SENATE BUDGET AND APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE

 

STATEMENT TO

 

SENATE, No. 719

 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

 

DATED: SEPTEMBER 19, 1996

 

      The Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee reports favorably Senate Bill No. 719 of 1996.

      Senate Bill No. 719 provides for a checkoff on the New Jersey gross income tax return so that a taxpayer could contribute $5, $10 or any other amount of his or her tax refund, or a voluntary donation if no tax refund is due, to support programs for the developmentally disabled. These contributions will be appropriated annually to the Department of Human Services and allocated to programs that assist families in caring for family members who have developmental disabilities.

      As reported, this bill is identical to Assembly Bill No. 2108 of 1996 (Weinberg/Zisa).

 

FISCAL IMPACT

      The implementation of this bill will have no impact in the State General Fund. Although, the Division of Taxation may incur collection and administrative expenses under this bill, the division may recoup these costs from the contributions made by taxpayers. The amount of taxpayer contributions to this new checkoff fund cannot be predicted. At present, various laws provide for a checkoff for the Endangered Wildlife Conservation Fund, the Children's Trust Fund, the Vietnam Veterans' Memorial Fund, the Breast Cancer Research Fund, and the Battleship New Jersey Memorial Fund. The Breast Cancer Research Fund and the Battleship New Jersey Memorial Fund were signed into law in 1995 and will first appear as checkoffs on the 1996 gross income tax return in 1997.

      The following amounts have been contributed on tax returns filed in 1995 for tax year 1994: $365,097 to the Endangered Wildlife Conservation fund; $327,378 to the Children's Trust Fund; and $228,545 to the Vietnam Veterans' Memorial Fund.