ASSEMBLY HOUSING COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 1465

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  FEBRUARY 10, 2025

      The Assembly Housing Committee reports favorably Assembly Bill No. 1465.

      This bill establishes an alternate expedited plan review process under the State Uniform Construction Code Act.  Under the bill, an applicant for a construction permit may opt to pay a premium fee to have review and approval of the plans and specifications submitted together with the application for the permit performed on an expedited basis, within 10 calendar days of the date of submission of the permit application.  The premium fee would be $500 for each required plan review subcode area.  The applicant would make this option at the time of submitting a permit application. A municipality may offer expedited plan reviews by its construction code enforcing agency.  If a municipality does not offer in-house expedited plan reviews, a construction permit applicant may retain any properly licensed private plan review agency to perform an expedited plan review.  Because the local enforcing agency would retain supervisory control over the construction project, and retain the obligation and authority to issue the certificate of occupancy upon completion of the project, the bill provides for a bifurcation of the construction permit fees.  Under the bill, a local enforcing agency would retain the generally applicable fees and the private plan review agency would receive the expedited plan review premium fee.  The bill requires and empowers the Department of Community Affairs to develop and implement rules and regulations establishing program details, which would include a licensure program for businesses that want to privately perform expedited plan reviews.

      This bill was prefiled for introduction in the 2024-2025 session pending technical review.  As reported, the bill includes the changes required by technical review, which has been performed.