New Jersey Statutes Title 40A. Municipalities and Counties 40A § 5A-29

(1) categorical eligibility for any customer receiving assistance under the Low Income Household Water Assistance Program established pursuant to the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, Pub.L. 116-260, or any other State or local program that provides assistance specifically to help eligible customers pay electric, sewer or water bills;

(2) a process, in a form and manner to be determined by the department, which allows a residential customer to self-certify an inability to pay their local authority or municipal utility bill due to circumstances beyond the customer's control, provided that the circumstances shall include, but not be limited to, unemployment, illness, medically related expenses, recent death of an immediate family member, and any other circumstances that might cause financial hardship; and

(3) a requirement that a local authority or municipal utility shall maintain or reconnect electric, sewer, or water service if a residential customer of a local authority, municipal utility, or rural electric cooperative can prove that they have submitted an application for assistance under the Low Income Household Water Assistance Program established pursuant to the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, Pub.L. 116-260 or any other State, local, or utility program that provides assistance or discounted rates specifically to help eligible customers pay electric, sewer or water bills, before such application has been approved, denied, or withdrawn, unless there is a utility emergency. Upon request, the residential customer shall provide the local authority, municipal utility, or rural electric cooperative with an update on the status of the application.