New Jersey A 3426: Subjects most State property to local property taxation beginning on July 1, 2022.

Bill Text

A3426 

ASSEMBLY, No. 3426 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

� 

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman HEATHER SIMMONS

District 3 (Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem)

Assemblyman STERLEY S. STANLEY

District 18 (Middlesex)

Assemblywoman ALIXON COLLAZOS-GILL

District 27 (Essex and Passaic)

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblywomen Reynolds-Jackson, Lopez, Assemblyman Bailey, 
Assemblywomen Donlon and Peterpaul

SYNOPSIS

���� Requires BPU members to have certain experience and 
complete certain training.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT 

���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative 
Counsel.

��

An Act concerning the membership of the Board of Public 
Utilities, amending R.S.48:2-1, and supplementing Title 48 of the Revised 
Statutes.

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

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

���� 48:2-1.� a. The Board of 
Public Utilities, named pursuant to Reorganization Plan No. 001-1994, effective 
on July 4, 1994, and allocated in, but not of, the Department of the Treasury 
pursuant to that plan, is continued and is designated as the Board of Public 
Utilities or the "board."

���� b.��� The board shall consist 
of five citizens of this State who shall devote their entire time to the duties 
of the board and shall not engage in any occupation, profession or other 
gainful employment. 

���� c.���� Members of the board 
shall be appointed by the Governor, with the advice and consent of the Senate, 
for terms of six years.� The terms of office of the members of the board shall 
continue until their successors are appointed and qualified.� No person shall 
act as a member of the board until that person's appointment has been confirmed 
by the Senate.� Not more than three of the members of the board shall be 
members of the same political party.� All vacancies, except through the 
expiration of term, shall be filled for the unexpired term only.

���� d.��� For appointments made 
to the board after the effective date of P.L. , 
c. (C. ) 
(pending before the Legislature as this bill):

���� (1) at least two of the 
members of the board shall have a minimum of three years of professional 
experience in: energy policy; energy infrastructure; public utility regulation; 
public utility management or operations; environmental policy related to energy 
and public utilities; telecommunications or broadband infrastructure; economic 
growth; land-use planning; or labor and workforce training;

���� (2) at least one member of 
the board shall have a minimum of three years of professional experience in: 
consumer advocacy; ratepayer representation; or public interest regulation; and

���� (3) the members appointed 
to the board shall, to the maximum extent possible, reside in diverse 
geographical areas throughout the State, including urban, suburban, and rural 
areas.

(cf: P.L.2001, c.132, s.1)

���� 2.��� (New section) a.� 
Members of the board shall complete, on an annual basis, a minimum of 12 hours 
of training from an accredited institution, industry association, or 
governmental regulatory agency in one or more of the following subject areas:

���� (1) energy market trends;

���� (2) infrastructure resilience;

���� (3) grid modernization;

���� (4) regulatory and policy 
developments at the state and federal levels concerning public utilities;

���� (5) public utility 
rate-setting methodologies and economic impacts on ratepayers;

���� (6) environmental and 
renewable energy policies affecting public utility services;

���� (7) public utility ratepayer 
protection laws; or

���� (8) emerging technologies 
concerning public utilities.

���� b.��� Each board member shall 
submit to the Governor and Legislature, on an annual basis, proof of completion 
of the training required pursuant to subsection a. of this section.

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

STATEMENT

���� This bill requires members of the Board of Public Utilities 
(BPU) to have certain experience and complete certain training.� Under the 
bill, at least two members of the BPU are required to have a minimum of three 
years of professional experience in: energy policy; energy infrastructure; 
public utility regulation; public utility management or operations; 
environmental policy related to energy and public utilities; telecommunications 
or broadband infrastructure; economic growth; land-use planning; or labor and 
workforce training.� Additionally, at least one member of the BPU is required 
to have a minimum of three years of professional experience in: consumer 
advocacy; ratepayer representation; or public interest regulation.

����� To the maximum extent possible, the bill requires 
members of the BPU to reside in diverse geographical areas throughout the 
State, including urban, suburban, and rural areas.

����� The bill requires members of the BPU to complete a 
minimum of 12 hours of training, on