A4968

An Act providing additional State assistance to low-income home energy assistance program recipients, supplementing chapter 27D of Title 52 of the Revised Statutes, and making an appropriation.

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. a. The Director of the Division of Housing and Community Resources in the Department of Community Affairs shall establish a State matching grant program concerning utility bill payment assistance for certain low-income households. The purpose of the program shall be to provide State matching grants to recipients of the federal "Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)," established pursuant to 42 U.S.C. s.8621 et seq., to enable those low-income households to more adequately meet their home heating and cooling costs.

b. To participate in the grant program established pursuant to subsection a. of this section, a LIHEAP recipient shall submit an application to the division in a manner and on such forms as determined by the director. An application shall include information detailing, but not limited to:

(1) the size of the household;

(2) the monthly income of the household;

(3) the annual income of the household; and

(4) the amount of federal LIHEAP assistance the household received during the previous federal fiscal year.

c. After reviewing the applications submitted pursuant to subsection b. of this section, the director shall, to the extent that funds appropriated for such purposes are available, issue grants to the eligible households in the same amount as the household received in federal LIHEAP assistance during the most recent federal fiscal year.

2. a. Within one year of issuing grant funds pursuant to section 1 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), the Director of the Division of Housing and Community Resources shall submit a report to the Governor, and the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1). The report shall contain information on the implementation of the State matching grant program including, but not limited to:

(1) the total number of State matching grant applications received;

(2) the total amount of expenditures under the State matching grant program, including the average amount of the grant awards;

(3) the impact, if determinable, that the State matching grants have had in enabling federal LIHEAP recipients to more adequately meet their home heating and cooling costs; and

(4) a list of best practices or recommendations for promoting the State matching grant program for eligible LIHEAP recipients.

b. In addition to submitting the report pursuant to subsection a. of this section, the director shall post the report for public inspection on the division’s Internet website in an easily accessible location.

c. Each year after the date of enactment of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), the Department of Community Affairs shall submit information on the Division of Housing and Community Resources’ needs under the State matching grant program as part of the department’s annual budget request.

3. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Division of Housing and Community Resources in the Department of Community Affairs the sum of $205,500,000 to be issued as State matching grants to effectuate the purposes of this act.

4. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

This bill requires the Director of the Division of Housing and Community Resources (director) in the Department of Community Affairs (department) to establish a State matching grant program concerning utility bill payment assistance for certain low-income households. The purpose of the program is to provide State matching grants to recipients of the federal "Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)," established pursuant to 42 U.S.C. s.8621 et seq., to enable those low-income households to more adequately meet their home heating and cooling costs.

To participate in the grant program, a LIHEAP recipient is required to submit an application to the division in a manner and on such forms as determined by the director. At a minimum, the application is required to include:

· the size of the household;

· the monthly income of the household;

· the annual income of the household; and

· the amount of federal LIHEAP assistance the household received during the previous federal fiscal year.

After reviewing the applications, the director is required to issue grants to the eligible households in the same amount as the household received in federal LIHEAP assistance during the most recent federal fiscal year.

Under the bill, within one year of issuing grant funds, the director is required to submit a report to the Governor and the Legislature. The report is required to contain information on the implementation of the State matching grant program including, but not limited to:

· the total number of State matching grant applications received;

· the total amount of expenditures under the State matching grant program, including the average amount of the grant awards;

· the impact, if determinable, that the State matching grants have had in enabling federal LIHEAP recipients to more adequately meet their home heating and cooling costs; and

· a list of best practices or recommendations for promoting the State matching grant program for eligible LIHEAP recipients.

Each year after the date of enactment of the bill, the department is required to submit information on the division’s needs under the State matching grant program as part of the department’s annual budget request.

The bill appropriates $205.5 million from the General Fund to the Division of Housing and Community Resources in the Department of Community Affairs to be issued as State matching grants.