Sponsored by:
Assemblyman DAVID BAILEY, JR.
District 3 (Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem)
Assemblyman ROY FREIMAN
District 16 (Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex and Somerset)
Assemblyman AL ABDELAZIZ
District 35 (Bergen and Passaic)
SYNOPSIS
Requires BPU to report societal benefits charge revenues and expenditures to Governor and Legislature.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As reported by the Assembly Appropriations Committee on December 18, 2025, with amendments.
An Act 1[regarding the contents of the Governor’s annual budget message] concerning societal benefits charge revenues and expenditures1 and supplementing Title 1[52] 481 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. 1[In addition to the requirements of section 11 of article 3 of P.L.1944, c.112 (C.52:27B-20), and any other provisions of law, the Governor’s budget message transmitted annually to the Legislature shall include a report of] In January and October of each year, the board shall report to the Governor and, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), the Legislature,1 the revenues and expenditures derived from the societal benefits charge setting forth in columnar form the following information, for each of the five most recently completed fiscal years and the current fiscal year:
(1) the total amount of revenue collected through the societal benefits charge;
(2) the amount of revenues retained by the State from the societal benefits charge and allocated for demand side management programs, and including an itemized statement of all amounts committed for expenditure and expended, respectively, for energy efficiency programs, distributed energy resources, renewable energy programs, planning and administration, and other initiatives administered by the board pursuant to paragraph (3) of subsection a. of section 12 of P.L.1999, c.23 (C.48:3-60) and paragraph (3) of subsection a. of P.L.2007, c.340 (C.48:3-98.1);
(3) the amount of revenues retained by the State from the societal benefits charge and allocated to the Universal Services Fund established pursuant to subsection b. of section 12 of P.L.1999, c.23 (C.48:3-60), and including an itemized statement of all amounts committed for expenditure and expended, respectively from the fund, but not limited to, the amounts allocated for the “Lifeline Credit Program” established pursuant to P.L.1979, c.197 (C.48:2-29.15 et seq.) and the “Tenants’ Lifeline Assistance Program,” established pursuant to P.L.1981, c.210 (C.48:2-29.30 et seq.);
(4) the amount of revenues retained by the State from the societal benefits charge and allocated to the Plug-in Electric Vehicle Incentive Fund pursuant to paragraph (1) of subsection b. of section 7 of P.L.2019, c.362 (C.48:25-7), and including an itemized statement of all amounts committed for expenditure and expended, respectively, from the fund, including the amounts allocated under the light duty plug-in electric vehicle incentive program, established pursuant to section 4 of P.L.2019, c.362 (C.48:25-4) and the program established pursuant to section 6 of P.L.2019, c.362 (C.48:25-6); and
(5) 1[the total] an itemized statement that includes the1 amount of 1societal benefits charge1 revenues 1[retained] expended1 by each electric public utility and gas public utility 1[, respectively, from each component of the societal benefits charge for which each public utility has been approved to retain by the board] for any program or purpose not included in paragraphs (2) through (4) of this subsection1.
b. 1[The board shall assist and advise the Governor in the preparation of the report required pursuant to subsection a. of this section.
c.]1 As used in this 1[act] section1:
“Board” means the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities or any successor agency.
“Societal benefits charge” means the charge imposed by an electric public utility or a gas public utility, at a level determined by the board, pursuant to, and in accordance with, section 12 of P.L.1999, c.23 (C.48:3-60).
2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall first apply to the fiscal year commencing July 1, 2026.