ASSEMBLY APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

[First Reprint]

ASSEMBLY, No. 265

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED: MARCH 4, 1996

      The Assembly Appropriations Committee reports favorably Assembly Bill No. 265 (1R).

      Assembly Bill No. 265 (1R) requires municipalities which enforce the State Uniform Construction Code to waive construction permit and site plan review fees for disabled persons seeking to make alterations or improvements intended to promote accessibility to their own living units. "Disabled" is defined in the bill to mean a person who has the total and permanent inability to engage in any substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment, including blindness, and includes, but is not limited to, any resident of this State who is disabled pursuant to the federal Social Security Act (42 U.S.C.§416), or the federal Railroad Retirement Act of 1974 (45 U.S.C.§231 et seq.), or is rated as having a 60% disability or higher pursuant to any federal law administered by the United States Veterans' Act.

      In many cases the labor and materials for renovations, such as ramps or modified entryways, are donated; however, municipalities may still require costly building permits to undertake such renovations. These costs may undermine the ability of the disabled to proceed with the needed modifications.

FISCAL IMPACT:

      A fiscal note has not yet been prepared on this bill. However, in the fiscal note on a similar bill last session (A-2060), the Department of Community Affairs stated that the bill will have no effect on State funds. The language of the bill refers only to municipal fees and charges for a fee-supported activity. The amount of these types of fee waivers cannot be determined. Any cost would probably be passed on in the form of higher fees to other permit applicants.