Sponsored by:
Senator PATRICK J. DIEGNAN, JR.
District 18 (Middlesex)
Senator JEFF VAN DREW
District 1 (Atlantic, Cape May and Cumberland)
Co-Sponsored by:
Senators A.R.Bucco, Pennacchio, Brown and Oroho
SYNOPSIS
Requires public utility to charge veterans’ organization residential rate for service delivered to property at which veterans’ organization primarily operates.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning public utility service rates and supplementing Title 48 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. As used in P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill):
"Armed forces" means the air, land, and sea forces established by State or federal law.
“Public utility” shall have the same meaning as provided in R.S.48:2-13.
“Veterans’ organization” means an organization dedicated to serving the needs of veterans of the armed forces that: is chartered under federal law, qualifies as a tax exempt organization under paragraph (19) of subsection (c) of section 501 of the federal Internal Revenue Code of 1986, 26 U.S.C. s.501 (c)(19), or that is organized as a corporation under the “New Jersey Nonprofit Corporation Act,” N.J.S.15A:1-1 et seq.
b. Notwithstanding any law, rule, regulation, or order to the contrary, a public utility shall 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.
c. A public utility, in consultation with the Board of Public Utilities, shall establish a reasonable procedure by which an organization may certify itself as a veterans’ organization with the public utility for the purposes of subsection b. of this section.
2. This act shall take effect immediately
STATEMENT
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.