summary
Introduced
01/13/2026
01/13/2026
In Committee
01/13/2026
01/13/2026
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
Introduced Session
2026-2027 Regular Session
Bill Summary
This bill designates the hazelnut as the State nut. Hazelnuts are part of a growing multi-billion-dollar industry and hazelnut products include nut butters, baked goods, and candy. The United States accounts for five percent of hazelnut production worldwide. Hazelnuts grown in the U.S. come almost exclusively from the Willamette Valley in Oregon. The eastern filbert blight is a fungal disease that can be lethal to commercially grown hazelnuts. The disease has prevented New Jersey and other states outside of the Pacific Northwest from growing hazelnuts commercially. In 1996, Rutgers University started a program to develop hazelnuts resistant to the disease. In 2020, Rutgers University released to growers its first hazelnut varieties that are resistant to the eastern filbert blight. The new varieties are named "Raritan," in honor of the river whose banks upon which Rutgers University's New Brunswick campus lies, as well as "Somerset," "Monmouth," and "Hunterdon," in honor of some of the first New Jersey counties where the trees are being grown. New Jersey is the first state on the East Coast to grow this cash crop.
AI Summary
This bill officially designates the hazelnut as the State nut of New Jersey, recognizing its growing importance in a multi-billion-dollar industry that includes products like nut butters, baked goods, and candy. While the United States contributes five percent to global hazelnut production, it's primarily from Oregon, as a fungal disease called eastern filbert blight has historically prevented commercial cultivation in states like New Jersey. However, thanks to a research program initiated by Rutgers University in 1996, new hazelnut varieties resistant to this blight were released in 2020, named "Raritan," "Somerset," "Monmouth," and "Hunterdon" in honor of New Jersey's heritage. This development makes New Jersey the first East Coast state to cultivate this crop, with over 30 growers already planting more than 100 acres, highlighting the scientific and economic significance of this designation.
Committee Categories
Government Affairs
Sponsors (1)
Last Action
Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism & Historic Preservation Committee (on 01/13/2026)
Official Document
bill text
bill summary
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bill summary
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bill summary
| Document Type | Source Location |
|---|---|
| State Bill Page | https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bill-search/2026/S2186 |
| BillText | https://pub.njleg.gov/Bills/2026/S2500/2186_I1.HTM |
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