Legislator
Legislator > Bob Smith
State Senator
Bob Smith
(D) - New Jersey
New Jersey Senate District 17
In Office - Started: 01/08/2002
contact info
Piscataway Office
216 Stelton Road
Suite E-5
Piscataway, NJ 08854
Suite E-5
Piscataway, NJ 08854
Phone: 732-752-0770
General Capitol Building Address
P.O. Box 068
State House, 145 W. State St.
Trenton, NJ 08625-0068
State House, 145 W. State St.
Trenton, NJ 08625-0068
Phone: 609-847-3905
| Bill | Bill Name | Summary | Progress |
|---|---|---|---|
| S3850 | Permits county boards of elections to extend distance within which electioneering is prohibited. | Permits county boards of elections to extend distance within which electioneering is prohibited. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| S3287 | Provides gross income tax deduction for amounts paid to taxpayers for sale of certain real property interests for conservation purposes. | Provides gross income tax deduction for amounts paid to taxpayers for sale of certain real property interests for conservation purposes. | Crossed Over |
| S3618 | Directs DEP and DOT to establish "Wildlife Corridor Action Plan." | Directs DEP and DOT to establish "Wildlife Corridor Action Plan." | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| S4423 | Authorizes BPU to provide site approval for small modular reactors; authorizes operators of small modular reactors to store spent nuclear fuel on-site. | This bill would provide that the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) is the sole State agency authorized to provide site approval for the construction of a small modular reactor (SMR) in the State. The bill would also authorize the operator of a small modular reactor to store any spent nuclear fuel generated by the reactor on-site. As defined by the bill, "small modular reactor" means a nuclear fission reactor that: (1) has a rated electric generating capacity of no more than 300 megawatts; (2) is capable of being constructed and operated either alone or in combination with one or more similar reactors if additional reactors are or become necessary at a single site; and (3) is required to be licensed by the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Specifically, the bill would authorize the BPU to provide site approval to an SMR in consultation with the Department of Environmental Protection. The bill would authorize the BPU to approve a site for an SMR only if it is located in a municipality in which a nuclear energy facility has previously been constructed. The bill would provide that the BPU's site approval would supersede any municipal or county decisions to the contrary. The bill would also require the BPU to develop, within one year after's the bill's enactment, an incentive program to provide financial incentives to support the construction of SMRs in the State. The bill would provide that an SMR's authorization to store spent nuclear fuel would last until the development of a national high-level radioactive waste repository pursuant to the federal "Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982." Under that law, the United States Department of Energy was directed to develop a permanent storage site for radioactive waste, but currently, a permanent storage site for radioactive waste has yet to be developed. As a result, spent nuclear fuel is most often stored at the site of the nuclear reactor. | Crossed Over |
| S4569 | Appropriates $13,640,000 to DEP from constitutionally dedicated CBT revenues for grants of certain nonprofit entities for open space acquisition, park development, and planning projects, and for certain administrative expenses. | The bill appropriates $13,640,000 to the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), of which $11,959,000 is to provide grants to various nonprofit entities to acquire or develop lands for recreation and conservation purposes, $1,000,000 is to establish a new planning grant program, and $681,000 is to be used by the DEP for associated administrative costs. Of the amount appropriated by the bill to provide grants to various nonprofit entities: $8,346,000 is allocated for eight acquisition projects; $2,133,000 is allocated for two park development projects; and $1,480,000 is allocated for four stewardship activity projects. In addition, the bill would appropriate $1,000,000 to the DEP in order to establish a new a Planning Grant program, the purpose of which would be to provide matching grants to nonprofit organizations to fund the preparation of plans and other activities necessary to identify needs and opportunities for additional recreation and conservation initiatives in the State. The bill also would allow the DEP to re-distribute certain other moneys, which have been returned to the department due to project withdrawals, cancellations, or cost savings, for the purpose of providing additional funding, for recreation and conservation purposes, to previously approved and funded projects of nonprofit entities, subject to the approval of the Joint Budget Oversight Committee. This additional funding, if provided from a Green Acres bond act, may include administrative costs. The projects listed in the bill have been approved by the DEP and the Garden State Preservation Trust. The funding in this bill is provided from constitutionally dedicated corporation business tax (CBT) revenues pursuant to Article VIII, Section II, paragraph 6 of the State Constitution. The "Preserve New Jersey Act," P.L.2016, c.12 (C.13:8C-43 et seq.), implements the constitutional dedication of CBT revenues for open space, farmland, and historic preservation. The "Preserve New Jersey Green Acres Fund" was established by section 6 of the "Preserve New Jersey Act." The act provides that a certain amount of the portion of dedicated CBT revenues allocated each year for the Green Acres program is to be used for: the acquisition of lands for open space, including Blue Acres projects, and development projects on State lands administered by the DEP's Division of Fish and Wildlife and Division of Parks and Forestry; grants and loans to fund local government open space acquisition and development projects; and grants to nonprofit entities to acquire or develop lands for recreation and conservation purposes. | Crossed Over |
