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S4286
SENATE, No. 4286
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
222nd LEGISLATURE
�
INTRODUCED MAY 14, 2026
Sponsored by:
Senator� ANGELA V. MCKNIGHT
District 31 (Hudson)
SYNOPSIS
���� Expands Fresh Start Program to include electric and
gas public utility payment forgiveness for nonprofit organizations.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
���� As introduced.
��
An Act
concerning public utility assistance programs
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 this
section:�
���� �Board� means the New Jersey Board
of Public Utilities or a successor agency.
���� �Electric public utility�
means a public utility, as that term is defined in R.S.48:2-13, that transmits
and distributes electricity to end users within the State.
���� �Gas public utility� mans a
public utility, as that term is defined in R.S.48:2-13, that distributes gas to
end users in the State.
���� �Nonprofit organization� means
a nonprofit organization that provides services throughout the State, has an
annual budget of $500,000 or less, and is tax exempt under section 501(c)(3) of
the federal Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C. s.501(c)(3)).
���� b.��� Notwithstanding any law,
rule, regulation, or order to the contrary, the Board of Public Utilities shall
expand the eligibility requirements of its Fresh Start Program, as established by
the board, to include payment forgiveness under the program for any commercial
customer that is a nonprofit organization in arrearages with an electric public
utility or gas public utility that does business in the State, as applicable.
���� c.���� Notwithstanding any
law, rule, regulation, or order to the contrary, after the effective date of
this section, each electric public utility and gas public utility that does
business in the State shall review its customer accounts to identify and
automatically enroll any commercial customer that is a nonprofit organization
in arrearages with the electric public utility or gas public utility, as
applicable.
���� d.��� The board shall, in
accordance with the �Administrative Procedure Act,� P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1
et seq.), adopt rules and regulations as necessary to implement this act.
���� 2.��� This act shall take
effect immediately.
STATEMENT
���� This bill expands the
eligibility requirements under the Board of Public Utilities� Fresh Start
Program operated by each electric public utility and gas public utility in the
State to include payment forgiveness under the program for any commercial
customer that is a nonprofit organization in arrearages with an electric public
utility or a gas public utility, as applicable.� Specifically, the bill
requires each electric public utility and gas public utility to review its
customer accounts to identify and automatically enroll such customers in the
expanded Fresh Start Program under the bill.