ASSEMBLY BUDGET COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 4400

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  JUNE 27, 2022

      The Assembly Budget Committee reports favorably Assembly Bill No. 4400.

     This bill waives the fees charged by municipalities to issue marriage and civil union licenses for the State Fiscal Year 2023, which runs from July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023. 

     Under current law, municipal licensing officers collect a $3 fee for issuing a marriage or civil union license.  In addition to this fee, these officers also are required to collect a $25 fee for each license, to be forwarded to the Department of Human Services for the purpose of providing shelter-related services to victims of domestic violence.  Under the bill, both of these fees would be waived for one year.  The bill appropriates $2 million to reimburse municipalities for the $3 fee. 

     The Governor’s Fiscal Year 2023 budget recommendations include enacting legislation to waive marriage and civil union license fees in Fiscal Year 2023.

FISCAL IMPACT:

      The Office of Legislative Services concludes that the bill will result in a State revenue loss of approximately $1.35 million in FY 2023 from the waiving of the $25 marriage and civil union license fee charged by the State.  Municipalities will forego revenue for one-year of approximately $162,000 by waiving the $3 fee that municipal licensing officers charge for a marriage or civil union license, as required under the bill.  The State will subsequently incur a one-year cost increase to reimburse municipalities for this revenue loss.  This reimbursement to municipalities will represent a revenue gain for these local units.