SENATE BUDGET AND APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE
STATEMENT TO
SENATE COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
SENATE, No. 3064
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
DATED: JANUARY 4, 2010
The Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee reports favorably a Senate Committee Substitute for Senate Bill No. 3064.
As substituted, this bill provides that in the fiscal year commencing July 1, 2010, the Board of Public Utilities (“board”) shall, from available balances accumulated in accounts of the board from funds collected through the societal benefits charge (“SBC”) imposed pursuant to section 12 of P.L.1999, c.23 (C.48:3-60), allocate $25 million to fund the payment of grants to help pay the gas and electric public utility bills of households seeking temporary assistance from the New Jersey Statewide Heating Assistance and Referral for Energy Services, Inc. (NJSHARES) or another equivalent nonprofit energy organization designated by the board.
Within one year after the board shall have completed the disbursement of grant monies to such nonprofit energy organization, that nonprofit energy organization shall issue a report to the board which provides the number of applicants applying for household utility assistance grants, the number of households receiving utility assistance grants, the average amount of assistance provided, the average gross income of households receiving assistance, the methods and procedures used for the verification of income or hardship, and any other information as required by the board. The board shall thereupon submit such report to the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1).
FISCAL IMPACT:
The Office of Legislative Services has determined that this bill will not have any short or long term fiscal impact on the State or on electric and gas public utility customers. Revenues from the SBC do not constitute State funds subject to appropriation, and utility customers are not impacted since the monies to be allocated are to come from available balances derived from SBC revenues previously collected.