LEGISLATIVE FISCAL ESTIMATE

SENATE, No. 972

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

221st LEGISLATURE

 

DATED: JUNE 5, 2024

 

 

SUMMARY

 

Synopsis:

Establishes matching grant program in DCA to support community-based nonprofit organizations that provide shelter services during Code Blue alerts.

Type of Impact:

Annual State cost increase.

Agencies Affected:

Department of Community Affairs.

 

 

Office of Legislative Services Estimate

Fiscal Impact

Annual

 

State Cost Increase

Indeterminate

 

 

 

 

·         The Office of Legislative Services (OLS) concludes that the bill would result in an indeterminate annual State expenditure increase for the Department of Community Affairs to provide matching grants to community-based nonprofit organizations that provide shelter services during Code Blue alerts. 

·         The department is also expected to incur some costs associated with certain administrative tasks required under the bill.

 

BILL DESCRIPTION

 

      This bill establishes the Code Blue Shelter Matching Grant Program in the Department of Community Affairs to provide matching grants to community-based nonprofit organizations that provide shelter services during Code Blue alerts.

      The bill requires that a grant application submitted to the department is to relate to an underlying grant from a county or municipality received by the nonprofit organization not more than 12 months prior to the date of application.

      The bill provides that the department is required to award matching grants based on criteria adopted by the department and in the order in which applications are received.  The bill requires
the department to maintain a record of underlying grants provided by each county and municipality, and is prohibited from providing a matching grant for an application if an award of the amount requested would result in the department awarding matching grants in an amount exceeding $50,000, in that calendar year, for applications related to underlying grants provided by a particular county or municipality. 

      The bill also requires the department to submit a report to the Governor and Legislature on the effectiveness of the matching grant program and any recommendations concerning continuing or expanding the matching grant program.

      Current law requires all counties in the state to have a plan in place to shelter all homeless individuals during conditions of severe weather.  Under this Code Blue law, counties will issue Code Blue alerts whenever the temperature drops below 25 degrees Fahrenheit without precipitation or below 32 degrees Fahrenheit with precipitation or when the National Weather Service wind chill temperature will be zero degrees Fahrenheit or less for a period of two hours or more.  The Code Blue alert directs local authorities to make shelters or warming centers available for individuals who are homeless and unsheltered.  Counties must also alert municipalities with a documented homeless population of at least 10 individuals, social services agencies, and nonprofit organizations that a Code Blue will be in effect.

 

 

FISCAL ANALYSIS

 

EXECUTIVE BRANCH

 

      None received.

 

OFFICE OF LEGISLATIVE SERVICES

 

      The OLS concludes that the bill would result in an indeterminate annual increase in State expenditures for the department to provide matching grants to community-based nonprofit organizations that provide shelter services during Code Blue alerts.  The bill requires the department to provide grants to nonprofit organizations in amounts equal to an amount received by the nonprofit organization from a county or municipal government grant.  However, the bill provides that the department is not to award matching grant funds that relate to grants from a particular county or municipality in amounts that would result in awards that are in excess of $50,000 per calendar year to nonprofit organizations located in that particular county or municipality.  The OLS is unable to predict the number of nonprofit organizations that will request matching grants from the department nor the amounts that may be requested. 

      The department is also expected to incur marginal costs associated with certain administrative responsibilities required under the bill.  The department would be required to receive grant applications from nonprofit organizations, administer grant awards, maintain records of the grants, prepare and submit a report to the Governor and the Legislature concerning the matching grant program, and promulgate rules and regulations to effectuate the purposes of the bill.

 

Section:

Local Government

Analyst:

Abigail Stoyer

Associate 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.).