SENATE COMMUNITY AND URBAN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 1444

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  NOVEMBER 10, 2025

      The Senate Community and Urban Affairs Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Senate Bill No. 1444.

      As amended and reported, this bill would encourage redevelopment of obsolete or vacant property by prohibiting a sewerage authority from imposing a new connection fee if the property being redeveloped was previously connected to the sewerage system for 20 or more years.  This exclusion applies although the property has not been in active use for a period of time since initial connection to the sewerage system. 

      The bill provides that the exclusion does not apply, and a sewerage authority is permitted to impose a new connection fee or tapping fee upon the owner or occupant, if the fee is imposed for the purpose of a proposed addition, alteration, or change of use to the property, including a proposed addition, alteration, or change of use that requires a modification and relocation of an existing connection to the sewerage system.

     The bill requires a sewage authority to reimburse the fee for a new connection, paid in protest by the owner or occupant of the property, which was imposed by the authority prior to the effective date of the bill.

      This bill was pre-filed 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.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS:

      The committee amended the bill to specify that a sewerage authority is permitted to impose a new connection fee or tapping fee upon the owner or occupant, if the proposed fee is for an addition, alteration, or change of use to the property, including a proposed addition, alteration, or change of use that requires a modification and relocation of an existing connection to the sewerage system.