LEGISLATIVE FISCAL ESTIMATE TO

[First Reprint]

ASSEMBLY, No. 2380

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED: DECEMBER 3, 1996

      Assembly Bill No. 2380 (1R) of 1996 eliminates the dual fees for licensing of rooming and boarding houses by the Commissioner of Community Affairs and municipalities in those municipalities that have elected, pursuant to P.L.1993, c.290 (C.40:52-9 et seq.), to license such establishments. Under the bill, owners of rooming and boarding houses located in municipalities which have elected to license them will only be required to obtain a municipal facility license and will not have to pay a fee to the Department of Community Affairs. The bill also specifies that the commissioner will not be required to perform annual inspections of those facilities which are municipally licensed.

      The Department of Community Affairs (DCA) has advised the Office of Legislative Services (OLS) informally that currently, eight municipalities license rooming and boarding houses on the local level. Those municipalities are: Elizabeth, Netcong, Neptune, Asbury Park, Merchantville, Weehawken, Rutherford and Keansburg. Those eight municipalities collectively license 196 rooming and boarding houses. The average fee charged by DCA for a license is $125.00. Therefore, the DCA estimates its loss under this bill to be approximately $25,000 under current conditions. However, DCA notes that it will not incur inspection costs on these properties, so the actual fiscal impact pf this bill on the department will likely be reduced.

      The OLS has obtained no information that would indicate a fiscal impact that is different than that determined by the DCA.

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