{"data":{"id":"us-nj/n.j.-stat.-48-3-2.3","jurisdiction":"us-nj","citation":"N.J. Stat. § 48:3-2.3","heading":"Assessment of late charge on unpaid utility bill, conditions.","body":"1. a. Notwithstanding the provisions of any law, rule, regulation, or order to the contrary, the board shall not allow a utility to assess a late payment charge on an unpaid bill unless the charge is provided for in the utility's applicable rate schedule approved by the board.  A late payment charge shall not be approved by the board if the charge is applicable to bills less than 25 days after rendering.  A late payment charge shall not be approved for a rate schedule applicable to a State, county or municipal government entity or any residential ratepayer.\nAs used in this subsection, a \"utility\" means a public utility, as public utility is defined in R.S.48:2-13 and including a natural gas pipeline utility as natural gas pipeline utility is defined in section 2 of P.L.1952, c.166 (C.48:10-3), and a municipally-operated utility, insofar as the board's jurisdiction is extended to the municipally-operated utility under any applicable law.  \"Utility\" shall not mean a local exchange telecommunications company or interexchange telecommunications carrier providing a competitive service as determined by the board pursuant to section 4 of P.L.1991, c.428 (C.48:2-21.19).\nb.\tThe board may adopt, pursuant to the \"Administrative Procedure Act,\" P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), rules and regulations necessary to effectuate the purposes of subsection a. of this section.\nL.2003, c.247, s.1; amended 2013, c.181, s.2.","path":["TITLE 48 PUBLIC UTILITIES"],"source_url":"https://pub.njleg.state.nj.us/statutes/STATUTES-TEXT.zip","current_through":"P.L.2025, c.405, and J.R.22","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-08-27T17:54:13Z","sha256":"281bf40e3a65ad42637a77b93aa10458b1587800d3fb1e4a213a7899c033bc88","source_id":"us-nj","stale":true,"prev":"us-nj/n.j.-stat.-48-3-2.2","next":"us-nj/n.j.-stat.-48-3-3"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}