ASSEMBLY STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 1044

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  FEBRUARY 1, 2018

      The Assembly State and Local Government Committee reports favorably Assembly Bill No. 1044.

This bill would require the Director of the Division of Taxation in the Department of Treasury to examine the feasibility of establishing, for the administration of the homestead property tax reimbursement program, N.J.S.A.54:4-8.67 et al., a centralized property tax data system that would assist the division in verifying the amount of property tax paid on any homestead in any base year, and in any year for which an eligible claimant seeks a reimbursement.  Upon the completion of the director’s examination, the director must prepare a written report explaining his findings and must transmit that report to the Governor and the Legislature, no later than six months following the effective date of the bill.

     If the director concludes that a centralized property tax data system is feasible, the report must enumerate the director’s recommendations for any changes to statutory law or to regulations to implement the system.  If the director determines that no changes to statutory law or to regulations are necessary to implement a centralized property tax data system, the director must implement that system no later than the first day of the fourth month next following the date of the director’s transmission of the report to the Governor and the Legislature.

     The bill would allow the Division of Taxation to easily verify property tax information required annually of eligible claimants seeking a homestead property tax reimbursement without requiring the claimants to seek that information from local tax collectors. 

      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.