7. a. The commissioner shall determine, in accordance with law and regulation, whether to issue a certificate based upon proposed assistance by a business entity to a nonprofit organization to implement a qualified project.

b. The commissioner shall issue a certificate if the proposed assistance satisfies the following standards:

(1) The assistance is to be used for a qualified neighborhood preservation and revitalization project;

(2) The assistance is not less than $25,000 in each tax year for which credit is sought. Assistance may be approved for the current tax year and up to four additional years in the future. If assistance is approved for years other than the current tax year, the approval shall include a schedule showing the amount of assistance to be provided in each year;

(3) Neither the business entity nor any wholly owned subsidiary has previously failed to provide assistance to a nonprofit organization for which approval was granted. This requirement may be waived by the department upon a showing of good cause; and

(4) The total of all assistance approved on behalf of a nonprofit organization per project does not exceed $1,000,000.

c. Within 30 days from the date of issuance of the certificate, the business entity shall pay the amount specified in the certificate that is due in the current tax year to the department for deposit into the Neighborhood Revitalization Non-lapsing Trust Fund created pursuant to section 5 of P.L.2003, c.59 (C. 52:27D-500). In the case of assistance approved for years other than the current tax year, the business entity shall pay the amount specified no later than the anniversary of the date on which the first payment is due. The commissioner may extend the date payment is due for good cause shown, but no extension shall be granted where the business entity did not submit a written request for the extension at least seven days prior to the date payment is due.

d. The commissioner shall issue certificates to business entities applying for certificates and meeting the requirements of this section, up to the maximum amount of tax credits permitted under section 3 of P.L.2001, c.415 (C. 52:27D-492), in the following order:

(1) those business entities specifying a project which has been approved by the department and providing assistance which is equal to the amount requested by the nonprofit organization submitting the project.

(2) those business entities not specifying a particular project, but which are willing to provide assistance for approved projects seeking assistance. The commissioner shall issue each business entity providing assistance with a certificate specifying the project to which the assistance will be provided and shall pool applications by business entities in order to provide the amount of assistance requested by each nonprofit organization submitting each project.

(3) those business entities not specifying a particular project, but which are willing to provide assistance, and for which no project approved by the department is available. The commissioner shall issue the certificate without specifying the project to which the assistance will be provided, and will deposit the amount set forth in the certificate in the Neighborhood Revitalization Non-lapsing Trust Fund created pursuant to section 5 of P.L.2003, c.59 (C. 52:27D-500) in accordance with the provisions of this section.

e. In any year that the dollar amount of assistance sought by approved projects shall exceed the amount of assistance available, the department shall allocate any funds in the trust fund for which no project has been specified to provide assistance to such projects. At such time the department will issue the business entity an amended certificate specifying the project for which the assistance is being provided.

f. The department shall use any interest earnings on the funds in the trust fund in any manner that lawfully furthers the purposes of P.L.2001, c.415 (C. 52:27D-490 et seq.), including, but not limited to, providing funds to qualified entities to provide training and technical assistance to nonprofit organizations eligible to prepare plans and submit projects under P.L.2001, c.415 (C. 52:27D-490 et seq.).

L.2001, c.415, s.7; amended 2003, c.59, s.3; 2019, c.144, s.4.