Bill > S2455

Introduced Session

This bill would allocate $100 million in federal funding provided by the State pursuant to the federal "American Rescue Plan Act of 2021" to the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to develop a grant program to provide grants to local governments to fund drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure projects. The bill would direct the DEP to establish a grant application process and transparent eligibility and ranking criteria, and publish them on the DEP's website no later than six months after the bill's effective date. The bill would also direct the DEP to determine a maximum grant amount, to ensure that grants are distributed to local government units throughout the State. The bill would direct the DEP to reserve at least 10 percent of the grant funds for wastewater or stormwater projects that would alleviate harmful algal blooms in Lake Hopatcong and Greenwood Lake. The DEP would be authorized to utilize up to three percent of the money allocated to administer the program. Finally, the bill would direct the DEP, no later than three years after the bill's enactment, to prepare and submit a report to the Governor and the Legislature that provides details about the projects funded by the grant program. After the report is submitted, or three years after the bill's enactment, whichever is sooner, the bill would expire. The State received more than $6 billion in funding from the "American Rescue Plan Act of 2021," but, as of January 2022, much of the funding remains unspent.

Committee Categories

Tony Bucco (R)*, 

Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Environment and Energy Committee (on 02/05/2024)

Official Document