SENATE, No. 732

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Senator JOHN J. BURZICHELLI

District 3 (Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem)

Senator BRITNEE N. TIMBERLAKE

District 34 (Essex)

Co-Sponsored by:

Senator Beach

SYNOPSIS

     Requires Division of Housing and Community Resources in DCA and applicable State agencies and nonprofits to establish a consolidated application for residential utility assistance programs.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.

An Act requiring establishment of a consolidated application for certain utility assistance programs and supplementing chapter 27D of Title 52 of the Revised Statutes.

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

     1.    a.  As used in this section:

     "Department" means the Department of Community Affairs.

     "Director" means the Director of the Division of Housing and Community Resources in the Department of Community Affairs.

     "Division" means the Division of Housing and Community Resources in the Department of Community Affairs.

     "State agency" means any department, division, office, board, commission, council, or bureau in the Executive branch of State government.

     "Statewide nonprofit energy assistance organization" means a nonprofit organization designated pursuant to P.L.2000, c.132 (C.48:2-29.38 et seq.).

     b.    Notwithstanding any provision of law, rule, or regulation to the contrary, the Division of Housing and Community Resources shall enter into a memorandum of understanding with each State agency and Statewide nonprofit energy assistance organization that administers a program providing financial assistance to residential customers for utility bill payments or energy efficiency measures to provide a consolidated, user-friendly Internet website-based application form for those programs on the department’s Internet website.  Each State agency and Statewide nonprofit energy assistance organization identified by the department pursuant to this section shall enter into a memorandum of understanding with the department and shall assist the department in developing the consolidated application, including alerting the department of temporary programs that provide financial assistance to residential customers for utility bill payments or energy efficiency measures that the State agency or Statewide nonprofit energy assistance organization may be directed to administer, so that the department  may integrate that temporary program into the consolidated application form.

     c.     The Department of Community Affairs, pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), shall adopt rules and regulations it deems necessary to effectuate the purposes of P.L.    , c.    (C.        ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).

     2.    This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

     This bill directs the Division of Housing and Community Resources in the Department of Community Affairs (DCA) to enter into a memorandum of understanding with each State agency and Statewide nonprofit energy assistance organization that administers a financial assistance program for residential utility customers to provide a consolidated, user-friendly Internet website-based application for those programs on the DCA’s Internet website.  The bill also directs each State agency and Statewide nonprofit energy assistance organization to enter into a memorandum of understanding with the DCA and to assist the DCA in developing the consolidated application, including alerting the DCA of temporary programs that provide financial assistance to residential customers for utility bill payments or energy efficiency measures that the State agency or Statewide nonprofit energy assistance organization may be directed to administer, so that the DCA may integrate those temporary programs into the consolidated Internet website application.

     The bill directs the DCA, pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), to adopt rules and regulations it deems necessary to effectuate the purposes of the bill.