Bill Text: NJ A3720 | 2012-2013 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Provides grants for cleanup of flood damaged residential property; establishes New Jersey Flood Cleanup Fund; appropriates $5 million.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2013-01-28 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Environment and Solid Waste Committee [A3720 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2012-A3720-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman JOSEPH CRYAN
District 20 (Union)
SYNOPSIS
Provides grants for cleanup of flood damaged residential property; establishes New Jersey Flood Cleanup Fund; appropriates $5 million.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning grants for flood cleanup, supplementing Title 58 of the Revised Statutes, and making an appropriation.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Statewide Flood Cleanup Finance Act."
2. As used in this act:
"Department" means the Department of Environmental Protection.
"Eligible costs" means the reasonable costs, as determined by the department, to demolish, remove and dispose of water-damaged personal property and building materials, and to remove or decontaminate any mold, health hazards, or environmental contamination caused by flooding or water damage. Eligible costs shall not include the costs of rebuilding or reconstruction.
"Eligible owner or tenant" means the owner or tenant of a residential property that is their primary residence.
"Fund" means the New Jersey Flood Cleanup Fund created pursuant to section 3 of this act.
3. a. There is established in the Department of Environmental Protection a special, nonlapsing fund to be known as the "New Jersey Flood Cleanup Fund." The fund shall be administered by the department and shall be credited with:
(1) moneys as are appropriated by the Legislature;
(2) any return on investment of moneys deposited in the fund;
(3) any fees paid to the department by applicants for grants from the fund; and
(4) moneys made available to the department for the purposes of the fund.
b. Moneys in the fund shall be annually appropriated and used for the purposes of section 4 of this act.
4. a. The department may award grants to eligible owners or tenants from the fund of up to $5,000 to pay for the eligible costs associated with the cleanup of residential property affected by flooding pursuant to this section.
b. An applicant for a grant from the fund shall be awarded a grant based upon the availability of sufficient moneys in the fund. The order of priority shall be based upon the date of submission of a completed application to the department.
5. a. An eligible owner or tenant seeking a grant from the fund shall file an application on a form to be developed by the department. The applicant shall provide the department with:
(1) evidence that the residential property that is the subject of the application is the applicant's primary residence;
(2) an itemized list of the costs to be paid with the grant moneys;
(3) a certification that the itemized costs are not otherwise covered by insurance.
The application form shall be submitted with an application fee which shall be $25.
b. The department shall, by rule or regulation adopted pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.):
(1) list the filing requirements an application for a grant from the fund to be deemed complete; and
(2) establish a list of eligible costs that may be paid with moneys from a grant from the fund.
c. The department shall prepare and submit an annual report to the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), and to the chairmen and members of the Assembly Environment and Solid Waste Committee and the Senate Environment and Energy Committee, or their successors, on the status of the grant program, which shall include: a statement of receipts and expenditures from the fund; the number of applications for grants received and the actions taken on the applications; the amount and number of grants awarded; the location of the properties for which grants were made; an assessment of the adequacy of current funding levels in meeting the statutory objectives of the fund; an accounting of expenses incurred by the department in administering the fund; and such other information, including any legislative or administrative recommendations for program changes, as the department may deem appropriate or useful. The annual report shall be submitted not later than March 31 of each year beginning one year following the effective date of this act.
6. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the New Jersey Flood Cleanup Fund the sum of $5,000,000.
7. This act shall take effect on the 180th day after the date of enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill would establish the "New Jersey Flood Cleanup Fund" (the fund) in the Department of Environmental Protection. Under the bill, the department would establish a grant program to provide moneys from the fund in the form of grants to residential property owners or tenants to demolish, remove and dispose of water-damaged personal property and building materials, and to remove or decontaminate any mold, health hazards, or other environmental contamination caused by flooding or water damage. Grants would not be for the purpose of rebuilding or reconstruction and could be used for primary residences only. Under the bill, the amount of a grant from the fund would be up to $5,000. The bill would appropriate $5 million from the General Fund to pay the costs of the program.
