Bill Summary – FastDemocracy

LEGISLATIVE FISCAL ESTIMATE
                              [First Reprint]
                                SENATE, No. 3274
                             STATE OF NEW JERSEY
                              220th LEGISLATURE
                                          DATED: FEBRUARY 8, 2023
                                                  SUMMARY
    Synopsis:                   Requires Homelessness Prevention Program agencies to remain open
                                during public health emergency and provides for funding of each
                                agency.
    Type of Impact:             Potential periodic State cost increases.
    Agencies Affected:          Department of Community Affairs
                                       Office of Legislative Services Estimate
    Fiscal Impact                                                     Periodic
    Potential State Cost Increase                                   Indeterminate
    The Office of Legislative Services (OLS) concludes that the bill could potentially result in
     periodic increases in State costs to the extent that additional funds are needed for the
     Department of Community Affairs to support the continuous operations of non-profit agencies
     in the management of the Homelessness Prevention Program, including during times of public
     health emergencies.
                                            BILL DESCRIPTION
    The bill requires the Department of Community Affairs to provide funding at all times to
support the operations of at least one Homelessness Prevention Program agency in each populous
county in the State and requires each agency to remain open for the duration of a public health
emergency. Under the bill, a populous county means any county with a population of 350,000 or
more, according to the most recent federal decennial census.
    Under the bill, if federal funding intended to address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
is not available to satisfy the full amount of establishing this agency within a populous county,
then the Department of Community Affairs is permitted to notify the Department of the Treasury
and the Joint Budget Oversight Committee of the Legislature of the deficiency and to request that
      Office of Legislative Services                                    Legislative Budget and Finance Office
           State House Annex                                                    Phone (609) 847-3105
              P.O. Box 068                                                       Fax (609) 777-2442
      Trenton, New Jersey 08625                                                  www.njleg.state.nj.us
                                             FE to S3274 1R
                                                    2
the Legislature appropriate a portion of the remainder from the General Fund, or other available
State funding sources.
                                           FISCAL ANALYSIS
EXECUTIVE BRANCH
   None received.
OFFICE OF LEGISLATIVE SERVICES
     The OLS concludes that the bill could potentially result in periodic increases in State costs to
the extent that additional funds are needed for the Department of Community Affairs to support
the continuous operations of non-profit agencies in the management of the Homelessness
Prevention Program, including during times of public health emergencies.
     The bill requires that the department provide funding to support the operations of at least one
agency in each populous county in the State to help implement and manage the Homelessness
Prevention Program within each of these counties. Based on 2020 census data, the following 12
counties would be considered a populous county under the bill: Bergen County, Essex County,
Middlesex County, Hudson County, Monmouth County, Ocean County, Union County, Passaic
County, Camden County, Morris County, Burlington County and Mercer County. According to
department’s website, each of these counties currently has one agency to operate the Homelessness
Prevention Program. To the extent that more funding is needed to maintain the operations of the
Homelessness Prevention Program in the existing agencies, including times of public health
emergencies, department costs will increase. The OLS is unable to estimate the costs currently
incurred by the department for the operation of the Homelessness Prevention Program and is
unable to predict future increases in costs to support the operations and management of the
Homelessness Prevention Program.
     While the required number of agencies are currently in operation in each populous county, to
the extent that a replacement agency may need to be established in the future, the department of
Community Affairs would be responsible for ensuring its establishment and operation. Similarly,
if these agencies require additional funding during future public health emergencies, department
costs will increase.
  Section:      Local Government
  Analyst:      Abigail Stoyer
                Assistant Fiscal Analyst
  Approved:     Thomas Koenig
                Legislative Budget and Finance Officer
This legislative fiscal estimate has been produced by the Office of Legislative Services due to the
failure of the Executive Branch to respond to our request for a fiscal note.
This fiscal estimate has been prepared pursuant to P.L.1980, c.67 (C.52:13B-6 et seq.).