Signed by Governor Phil Murphy

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to amend and pass a bill that requires disclosure of lead drinking water hazards to tenants of residential units and prohibits landlords from obstructing replacement of lead service lines in New Jersey.

Highlights:

• Requires the Department of Health to provide consumers with educational material regarding the health risks associated with lead in drinking water (Sec. 2).

• Requires landlords to provide tenants with a disclosure statement before entering into leases with tenants that includes the following (Sec. 3):

• Recognition that a property is serviced by a lead service line or a line of unknown composition;

• Date of the property’s construction;

• Any notice with an indication of lead action level exceedance from the previous three years; and

• A copy of any citation against the landlord from the previous year.

• Requires a public community water system to test a customer’s water supply for the presence of lead if the customer makes a request, and specifies that customers will not be charged a fee for the test (Sec. 4).

• Requires a public community water system to provide property owners served by a lead service line in a service area with the following information (Sec. 5):

• A list of the lead service lines serving property owners within the service area;

• Information regarding the source of the lead contamination; 

• Information regarding the health risks associated with lead in drinking water; and

• Steps that customers in the service area can take to mitigate the health risks.

• Prohibits landlords from obstructing the replacement of a lead service line following notice of lead contamination (Sec. 5).

• Specifies that if a tenant terminates lease of property for which lead service line replacement was obstructed, the tenant will not incur any agreed-upon charges made between the tenant and landlord (Sec. 5).

• Specifies that violators of this Act will be given a written notice, and if after 15 days the violation is not cured, a $100 penalty will be issued, followed by a $500 penalty for a second violation, and a $1000 penalty for any subsequent violation (Sec. 6).

Full Bill Text