SENATE ECONOMIC GROWTH COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 4308

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  DECEMBER 11, 2025

      The Senate Economic Growth Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Senate Bill No. 4308.

      As amended and reported, this bill directs the Division of Housing and Community Resources in the Department of Community Affairs (DCA) to enter into a memorandum of understanding with each State agency and Statewide nonprofit energy assistance organization that administers its own utility assistance program providing assistance to residential customers for utility bill payments or energy efficiency measures and that is not currently included in the division's existing consolidated application portal to be included in the division's consolidated, user-friendly Internet website-based application form for those programs on the DCA’s Internet website.

      The bill also directs each State agency and Statewide nonprofit energy assistance organization to enter into a memorandum of understanding with the DCA and to assist the DCA in updating the consolidated application, if applicable, including alerting the DCA of temporary programs that provide financial assistance to residential customers for utility bill payments or energy efficiency measures that the State agency or Statewide nonprofit energy assistance organization may be directed to administer, so that the DCA may integrate those temporary programs into the consolidated application form.

      As amended and reported by the committee, Senate Bill No. 4308 is identical to Assembly Bill No. 5435 (1R), which was reported by the committee on this date.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS:

      The committee amendments clarify that a State agency or nonprofit energy assistance organization is required to contract with the Division of Housing and Community Resources (division) in the DCA if it administers its own utility assistance program. Additionally, the committee amendments clarify that the division would not be required to develop a new consolidated application portal but would add those utility programs for which the consolidated application is not currently used.