The Legislature hereby finds and declares that the extraordinary and unprecedented energy costs in recent years have had a deleterious financial impact on senior citizens and disabled residents in this State, many of whom must meet their regular living expenses on fixed incomes; that the voters of this State recognized the seriousness of this situation in 1976 by approving an amendment to the Constitution of the State of New Jersey which provides that all State revenues derived from the taxation of gambling establishments in Atlantic City be dedicated to reducing the property taxes, rentals, telephone, gas, electric, and municipal utility charges of eligible senior citizens and disabled residents; and, that in 1979 this Legislature created the “Lifeline Credit Program,” which utilizes casino revenues to provide eligible senior citizens and disabled residents who are residential electric or gas customers with a credit against their utility charges.

The Legislature further finds and declares that many of the senior citizens and disabled residents in this State live in accommodations where they do not receive an individual utility bill, and therefore are not eligible for the “Lifeline Credit Program,” even though they meet all the other requirements of the program; and, that these citizens, no less than those who receive individual utility bills, deserve financial relief from burdensome energy costs.

The Legislature, therefore, determines that it serves a public purpose, and is consistent with the provisions of the Constitution of the State of New Jersey, to establish a tenants’ lifeline assistance program, and to fund such a program with revenues derived from the taxation of casinos.

L.1981, c. 210, s. 1, eff. July 20, 1981.