LEGISLATIVE FISCAL ESTIMATE TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 285

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED: JUNE 25, 1996

      Assembly Bill No. 285 of 1996 requires the Commissioner of Human Services (DHS) to adopt specific standards of performance with respect to the administration of General Assistance (GA) which municipalities will be required to meet. Furthermore, each municipal welfare agency will be administered by a welfare director who has been certified in accordance with rules and regulations adopted by DHS. Finally, the bill requires that a municipal welfare director who has served in that position for at least five years and whose employment is terminated due to the assumption of the office's activities and responsibilities by another agency be allowed to transfer to that agency and be assigned to comparable duties to those previously performed by that person.

      Agency Comments:

      DHS and the Office of Management and Budget have not provided any current fiscal information on the legislation.

      Office of Legislative Services Comments:

      The Office of Legislative Services is not able to estimate the cost of the legislation as the standards of performance DHS may adopt with respect to administration of GA is not known. However, it is generally acknowledged that municipal welfare agencies are understaffed and that compliance with existing GA regulations, N.J.A.C. 10:85-1.1 et seq., varies widely from municipality to municipality. As such, GA administrative costs borne by municipalities are likely to increase as a result of this legislation by some unknown amount.       This legislative fiscal estimate has been produced by the Office of Legislative Services due to the failure of the Executive Branch to respond to our request for a fiscal note.

This fiscal estimate has been prepared pursuant to P.L.1980, c.67.