SENATE COMMUNITY AND URBAN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 1155

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  MARCH 5, 2026

      The Senate Community and Urban Affairs Committee reports favorably Senate Bill No. 1155.

      As reported, this bill establishes the Code Blue Shelter Matching Grant Program in the Department of Community Affairs (department) to provide matching grants to community-based nonprofit organizations that provide shelter services during Code Blue alerts. 

      To be eligible for a matching grant award a community-based nonprofit organization is required to submit an application to the Commissioner of Community Affairs (commissioner), in accordance with application procedures and requirements prescribed by the commissioner.

      A grant application is required to relate to an underlying grant from a county or municipality received by the community-based nonprofit organization not more than 12 months prior to the date of application, and include information determined necessary by the commissioner, including, at a minimum, information related to:

      (1)  the identity, finances, and operations of the community based organization;

      (2)  the amount and distribution date of the grant to the community based organization; and

      (3)  plans for the proposed uses for the grant and the matching grant.

      The department is required to award matching grants based on review and analytical criteria adopted by the department.  The department is further required to award matching grants to community-based nonprofit organizations in the order in which qualifying applications are received.  The department is required to maintain a record of underlying grants provided by each county and municipality, and is prohibited from providing a matching grant for an application if an award of the amount requested would result in the department awarding matching grants in an amount exceeding $50,000, in that calendar year, for applications related to underlying grants provided by a particular county or municipality.  The bill also authorizes the department to require a community-based nonprofit organization to verify award or receipt of an underlying grant from a county or municipality in an amount equal to the requested matching grant amount.  The bill also specifically prohibits the department from establishing or enforcing a cap on the total number of matching grants or the total amount that any individual community-based nonprofit organization may receive from the department as matching grants.

      Under the bill, the commissioner is required to submit a report to the Governor and Legislature on the effectiveness of the matching grant program in addressing the needs of individual communities, homeless persons, and at-risk persons, and any recommendations concerning continuing or expanding the matching grant program.

      This bill was prefiled for introduction in the 2026-2027 session pending technical review.  As reported, the bill includes the changes required by technical review, which has been performed.