Requires Director of Division of Housing and Community Resources in DCA to establish State matching grant program to supplement federal Low-income Home Energy Assistance Program; appropriates $205.5 million.

A4968

ASSEMBLY, No. 4968

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED MAY 7, 2026

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman� DAWN FANTASIA

District 24 (Morris, Sussex and Warren)

SYNOPSIS

���� Requires Director of Division of Housing and
Community Resources in DCA to establish State matching grant program to
supplement federal Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program; appropriates
$205.5 million.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

An Act
providing additional State assistance to low-income
home energy assistance program recipients, supplementing chapter 27D of Title
52 of the Revised Statutes, and making an appropriation.

����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.��� a.�������� The Director
of the Division of Housing and Community Resources in the Department of
Community Affairs shall establish a State matching grant program concerning utility
bill payment assistance for certain low-income households. �The purpose of the
program shall be to provide State matching grants to recipients of the federal "Low
Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)," established pursuant to
42 U.S.C. s.8621 et seq., to enable those low-income households to more
adequately meet their home heating and cooling costs.

���� b.��� To participate in the
grant program established pursuant to subsection a. of this section, a LIHEAP
recipient shall submit an application to the division in a manner and on such
forms as determined by the director.� An application shall include information
detailing, but not limited to:

���� (1)�� the size of the
household;

���� (2)�� the monthly income of
the household;

���� (3)�� the annual income of the
household; and

���� (4)�� the amount of federal
LIHEAP assistance the household received during the previous federal fiscal
year.

���� c.���� After reviewing the
applications submitted pursuant to subsection b. of this section, the director
shall, to the extent that funds appropriated for such purposes are available,
issue grants to the eligible households in the same amount as the household received
in federal LIHEAP assistance during the most recent federal fiscal year.

���� 2.��� a.�������� Within one
year of issuing grant funds pursuant to section 1 of P.L.��� , c.��� (C.�������
) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), the Director of the Division
of Housing and Community Resources shall submit a report to the Governor, and
the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1).� The
report shall contain information on the implementation of the State matching
grant program including, but not limited to:

���� (1)�� the total number of
State matching grant applications received;

���� (2) the total amount of
expenditures under the State matching grant program, including the average
amount of the grant awards;

���� (3)�� the impact, if
determinable, that the State matching grants have had in enabling federal
LIHEAP recipients to more adequately meet their home heating and cooling costs;
and

���� (4)�� a list of best practices
or recommendations for promoting the State matching grant program for eligible
LIHEAP recipients.

���� b.��� In addition to
submitting the report pursuant to subsection a. of this section, the director
shall post the report for public inspection on the division�s Internet website
in an easily accessible location.

���� c.���� Each year after the
date of enactment of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending
before the Legislature as this bill), the Department of Community Affairs shall
submit information on the Division of Housing and Community Resources� needs
under the State matching grant program as part of the department�s annual budget
request.

���� 3.��� There is appropriated
from the General Fund to the Division of Housing and Community Resources in the
Department of Community Affairs the sum of $205,500,000 to be issued as State
matching grants to effectuate the purposes of this act.�

���� 4.��� This act shall take
effect immediately.

STATEMENT

���� This bill requires the
Director of the Division of Housing and Community Resources (director) in the
Department of Community Affairs (department) to establish a State matching
grant program concerning utility bill payment assistance for certain low-income
households.� The purpose of the program is to provide State matching grants to
recipients of the federal "Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program
(LIHEAP)," established pursuant to 42 U.S.C. s.8621 et seq., to enable
those low-income households to more adequately meet their home heating and
cooling costs.

���� To participate in the grant
program, a LIHEAP recipient is required to submit an application to the
division in a manner and on such forms as determined by the director.� At a
minimum, the application is required to include:

�

the size of the
household;

�

the monthly
income of the household;

�

the annual
income of the household; and

�

the amount of
federal LIHEAP assistance the household received during the previous federal
fiscal year.

���� After reviewing the
applications, the director is required to issue grants to the eligible
households in the same amount as the household received in federal LIHEAP
assistance during the most recent federal fiscal year.

���� Under the bill, within one
year of issuing grant funds, the director is required to submit a report to the
Governor and the Legislature. The report is required to contain information on
the implementation of the State matching grant program including, but not
limited to:

�

the total
number of State matching grant applications received;

�

the total
amount of expenditures under the State matching grant program, including the
average amount of the grant awards;

�

the impact, if
determinable, that the State matching grants have had in enabling federal
LIHEAP recipients to more adequately meet their home heating and cooling costs;
and

�

a list of best
practices or recommendations for promoting the State matching grant program for
eligible LIHEAP recipients.

���� Each year after the date of
enactment of the bill, the department is required to submit information on the
division�s needs under the State matching grant program as part of the
department�s annual budget request.

���� The bill appropriates $205.5
million from the General Fund to the Division of Housing and Community
Resources in the Department of Community Affairs to be issued as State matching
grants.� �