Bill Text: NJ A600 | 2018-2019 | Regular Session | Introduced


Bill Title: Prohibits public utility from terminating service for nonpayment unless customer is provided certified letter at least 10 business days prior to scheduled termination date.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 7-0)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2019-01-17 - Received in the Senate, Referred to Senate Economic Growth Committee [A600 Detail]

Download: New_Jersey-2018-A600-Introduced.html

ASSEMBLY, No. 600

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

218th LEGISLATURE

 

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2018 SESSION

 


 

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman  JOE DANIELSEN

District 17 (Middlesex and Somerset)

 

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS

     Prohibits public utility from terminating service for nonpayment unless customer is provided certified letter at least 10 business days prior to scheduled termination date.

 

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.

  


An Act concerning termination of public utility service and amending R.S.48:2-24.

 

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

 

     1.    R.S.48:2-24 is amended to read as follows:

     48:2-24.  a.  No public utility shall discontinue, curtail, or abandon any service without obtaining permission from the board after notice.  The board may withhold permission until after hearing to determine if the discontinuance, curtailment, or abandonment will adversely affect public convenience and necessity.  With respect to common carriers, the provisions of this [paragraph] subsection shall apply only to service operated in accordance with base schedules on file with the board; provided, however, that the [State Highway] Commissioner of Transportation upon entering into a  contract for passenger service pursuant to [chapter 66 of the laws of 1960, as amended and supplemented,] P.L.1962, c.191 (C.48:12A-17 et seq.) may, without approval of the board, authorize a discontinuance, curtailment, abandonment, or change in passenger service, which discontinuance, curtailment, abandonment, or change in service shall exist only during the term of [said] the contract.

     b.    (1)  A public utility may terminate service for a violation of the terms of its approved tariffs on file with the [Board of Public Utility Commissioners] board upon giving the customer at least 3 days' notice of [such] the termination unless otherwise provided for by rules, regulations, or orders of the board, except that in those situations where a hazardous condition prevails the public utility may terminate service without notice. 

     (2)   Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (1) of this subsection, a public utility shall not terminate the service of a customer for nonpayment unless the public utility provides the customer a certified letter no less than 10 business days prior to the scheduled termination date notifying the customer that the customer's service will be terminated for nonpayment on the scheduled termination date.

     c.     If any public utility shall discontinue, curtail, or abandon service, and the board after hearing upon notice shall find and determine that service should be resumed, the board may order that service be resumed forthwith or on [such] a date as it may fix.

(cf:  P.L.1964, c.58, s.1)

 

     2.    This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

 

     This bill amends current law to provide that a public utility is not to terminate a customer's service for nonpayment unless the public utility provides the customer a certified letter no less than 10 business days prior to the scheduled termination date notifying the customer that the customer's service will be terminated for nonpayment on the scheduled termination date.

     The sponsor's intent in introducing this legislation is to make the statute for termination of service consistent with the rules and regulations of the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (board), board-approved tariffs of public utilities, and current public utility practice.

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