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S4463
SENATE, No. 4463
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
222nd LEGISLATURE
�
INTRODUCED JUNE 15, 2026
Sponsored by:
Senator� ANGELA V. MCKNIGHT
District 31 (Hudson)
SYNOPSIS
���� Prohibits water companies from assessing more than
one charge per fire hydrant to fire departments, fire districts, or volunteer
fire companies for use of fire hydrants.�
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
���� As introduced.
��
An Act
concerning certain water company charges and
amending R.S.48:19-18.
����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:
���� 1.��� R.S.48:19-18 is amended
to read as follows:
���� 48:19-18.�
a.
� Each
water company organized under the laws of this State may sell and dispose of
the water issuing from its reservoirs, aqueducts
,
or pipes for such
rates and pursuant to such terms and conditions as are in accordance with its
approved tariffs on file with the Board of Public Utilities, provided
[
, however, as
follows
]
that
:�
����
(1)
��
[
No
]
no
tariff shall be approved that provides for or allows the imposition of any
standby fees or charges for any fire protection system to a residential
customer served by a water service line of two inches or less in diameter
[
.
]
;
����
(2)
��
[
No
]
no
tariff shall be approved that provides for or allows the imposition of any fees
in excess of the cost of water actually used for any sprinkler system required
to be installed in any residential health care facility
,
pursuant to the
�Health Care Facilities Planning Act,� P.L.1971, c.136 (C.26:2H-1 et seq.) and
regulations promulgated thereunder
,
or in any rooming or boarding house
,
pursuant to the �Rooming and Boarding House Act of 1979,� P.L.1979, c.496
(C.55:13B-1 et
[
al
]
seq
.)
and regulations promulgated thereunder.� Nothing herein shall preclude any
water company from charging for the actual cost of
a
water main
connection
[
.
]
; and
����
(3)�� notwithstanding the
provisions of R.S.48:3-1, R.S.48:3-4, or any other law, rule, regulation, or
order to the contrary, no tariff shall be approved that provides for, or allows
the imposition of, more than one charge or fee per fire hydrant imposed on any
periodic bill by a water company to a fire department, as defined in section 2
of P.L.1977, c.85 (C.34:13A-15), a fire district organized pursuant to the
provisions of N.J.S.40A:14-70 et seq., or a volunteer fire company organized
pursuant to Title 15 of the Revised Statutes or Title 15A of the New Jersey
Statutes, for the use of any fire hydrant.
����
b.
��� Nothing in this
section shall preclude a water company from requiring separate dedicated
service lines for fire protection.� The water company may require that fire
service lines be metered.� Nothing in this section shall alter the liability
for maintenance and repair of service lines which exists on the effective date
of P.L.2003, c.278.
(cf:� P.L.2003, c.278, s.8)
���� 2.��� This act shall take
effect immediately, but shall remain inoperative for 60 days following the date
of enactment.
STATEMENT
���� This bill prohibits the Board
of Public Utilities from approving a tariff for a water company (i.e., an
investor-owned water public utility) under its jurisdiction that includes more
than one rental charge or fee per fire hydrant on any periodic bill of the
water public utility for the use of a fire hydrant to a fire department, fire
district, or volunteer fire company.��