LEGISLATIVE FISCAL ESTIMATE
[Second Reprint]
SENATE, No. 3152
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
DATED: DECEMBER 26, 2024
SUMMARY
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Synopsis: |
Concerns notification requirements for certain utility assistance programs; repeals law establishing notification requirements for public and local utilities during coronavirus 2019 pandemic. |
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Type of Impact: |
Annual State and local expenditure increases. |
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Agencies Affected: |
Department of Community Affairs; local authorities; and municipal utilities. |
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Office of Legislative Services Estimate |
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Fiscal Impact |
Annual |
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State Expenditure Increase |
Indeterminate |
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Local Expenditure Increase |
Indeterminate |
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· The Office of Legislative Services (OLS) estimates that the bill will result in increased annual expenses for the Department of Community Affairs associated with maintaining an Internet website with information on certain public assistance programs available to customers in the State.
· The OLS estimates that the bill will result in increased annual expenses for local authorities and municipal utilities associated with providing customers the required public assistance information as outlined in the bill.
· These requirements would apply to certain local authorities, municipal utilities, public utilities, or rural electric cooperatives that provide electric, sewer, water, and wastewater services as defined in the bill.
BILL DESCRIPTION
This bill amends existing notification requirements for certain utility assistance programs. Under current law, the Department of Community Affairs, the Department of Human Services, the Board of Public Utilities, and any other State agency that administers a utility assistance program is required to update all public information, including written materials, advertisements, and websites, regarding the availability of any utility assistance programs administered by the State. The public information is to prominently include a statement of the consumer protections residential customers are required to receive if the customer has submitted an application for a utility assistance program or completed an application for a utility assistance program. Each local authority, municipal utility, public utility, or rural electric cooperative is required under current law to provide the same public information in any communication to a residential customer in connection with an overdue utility bill.
The bill adds a requirement that the Department of Community Affairs, the Department of Human Services, the Board of Public Utilities, and any other State agency that administers a utility assistance program maintain the current required public information and that they provide a phone number for customers to call for more information. The required public information is to prominently include, for as long as a utility assistance program is accepting applications and has available funding, a statement of the consumer protections a residential customer is entitled to receive if the customer has submitted an application for a utility assistance program or completed an application for a utility assistance program. The bill also requires the Department of Community Affairs to maintain at least one Internet website that provides information on all the utility assistance programs administered by the State.
This bill requires each local authority, municipal utility, public utility, or rural electric cooperative to provide certain public assistance information to customers: (1) on or with each bill sent to a residential customer if one or more utility assistance programs relevant to the service being billed are available to residential customers; (2) in any written or non-written communication to a residential customer in connection with an overdue utility bill if one or more utility assistance programs relevant to the overdue utility bill are available to residential customers; and (3) on its Internet website, in a location most likely to be seen by residential customers seeking information about paying their bills. Additionally, a local authority, municipal utility, public utility, or rural electric cooperative is required to prominently include, in the public information, information on any other State or federal utility assistance program that it knows is available to its customers and any other utility assistance program funded or administered by the local authority, municipal utility, public utility, or rural electric cooperative.
Each local authority, municipal utility, public utility, or rural electric cooperative is required under current law to provide the same public information in any communication to a residential customer in connection with an overdue utility bill.
Finally, the bill also repeals P.L.2021, c.97, a law requiring public utilities and local utilities to provide certain notifications to residential customers of information and resources available to residential customers concerning public utility and local utility service and bill payment assistance during the coronavirus 2019 pandemic.
FISCAL ANALYSIS
EXECUTIVE BRANCH
None received.
OFFICE OF LEGISLATIVE SERVICES
The OLS estimates that the bill will result in increased annual expenses for the Department of Community Affairs associated with maintaining an Internet website with information on certain public assistance programs available to customers in the State. Additionally the OLS estimates that this bill will result in increased annual expenses for local authorities and municipal utilities associated with providing customers the required public assistance information as outlined in the bill.
These requirements would apply to certain local authorities, municipal utilities, public utilities, or rural electric cooperatives that provide electric, sewer, water, and wastewater services as defined in the bill.
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Section: |
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Analyst: |
Associate Research Analyst |
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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.).