SENATE SENIOR CITIZENS, VETERANS' AFFAIRS AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 2107

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED: JUNE 23, 1997

      The Senate Senior Citizens, Veterans' Affairs and Human Services Committee reports favorably Senate Bill No. 2107.

      This bill requires the State to reimburse a municipality which elects to administer its own general public assistance (GA) program under the Work First New Jersey program established pursuant to P.L.1997, c.38 (C.44:10-55 et seq.), rather than transfer its GA program to the county pursuant to P.L.1997, c.37 (C.44:10-71 et al.), for the administrative costs of operating the program. Currently, under P.L.1997, c.37, a municipality which administers its own GA program is obligated to assume 100% of the administrative costs of providing GA benefits; however, if the municipality transfers its GA program to the county, the State will reimburse the county for 100% of the administrative costs of providing GA benefits to eligible residents of that municipality, up to the maximum amount allocated for that county by the Commissioner of Human Services within the limits of available funds.

      This bill mandates that the State pay for the administrative costs of providing GA benefits, regardless of whether those benefits are administered by the municipality or the county.

      This bill is identical to Assembly Bill No. 2937 (T. Smith) which was reported from the Assembly Community Services Committee on June 16, 1997, and is currently pending in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.