Sponsored by:
Assemblyman GREGORY E. MYHRE
District 9 (Ocean)
Assemblyman BRIAN E. RUMPF
District 9 (Ocean)
SYNOPSIS
Requires public utility to charge volunteer emergency service organization residential rate.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning volunteer emergency service organization public utility rates 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. As used in P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill):
"Public utility" shall have the same meaning as provided in R.S.48:2-13.
"Volunteer emergency service organization" means an organization that relies on volunteer members to provide emergency services, including, but not limited to, fire department, first aid, emergency, ambulance, or rescue squad services.
b. Notwithstanding any law, rule, regulation, or order to the contrary, a public utility shall charge a volunteer emergency service organization a residential rate for service delivered to the property at which the volunteer emergency service organization primarily operates, if the residential rate is lower than the commercial rate for service at that property.
c. A public utility, in consultation with the Board of Public Utilities, shall establish a reasonable procedure by which an organization may certify itself as a volunteer emergency service organization with the public utility for the purposes of subsection b. of this section.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill requires a public utility to charge a volunteer emergency service organization a residential rate for service delivered to the property at which the volunteer emergency service organization primarily operates, if the residential rate is lower than the commercial rate for the service at that property. In consultation with the Board of Public Utilities, a public utility is to establish a reasonable procedure for an organization to certify itself as a volunteer emergency service organization with the public utility for this purpose.
Under the bill, "volunteer emergency service organization" means an organization that relies on volunteer members to provide emergency services, including, but not limited to, fire department, first aid, emergency, ambulance, or rescue squad services.