Sponsored by:
Senator STEVEN V. OROHO
District 24 (Morris, Sussex and Warren)
Senator BOB ANDRZEJCZAK
District 1 (Atlantic, Cape May and Cumberland)
Co-Sponsored by:
Senators Singleton and A.R.Bucco
SYNOPSIS
Requires municipal authorities to include veterans' organizations in class of ratepayers charged lowest rates.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning rates municipal authorities charge veterans’ organizations and supplementing P.L.1957, c.183 (C.40:14B-1 et seq.).
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Notwithstanding any provision of law, rule, or regulation to the contrary, a municipal authority shall include veterans’ organization property in the type or class which is charged the lowest rents, rates, fees, or charges by the municipal authority.
As used in this section:
"Veterans’ organization" means an organization dedicated to serving the needs of veterans of the armed forces that: is chartered under federal law, qualifies as a tax exempt organization under paragraph (19) of subsection (c) of section 501 of the federal Internal Revenue Code of 1986, 26 U.S.C. s.501 (c)(19), or that is organized as a corporation under the "New Jersey Nonprofit Corporation Act," N.J.S.15A:1-1 et seq.; and
"Veterans organization property" means the property at which a veterans’ organization primarily operates.
2. This act shall take effect immediately and be applicable to the first revision of a municipal authority's schedule of service charges after the date of enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill would require authorities operating under the "municipal and county utilities authorities law," P.L.1957, c.183 (C.40:14B-1 et seq.), to include veterans’ organization property within the type or class that is charged the lowest rates. A recent enactment, P.L.2018, c.77 (C.48:2-21.41), required public utilities to charge veterans’ organizations a residential rate for service, if the residential rate is lower than the commercial rate for service at that property. The bill will establish parity for veterans’ organizations that receive service from a municipal utilities authority.