Sponsored by:
Assemblyman HERB CONAWAY, JR.
District 7 (Burlington)
Assemblyman TROY SINGLETON
District 7 (Burlington)
Assemblyman BENJIE E. WIMBERLY
District 35 (Bergen and Passaic)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblyman Fuentes
SYNOPSIS
Requires public water utilities to provide customers notice in utility bills of request for increase in rates.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As reported by the Assembly Telecommunications and Utilities Committee on October 11, 2012, with amendments.
An Act concerning public water utilities and supplementing Title 48 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. Any public water utility that has filed with the Board of Public Utilities a tariff filing or petition for an adjustment in existing tariffs which proposes to increase individual rates, joint rates, tolls, charges, or schedules thereof, shall provide notice of any hearing or proceeding to be held by the board involving such filing or petition. Such notice shall 1include, but may not be limited to, the following: (1) the name of the proceeding; (2) the Board of Public Utilities docket number associated with the proceeding; (3) the proposed percentage increase; and (4) information prominently displayed on the front of any documents or inserts containing such notice providing the public water utility’s Internet website and contact information where customers may obtain further information concerning the proceeding. Such notice shall1 be provided within a reasonable time prior to a hearing or proceeding, as determined by board regulation, and shall be conspicuously enclosed within the bills for service sent by the 1public water1 utility to its customers. A public water utility shall provide to customers who are not provided monthly bills for service, or who are provided such bills electronically, the notification required pursuant to this section via regular mail, and electronically, if applicable, in a manner to be determined by 1board1 regulation.
b. For the purposes of this section, “public water utility” means a public utility as defined in R.S.48:2-13, that provides water for human consumption.
2. The Board of Public Utilities shall, in accordance with the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), adopt and promulgate such rules and regulations as may be necessary for the implementation of this act.
3. This act shall take effect immediately.