I. State Issues
a. League Provides Testimony to Legislature Regarding Small Cell Wireless Bill
Earlier this week the League was invited to provide testimony to the Assembly Telecommunications and Utilities Committee regarding A-5560, a bill which seeks to provide uniform regulation of small wireless facility development across the State.
The League supports the broad deployment of 5G and small cell wireless technology and we recognize its importance as the foundation for smart-city initiatives and as a tool to help bridge the digital divide. However, we respectfully oppose A-5560 in its current form as it fails to provide the balanced regulations needed to meet New Jersey specific concerns.
The League has been working with other stakeholders and is engaging with the sponsors of this bill to address our concerns and work towards creating the balanced regulations needed to thoughtfully deploy this nascent technology. We would like to thank the chair of the Assembly Telecommunications and Utilities Committee, Assemblyman DeAngelo, for inviting us to speak on this bill, and we would also like to thank Assemblywoman Murphy who sponsors the bill for including the League in future dialogue as this bill advances.
Contact: Frank Marshall, Esq., League Staff Attorney, fmarshall@njlm.org, 609-695-3481 x137.
b. Senate Committee Approves Three Bills Aimed at Addressing the Replacement of Lead Service Lines
On Thursday, the Senate Community and Urban Affairs Committee advanced three bills aimed at addressing the replacement of lead service lines. S-4110, which the League supports, would give municipalities the authority to allow public water systems to access private property for the purposes of replacing lead service lines. The second, S-3990, which the League also supports, would require residential real estate transactions to include a question about lead plumbing. Both of these bills reflect good policy and help advance efforts to address lead service lines.
The third bill, S-4177, would require all public water systems to develop a lead service line inventory within 18 months of the bill’s passage and would also require the water systems to replace all lead service lines within a ten year period after the inventory is developed.
While the League supports efforts to remediate the lead service lines throughout the state we have concerns over the costs to be borne by public water systems and the availability of funding. The remediation of lead service lines is an expensive but critically necessary endeavor that requires financial support from the State and federal government. We expressed these concerns to the bill’s sponsors and the bill was second referenced to the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee. Once a fiscal note is prepared by the Office of Legislative Services (OLS), we are hopeful that the Committee will appropriate the needed funding so that this mandate is fully-funded.
Contact: Frank Marshall, Esq., League Staff Attorney, fmarshall@njlm.org, 609-695-3481 x137.
c. Governor Creates Public Bank Implementation Board
On Wednesday, Governor Murphy signed Executive Order 91 creating a Public Bank Implementation Board tasked with developing an implementation plan for a public bank within one year. The 14 member board, chaired by Banking and Insurance Commissioner Caride, is charged with assessing capital needs for New Jersey’s small businesses, students and local infrastructure and affordable housing projects; identify how a public bank can strengthen the capacity of local financial institutions and non-profit entities; develop a business plan for a public bank that determines capitalization needs and outlines a governance and operation structure; and consulting with experts or other knowledgeable individuals in the field of public banking. In addition, the Board will conduct at least three public meetings to better understand how the State can reduce communities and residents’ unmet capital needs, with a special emphasis on supporting low-income and minority populations. The Board will have one year to publicly release its implementation plan.
Contact: Lori Buckelew, Senior Legislative Analyst, lbuckelew@njlm.org, 609-695-3481 x112.