New Jersey § 52:27d-9

§ 52:27d-9.

a. The Department of Community Affairs shall establish a schedule of days and hours

of operation, a toll-free telephone number, and a downloadable application on its

Internet website to facilitate the receipt of benefits under the federal Low Income

Home Energy Assistance Program, established pursuant to 42 U.S.C. s. 8621 et seq. Within six months following the effective date of P.L.2023, c. 11 ( C.52:27D-9.4 ), 1 the department shall make available all application materials for the federal Low

Income Home Energy Assistance Program, including the downloadable application required

under this subsection, in each of the five most commonly spoken languages in the State,

as determined by the department. b. The department shall prepare and annually update a handbook containing the governing

policies and eligibility requirements for the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance

Program. The department shall annually distribute copies of the handbook and its updates

to each agency designated by the department to obtain, review, and process applications

for benefits under that program. c. The department shall adopt training sessions regarding the Low Income Home Energy

Assistance Program that cover subjects including, but not limited to, enrollment procedures,

eligibility requirements, and fraud detection. The training sessions shall be provided on a quarterly basis and open to any agency

that obtains, reviews, and processes applications under that program. d. (1) Each director, manager, supervisor, and employee of an agency that obtains,

reviews, and processes Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program applications, including

any person who performs or supervises such program work, shall read the annually updated

handbooks distributed by the department pursuant to subsection b. of this section

and shall comply with the policies and procedures set forth therein for the applicable

year. (2) Each supervisor of an agency that obtains, reviews, and processes Low Income Home

Energy Assistance Program applications, including any person who supervises such program

work, shall attend the quarterly training sessions provided by the department pursuant

to subsection c. of this section. e. The department shall establish an open and competitive process, utilizing an annual

request for proposal to be developed and issued by the department, to award grants

to qualified nonprofit organizations to serve as agencies that obtain, review, and

process Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program applications. The annual request for proposal developed and issued by the department pursuant

to this subsection shall detail the necessary qualifications that a qualified nonprofit

organization is required to meet to serve as an agency that obtains, reviews, and

processes Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program applications. The annual request for proposal shall be fully compliant with federal laws and regulations

and subject to final approval by the Director of the Division of Housing and Community

Resources in the department. For the purposes of this subsection, “ qualified nonprofit organization ” means a New Jersey-based organization that is incorporated, organized, and operated

in such a manner as to qualify as a nonprofit corporation described in section 501(c)(3) of the federal Internal Revenue Code ( 26 U.S.C. s.501(c)(3) ). f. The department may disqualify an agency from serving as an agency that obtains,

reviews, and processes Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program applications for

failure to substantially comply with the requirements of subsection d. of this section. g. The Commissioner of Community Affairs shall promulgate rules and regulations, pursuant

to the “Administrative Procedure Act,” P.L.1968, c. 410 ( C.52:14B-1 et seq. ), in order to effectuate the provisions of this act. 1

L.2023, c. 11, eff. Feb. 6, 2023.