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Bill > A1871
NJ A1871
NJ A1871Requires school districts to include environmental sustainability plan in long-range facilities plan.
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 requires school districts to include environmental sustainability plans in the long-range facilities plans submitted to the Commissioner of Education. Every five years, each school district submits a long-range facilities plan to the Commissioner which discusses projected enrollment, building capacities, health and safety conditions, and any anticipated facilities projects in the district. Under this bill, the district would also be required to submit an environmental sustainability plan which would consider the environmental impact of district facilities and operations, and set goals for improving sustainability. The environmental sustainability plan would be required to contain information about improvements to facility energy efficiency, including efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, increase use of renewable energy, and transition to high-performance sustainable buildings. The sustainability plan would also include a commitment to the acquisition of more sustainable school supplies, electronics, and other materials, and to prioritize contracts with vendors focused on sustainability. The district would also be required to include a plan to optimize transportation to reduce carbon emissions and transition the district's school bus fleet to electric vehicles. This bill would require school districts to publish the environmental sustainability plan or a summary of the goals and initiatives in the plan. The district would be required to establish performance measures to monitor progress toward each goal, and each year the district would be required to publish a summary of the progress toward the district's sustainability goals. School districts would be required to amend existing long-range facilities plans to include the environmental sustainability plan no later than the end of the first full year after this bill is enacted.
AI Summary
This bill mandates that school districts integrate an environmental sustainability plan into their long-range facilities plans, which are submitted to the Commissioner of Education every five years and outline projected enrollment, building capacities, and facility needs. The new sustainability plan will require districts to assess the environmental impact of their facilities and operations, setting goals for improvement. Key components of this plan will include strategies to enhance energy efficiency in buildings, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, increase the use of renewable energy, and transition to sustainable building designs. Additionally, districts must commit to purchasing environmentally friendly school supplies and electronics, and prioritize vendors with a focus on sustainability. The bill also requires districts to develop plans to reduce transportation-related carbon emissions, including a transition to electric school buses. School districts will need to make their sustainability plans, or a summary of their goals, publicly accessible and establish performance measures to track progress, reporting on these achievements annually. Existing long-range facilities plans must be updated to include these environmental sustainability requirements by the end of the first full school year after the bill becomes law.
Committee Categories
Agriculture and Natural Resources
Sponsors (5)
Shama Haider (D)*,
Jim Kennedy (D)*,
Sterley Stanley (D)*,
Joe Danielsen (D),
Verlina Reynolds-Jackson (D),
Last Action
Introduced, Referred to Assembly Environment and Solid Waste 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/A1871 |
| BillText | https://pub.njleg.gov/Bills/2026/A2000/1871_I1.HTM |
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