Requires certain telecommunications, cable television, and public utility service providers to notify BPU of service discontinuance to public entities 14 business days prior to shutoff.

A1858

ASSEMBLY, No. 1858

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman JAMES J. KENNEDY

District 22 (Somerset and Union)

SYNOPSIS

���� Requires certain telecommunications, cable
television, and public utility service providers to notify BPU of service
discontinuance to public entities 14 business days prior to shutoff.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative
Counsel.

��

An Act

concerning certain telecommunications, cable
television, and public utility service discontinuance notices, 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. In addition to the
provisions of R.S.48:2-24 or any other applicable rule, regulation, or order of
the Board of Public Utilities concerning notice of a pending service
discontinuance by an entity to a customer, an entity providing service to a
board of education, local unit, or State agency shall notify the Division of
Customer Assistance in the Board of Public Utilities, in writing, of any
pending service discontinuance due to an unpaid bill at least 14 business days
prior to discontinuing service to any property owned or operated by the board
of education, local unit, or State agency.� The notice shall include the name
of the customer of record, the location of the premises, the amount owed, a
statement of account including payment history, the method of and attempts made
for negotiation and resolution, and the scheduled service discontinuance date.

���� b.��� As used in this section:

���� �Board of education� shall
have the same meaning as provided in N.J.S.18A:18A-2.

���� �Entity� means:

���� (1)�� a telecommunications or
cable television company under the jurisdiction of the Board of Public
Utilities that provides telecommunications or basic cable service;

���� (2)�� a public utility, as
that term is defined pursuant to R.S.48:2-13, that is regulated by the Board of
Public Utilities pursuant to Title 48 of the Revised Statutes that provides
electric, gas, water, or sewer utility service; or

���� (3)�� a public utility, as
that term is defined pursuant to R.S.48:2-13, that provides a service to a
State agency under a contract approved by the Board of Public Utilities under
which rates for the service are controlled by the terms of the contract.

���� �Local unit� shall have the
same meaning as provided in N.J.S.40A:5-2.

���� �State agency� means any
agency in the executive branch of the State government, including, but not
limited to, any department, board, bureau, commission, division, office,
council, or instrumentality thereof, or independent agency, public authority or
public benefit corporation, and any State college or public institution of
higher education.

���� 2.��� This act shall take
effect immediately, but shall remain inoperative for 60 days following the date
of enactment.

STATEMENT

����
This bill requires certain telecommunications, cable
television, and public utility service providers to notify the Division of
Customer Assistance in the Board of Public Utilities, in writing, of any
pending service discontinuance due to an unpaid bill at least 14 business days
prior to discontinuing service to any property owned or operated by a board of
education, local government unit, or State agency.� The notice is to include
the name of the customer of record, the location of the premises, the amount
owed, a statement of account including payment history, the method of and
attempts made for negotiation and resolution, and the scheduled service
discontinuance date.