Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman LINDA STENDER
District 22 (Middlesex, Somerset and Union)
Assemblyman GORDON M. JOHNSON
District 37 (Bergen)
SYNOPSIS
Directs BPU to promulgate rules and regulations concerning gas public utilities' response to public reporting of suspected natural gas leaks.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning natural gas leak reporting and supplementing Title 48 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. Within 90 days of the effective date of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), the board, in consultation with the Office of Emergency Telecommunications Services in the Office of Information Technology, shall develop rules and regulations concerning gas public utility telephone call intake and response to members of the public reporting suspected natural gas leaks. The rules and regulations shall include, but not be limited to:
(1) gas public utility staff training in telephone call intake and response concerning these types of reports;
(2) the specific information gas public utility staff requests of members of the public reporting a suspected natural gas leak; and
(3) consistent with federal law, standards and technology for determining the geographic location of the person placing the telephone call to report a suspected natural gas leak.
b. The rules and regulations adopted pursuant to this section shall be consistent with applicable industry standards and best practices.
c. The board shall require each gas public utility to report annually on its compliance with the rules and regulations adopted pursuant to this section.
d. As used in this section, "board" and "gas public utility" shall have the same meaning as provided in section 3 of P.L.1999, c.23 (C.48:3-51).
2. The Board of Public Utilities shall adopt rules and regulations pursuant to the provisions of the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), to effectuate the purposes of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).
3. This act shall take effect immediately, but shall remain inoperative for 60 days after the effective date.
STATEMENT
This bill directs the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) to promulgate rules and regulations concerning gas public utilities and telephone call intake and response to members of the public reporting suspected natural gas leaks. The BPU, in consultation with the Office of Emergency Telecommunications Services in the Office of Information Technology, is to develop rules and+ regulations that include gas public utility staff training in telephone call intake and response to members of the public reporting suspected natural gas leaks, specific information gas public utility staff is to request of members of the public reporting a suspected natural gas leak, and, consistent with federal law, standards and technology for determining the geographic location of the person placing the telephone call to report the suspected natural gas leak.