ASSEMBLY MILITARY AND VETERANS' AFFAIRS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 837

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  FEBRUARY 12, 2018

      The Assembly Military and Veterans’ Affairs Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Assembly Bill No. 837.

      As amended, this bill requires a public utility to charge a veterans’ organization a residential rate for service delivered to the property at which the veterans’ organization primarily operates, if the residential rate is lower than the commercial rate for service at that property.  Under the bill, a public utility, in consultation with the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, is to establish a reasonable procedure by which an organization may certify itself as a veterans’ organization with the public utility for the purposes of this bill.

      This bill was pre-filed for introduction in the 2018-2019 session pending technical review.  As reported, the bill includes the changes required by technical review, which has been performed.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS

      The committee amended the bill to change the tax exempt status from 501(c)(3) to 501(c)(19) to focus on the organizations to be covered by the bill.  501(c)(19) tax exempt status is for military and veteran organizations, these groups are the focus of the bill.