Bill Text: NJ S866 | 2012-2013 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Provides for annual cost-of-living increase in amount of Lifeline Credit and Tenants' Lifeline Assistance payment.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2012-01-10 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Economic Growth Committee [S866 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2012-S866-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
215th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2012 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Senator SANDRA B. CUNNINGHAM
District 31 (Hudson)
SYNOPSIS
Provides for annual cost-of-living increase in amount of Lifeline Credit and Tenants' Lifeline Assistance payment.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel
An Act concerning benefits under the Lifeline Credit and Tenants' Lifeline Assistance programs and amending P.L.1979, c.197 and P.L.1981, c.210.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 3 of P.L.1979, c.197 (C.48:2-29.17) is amended to read as follows:
3. The "Lifeline Credit Program" shall consist of an annual credit against the electric or gas utility bill of each eligible residential electric or gas customer at [his] the customer's principal residence. Such credit shall be applied to the electric or gas utility bills of such customer as soon as may be practicable, but in no case later than the bills issued in October of each year or as soon thereafter as eligibility is determined, and shall be applied to each subsequent utility bill after the first until the full amount of the credit is exhausted. No household shall receive more than one annual credit. In the event that electric and gas are provided to the same customer by the same utility, the total annual credit shall be applied to the combined bills from such utility. In the event that electric and gas are provided to the same customer by two separate utilities, half of the total annual credit shall be applied to the bills from each such utility. The annual credit shall be [$200.00] $200. Subject to the availability of appropriations, the level of credit shall be increased to [$225.00] $225 beginning in October, 1984.
Beginning January 1, 2010 and annually thereafter, the amount of the annual credit shall increase by the same percentage as the Social Security benefit cost-of-living increase for that year or five percent, whichever is less. The Commissioner of Health and Senior Services shall adopt the new credit amount annually by regulation pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.).
(cf: P.L.1983, c.251, s.1)
2. Section 4 of P.L.1981, c.210 (C.48:2-29.33) is amended to read as follows:
4. Any residential tenant
found eligible for the "Tenants' Lifeline Assistance Program" shall
be entitled to an annual tenant's assistance payment, except as otherwise
provided herein, at [his] the tenant's
principal residence. No household or rental unit, as appropriate, shall
receive more than one tenant's assistance payment for any fiscal year. No
household shall receive during the same fiscal year both a tenant's assistance
payment and a lifeline credit
allowed pursuant to P.L.1979, c.197 (C.48:2-29.15 et seq.). The annual
tenant's assistance payment shall be [$200.00] $200. Subject to
the availability of appropriations, the level of assistance shall be increased
to [$225.00] $225 beginning in
October, 1984.
Beginning January 1, 2010 and annually thereafter, the amount of the annual credit shall increase by the same percentage as the Social Security benefit cost-of-living increase for that year or five percent, whichever is less. The Commissioner of Health and Senior Services shall adopt the new credit amount annually by regulation pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.).
(cf: P.L.1983, c.250. s.1)
3. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
The bill provides for an annual increase in the amount of the credit under the "Lifeline Credit Program" established pursuant to P.L.1979, c.197 (C.48:2-29.15 et seq.), and the assistance payment under the "Tenants' Lifeline Assistance Program" established pursuant to P.L.1981, c.210 (C.48:2-29.30 et seq.). Effective January 1, 2010, the credit and assistance payment amount would increase at the same percentage as the annual Social Security benefit cost-of-living increase or five percent, whichever is less. Currently, the Lifeline credit and assistance payment amounts to $225 annually and that amount has not increased since 1984, despite significant increases in the cost of natural gas and electricity.
The bill provides that the Commissioner of Health and Senior Services shall adopt the new assistance payment amount annually by regulation pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.).
