SENATE COMMUNITY AND URBAN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 4344

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. 4344.

      As amended and reported, this bill prohibits a municipal utilities authority from imposing water service charges for fire protection systems upon a fire district or fire department if the authority also imposes water service charges upon customers of the authority who are taxpayers of the fire district or of a local government unit that finances the operations of the fire department.

      As amended and reported by the committee, Senate Bill No. 4344 is identical to Assembly Bill No. 5538 (1R), as was reported by the committee on this date.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS:

      The committee amendments prohibit a municipal utilities authority from imposing water service charges upon certain fire departments for fire protection systems.  The committee also amended the title and synopsis to reflect these changes.