Bill > S1332

Introduced Session

This bill requires the Commissioner of Community Affairs to prepare a list, and to annually update that list not later than July 1 of each calendar year, of all ongoing mandates required by the State and by the federal government on municipalities and counties for which funding to pay the entire cost thereof has not been provided by the State or by the federal government, as appropriate. The list must also contain a good faith estimate of the cost to counties or municipalities, as appropriate, of compliance with the mandate. The bill also requires that the list, and the annual update of the list, be posted on the department's web page. The cost of unfunded mandates imposed by the State and by the federal government on counties and municipalities are ultimately borne by local property taxpayers through the payment of their property tax bills. While the voters of the State approved an amendment to the New Jersey Constitution in November, 1995, that effectively rendered unenforceable any provision of a law enacted on and after January 17, 1996, and any rule or regulation issued pursuant to a law originally adopted after July 1, 1996, which does not authorize resources, other than the property tax, to offset the additional direct expenditures required for the implementation of the law or rule or regulation (subject to certain constitutional exceptions), that constitutional amendment does not affect mandates of the federal government, nor does it affect mandates imposed by the State prior to those constitutional dates. In order for the Legislature to determine the true financial effect of existing mandates on the State's property taxpayers, and how to mitigate those costs, a compilation of those mandates, both State- and federally-imposed, must be undertaken and produced for public inspection and discussion.

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Vin Gopal (D)*,  Troy Singleton (D)*,  Anthony Bucco (R),  Christopher Connors (R), 

Referred to Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee (on 03/04/2019)