STATE OF NEW JERSEY
218th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2018 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman HOLLY T. SCHEPISI
District 39 (Bergen and Passaic)
SYNOPSIS
Imposes civil penalty for income falsification for federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program and State and federal housing assistance program benefits.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act concerning income information for rental and energy assistance programs and supplementing Title 52 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. Any person who knowingly files false income information in conjunction with an application for assistance from the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program established pursuant to 42 U.S.C. s.8621 et seq., or the rental assistance program authorized pursuant to section 8 of the United States Housing Act of 1937 as added by the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, Pub.L.93-383 (42 U.S.C. s.1437(f)), or the State rental assistance program established pursuant to P.L.2004, c.140 (C.52:27D-287.1 et al.), shall be liable to a civil penalty of not more than $500 for the first offense and not more than $1,000 for the second and each subsequent offense. Each falsified application filed in violation of this section shall constitute a separate offense.
b. Any penalty imposed pursuant to subsection a. of this section may be collected, with costs, in a summary proceeding pursuant to the "Penalty Enforcement Law of 1999," P.L.1999, c.274 (C.2A:58-10 et seq.). The Superior Court and the municipal court of the municipality in which the applicant files for assistance shall have jurisdiction to enforce the provisions of the "Penalty Enforcement Law of 1999" in connection with this section.
c. A penalty recovered under the provisions of this section shall be recovered by and in the name of the State by the local municipality. The penalty shall be paid into the treasury of the municipality in which the violation occurred for the general purposes of the municipality.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill would impose a civil penalty for any person who knowingly files false income information in conjunction with an application for energy or housing assistance. Under the provisions of the bill, the civil penalty would not be more than $500 for the first offense and not more than $1,000 for the second and each subsequent offense. Each application containing false income information in violation of this bill constitutes a separate offense.
Pursuant to the "Penalty Enforcement Law of 1999," P.L.1999, c.274 (C.2A:58-10 et seq.), any penalty imposed under the bill may be collected, with costs, in a summary proceeding where the Superior Court and the municipal court of the municipality in which the applicant files for assistance shall have jurisdiction. Any penalties imposed shall be recovered by and in the name of the State by the local municipality and paid into the treasury of the municipality in which the violation occurred for the general purposes of the municipality.