an adjusted gross income at or below an amount to be determined by the department, which shall be equal to or greater than 200 percent of the federal poverty guidelines;
(2) includes one or more individuals residing in the eligible household who receive or are eligible to receive the following:
(a) benefits under part A of title IV of the Social Security Act, 42 U.S.C. s.601 et seq.;
(b) supplemental security income payments under title XVI of the Social Security Act, 42 U.S.C. s.1381 et seq.;
(c) food stamps under the Food Stamps Act of 1997, 7 U.S.C. s.2011 et seq.;
(d) payments under section 415, 521, 541, or 542 of the title 38, United States Code, or under section 306 of the Veterans and Survivors Pension Improvement Act of 1978, Pub.L. 95-588;
(e) payments under the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program established pursuant to 42 U.S.C. s.8621 et seq.;
(f) benefits under the Universal Service Fund established pursuant to P.L.1999, c.23 (C.48:3-60);
(g) benefits under the Lifeline Credit Program established pursuant to P.L.1979, c.197 (C.48:2-29.15 et seq.);
(h) benefits under the Tenants Lifeline Assistance Program established pursuant to P.L.1981, c.210 (C.48:2-29.31 et seq.);
(i) protections under the Winter Termination Program established pursuant to N.J.A.C.14:3-3A.5;
(j) benefits under the Pharmaceutical Assistance to the Aged and Disabled Program , established pursuant to P.L.1975, c.194 (C.30:4D-20 et seq.); or
(k) benefits as defined pursuant to section 1 of P.L.1997, c.14 (C.44:10-44); or
(3) is experiencing temporary financial hardship as defined by the department including but not limited to financial hardship caused by unemployment, illness, medically related expenses, recent death of an immediate family member, a public health emergency as provided in section 2 of P.L.2005, c.222 (C.26:13-2), or a state of emergency pursuant to P.L.1942, c.251 (C.App.A:9-33 et seq.).
Fund means the Household Water Assistance Fund, established pursuant to section 5 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).
Program means the Household Water Assistance Program, established pursuant to section 2 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).
Water crisis means weather-related and supply shortage emergencies and other household water-related emergencies, including but not limited to disconnection of water service for nonpayment, imminent disconn