ASSEMBLY APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 5232

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  JUNE 23, 2026

      The Assembly Appropriations Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Assembly Bill No. 5232.

      As amended, this bill amends the "Regional Rehabilitation and Reentry Center Authority Act" to remove a regional rehabilitation and reentry center authority’s (authority) power to place an assessment on the property taxes paid by each resident of a participating county and to instead require participating counties to pay an assessment directly to the authority.  The assessment authorized by the bill is to be determined by the average daily population of the inmates from each county, as certified by the chief financial officer of the authority.  The proportional share of the inmates for each county and, if determined by a separate formula pursuant to the inter-county agreement, the apportionment of any debt service is to be applied to the total revenue needs in the authority’s budget.  The chief financial officer of the authority is to certify the proportional share for each county concerning what the portion is for general operations and what portion is to support debt service.

      Each proportional share of each participating county is to be conveyed to the respective county chief financial officer for inclusion in the county’s annual budget.  The portion of the proportional share assessment for each county pertaining to debt service is to be an eligible cap exception pursuant to P.L.1976, c.68 (C.40A:4-45.1 et seq.).  The Division of Local Government Services in the Department of Community Affairs is to determine whether the amount of the proportional share assessment, as certified by the chief financial officer of the authority, is included as an appropriation in each participating county’s annual operation budget, as a condition of State approval for budget adoption, pursuant to the "Local Budget Law."

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS:

      The committee amended the bill to:

      (1)  provide that the fiscal year is to begin on January 1 and end December 31;

      (2)  specify that the proportional share of inmates for each county and, if determined by a separate formula pursuant to the inter-county agreement, the apportionment of any debt service is to be applied to the total revenue needs in the authority’s budget;

      (3)  remove the provision that the budget is introduced on January 26th of each year;

      (4)  provide that when examining the annual budget of a participating county, the Division of Local Government Services in the Department of Community Affairs is to determine whether the amount of the proportional share assessment, as certified by the chief financial officer of the authority, is included as an appropriation in each participating county’s annual operation budget;

      (5)  specify that a county may not increase the county tax levy except for certain amounts certified by the authority’s chief financial officer as the county’s share of the proportional share assessment pertaining to debt service; and

      (6)  make technical changes.

FISCAL IMPACT:

      Fiscal information for this bill is currently unavailable.