New Jersey Assembly Bill A4715

New Jersey 2026-2027 Regular Session

• Introduced: 3/16/26
• Refer: 3/16/26

Caption

Requires electric public utility to reimburse customers for up to $500 for spoiled food and full cost of spoiled medicine resulting from lengthy service outage following major event.

Summary

Assembly Bill 4715 requires electric public utilities in New Jersey to reimburse residential customers for certain losses caused by a prolonged power outage following a major event. If a customer experiences a “sustained interruption” lasting more than 72 consecutive hours after the conclusion of a qualifying event, the utility must reimburse the customer for spoiled food and compromised medication that could not be preserved because of the outage. The bill caps food reimbursement at up to $500 per incident, while medication is reimbursed at the full amount paid. For larger claims, customers must provide itemized lists and proof of purchase. Utilities must create an online reimbursement application process within 90 days of the bill’s effective date, and claims must be paid within 30 days of receipt. The Board of Public Utilities is directed to adopt implementing rules.

Impact

The bill would add a new consumer reimbursement requirement to Title 48 governing electric public utilities. It creates a statutory obligation for utilities to compensate residential customers for documented food and medication losses tied to extended outages after major events, and it also bars utilities from recovering those reimbursement costs from ratepayers. The Board of Public Utilities would have authority to establish application procedures and adopt regulations for implementation.

Sentiment

No committee transcripts or recorded votes were provided, so there is no direct evidence of legislative debate or formal support/opposition in the available record. Based on the bill text, the measure appears consumer-protective and responsive to hardship caused by long-duration outages, especially after storms or other major events. The absence of recorded discussion makes the overall sentiment difficult to gauge beyond the bill’s apparent remedial purpose.

Contention

The main policy tension in the bill is between consumer relief and utility cost exposure. Supporters would likely emphasize that customers should not bear the cost of spoiled groceries or medicine when outages last for days after major events, while utilities may object to mandatory reimbursement obligations, administrative burdens, and the prohibition on recovering those costs from ratepayers. Another possible point of contention is the evidentiary threshold for claims, including itemized receipts and proof of purchase for larger reimbursements, which may be seen as necessary to prevent fraud but potentially burdensome for customers.