SENATE COMMUNITY AND URBAN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 648

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  OCTOBER 8, 2020

      The Senate Community and Urban Affairs Committee reports favorably Senate Bill No. 648.

      This bill would require the Commissioner of Community Affairs to prepare and offer, not later than the first day of the seventh month next following the effective date of the bill, a basic course to be completed by any elected or appointed person having direct budgetary authority over public water and wastewater systems, concerning the management of the finances, including the adoption of the annual budget, and the infrastructure, of public water and wastewater systems.  The commissioner would require the course to be completed by every person first appointed or elected to a county or municipal office having direct budgetary authority over the finances of a public water or wastewater system, after the effective date of the bill, and any person first appointed as a member of a commission or an authority having direct budgetary authority over the finances of a public water or wastewater system, after the effective date of the bill.   Any person who is serving in any of those capacities on the first date on which that course is offered would be required to complete that course within 18 months of the date upon which the course is first offered.

      For the purposes of the bill, “public water and wastewater system” means a public water or wastewater system created pursuant to the following State laws:

      the “sewerage authorities law,” P.L.1946, c.138 (C.40:14A-1 et seq.);

      the “municipal and county utilities authorities law,” P.L.1957, c.183 (C.40:14B-1 et seq.);

      the “Municipal and County Sewerage Act,” P.L.1991, c.53 (C.40A:26A-1 et seq.);

      the “County and Municipal Water Supply Act,” P.L.1989, c.109 (C.40A:31-1 et seq.);

       the “county improvement authorities law,” P.L.1960, c.183 (C.40:37A-44 et seq.);

      the “New Jersey Pollution Control Financing Law,” P.L.1973, c.376 (C.40:37C-1 et seq.);

      R.S.58:14-1 et seq.;

      R.S.40:62-109 et seq.;

      the "New Jersey Water Supply Authority Act," P.L.1981, c.293 (C.58:1B-1 et seq.);

       the North Jersey water supply district and the South Jersey water supply district law, P.L.1916, c.70 (C.58:5-1);

      the municipal water district law, R.S.40:62-96 et seq.; and

      with respect to joint meetings, P.L.1960, c.3 (C.40:48B-2.1 et seq.) and sections 15 and 16 of the “Uniform Shared Services and Consolidation Act,” P.L.2007, c.63 (C.40A:65-15 and C.40A:65-16).

      The provisions of the bill were part of the recommendations of the Joint Legislative Task Force on Drinking Water Infrastructure.

      This bill was pre-filed for introduction in the 2020-2021 session pending technical review.  As reported, the bill includes the changes required by technical review, which has been performed.