Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman PAMELA R. LAMPITT
District 6 (Camden)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblyman Greenwald and Assemblywoman Cruz-Perez
SYNOPSIS
Dedicates CATV company franchise fee payments to property tax reduction, and to municipal utility and law enforcement costs.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning cable television company franchise fee payments, and supplementing P.L.1972, c.186 (C.48:5A-1 et seq.).
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Notwithstanding the provisions of P.L. , c. (C. ) (passed both Houses as ACS for Assembly Bill No. 804), once the board approves a certification required to be filed by a CATV company pursuant to subsection d. of section 30 of P.L.1972, c.186 (C.48:5A-30), certifying that such company is capable of serving 60 percent or more of the households within a municipality that are served by a CATV company that has received a municipal consent issued under P.L.1972, c.186 (C.48:5A-1 et seq.), the annual franchise fees required to be paid to such municipality by a CATV company for the use of the streets shall be dedicated to one or more of the following options: (1) reduction of local property taxes; (2) payment of municipal utility costs; or (3) payment of municipal law enforcement costs.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill dedicates the annual franchise fees required to be paid to a municipality by a cable television (“CATV”) company to property tax reduction, to municipal utility costs and municipal law enforcement costs, upon the approval of the Board of Public Utilities (the “board”) of the certification filed by a CATV company certifying that such company is capable of serving 60 percent or more of the households within such municipality that are served by a CATV company that has received a municipal consent issued under P.L.1972, c.186 (C.48:5A-1 et seq.).
Under P.L. , c. (C. ) (passed both Houses as ACS for Assembly Bill No. 804), the annual franchise fees required to be paid by a CATV company to a municipality increases from two percent to three and one half percent upon approval by the board of such certification.