| A3035 | Prohibits certain vehicles from parking in electric vehicle charging spaces under certain circumstances. | Prohibits certain vehicles from parking in electric vehicle charging spaces under certain circumstances. | Passed |
| S4693 | Requires BPU to work with neighboring states to research and recommend certain action concerning electric capacity and transmission. | This bill requires the Board of Public Utilities (board) to work collaboratively with neighboring states to research and recommend collective action to: (1) require any electric load serving entity in New Jersey to demonstrate to the board that it has contracted for at least 80 percent of the capacity needed to serve its load on a bilateral basis for at least five years into the future; (2) withdraw from PJM Interconnection, L.L.C.'s (PJM) capacity market and either develop a multi-state compact to engage in the fixed resource requirement alternative to secure electric capacity through contracts with private entities, competitive capacity auctions, or some combination thereof, or (3) withdraw from the regional, high-voltage electric transmission grid operated by or managed by PJM and either establish an independent electric transmission grid or join an existing electric transmission grid. PJM's capacity market operates through competitive auctions to procure capacity for future delivery years. However, issues with PJM's interconnection process have delayed new energy generation, which reduces competition. Backlogs to PJM's interconnection queue undermine one of the goals of the capacity auction, which is to incentivize developers to bring more generation to the electrical grid. Further, the Organization of PJM States, Inc., of which the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities is a member, and the Independent Market Monitor for PJM have found flaws in the PJM capacity market, which they claim have led to capacity auction clearing prices that fail to reflect supply and demand. In July 2024, PJM's capacity auction for the 2025/2026 Delivery Year had clearing prices almost 10 times the prices from the previous auction. The increase in capacity clearing prices will result in $14.7 billion in costs to consumers, up from $2.2 billion from the prior delivery year. This result represents the highest capacity prices in the history of PJM's capacity auction. PJM's actions are resulting in increased costs and decreased affordability for ratepayers. And, PJM has not adequately addressed concerns about the impact of rate increases on ratepayers or been responsive to State energy policies. The Legislature therefore determines that it is in the best interest of the residents of New Jersey to work in collaboration with other states to explore alternative options to PJM's capacity auction for securing the capacity necessary for grid reliability. | In Committee |
| A5267 | Requires BPU to procure and incentivize transmission-scale energy storage. | Requires BPU to procure and incentivize transmission-scale energy storage. | Passed |
| S3309 | Establishes "Motor Vehicle Open Recall Notice and Fair Compensation Act"; revises motor vehicle franchise agreements. | Establishes "Motor Vehicle Open Recall Notice and Fair Compensation Act"; revises motor vehicle franchise agreements. | Passed |
| S4289 | Requires BPU to procure and incentivize transmission-scale energy storage. | Requires BPU to procure and incentivize transmission-scale energy storage. | In Committee |
| S2426 | Requires solid waste management districts to develop strategy to reduce food waste; requires DEP to adopt certain rules and regulations regarding composting facilities. | Requires solid waste management districts to develop strategy to reduce food waste; requires DEP to adopt certain rules and regulations regarding composting facilities. | In Committee |
| S3920 | Requires State Police to establish recovery leave policy for troopers presenting proof of pregnancy. | Requires State Police to establish recovery leave policy for troopers presenting proof of pregnancy. | In Committee |
| S4591 | Requires electric public utilities to apply to BPU for certificate of public convenience and necessity prior to undertaking transmission project. | This bill requires an electric public utility (utility) to submit an application to the Board of Public Utilities (board) for a certificate of public convenience and necessity (certificate) prior to undertaking a transmission project (project) in New Jersey, which application is required to include any information deemed necessary by the board and an application fee in an amount determined by the board. After receiving a completed application, the bill requires the board to issue a board order with its decision regarding the application, its authorization for the utility to construct the project, and a manner and timeframe in which the utility is to complete the project. The board is to act on an application within 150 days and, in certain circumstances, permits the board to extend this 150-day deadline by an additional period not to exceed 75 days. To make its determination, the board is required to consider whether: (1) the project is necessary to provide adequate, reliable, and efficient service to the utility's customers and is the least-cost means of satisfying the service needs of the utility's customers or that the project will promote the development of an effectively competitive electricity market that operates efficiently, is equitable to all customers, and is the least-cost means of satisfying those objectives; (2) the utility is capable of efficiently managing and supervising the construction process and has taken sufficient action to ensure adequate and efficient construction and supervision of the construction; and (3) the utility is capable of financing the proposed construction without significant adverse financial consequences for the utility or its customers. Under the bill, "transmission project" means a project undertaken by an electric public utility to construct a new transmission line or modify an existing transmission line. This term does not include projects that have already been deemed necessary and approved by PJM Interconnection, L.L.C. through a needs assessment. | In Committee |
| S200 | Establishes standards for food date labeling; requires Commissioner of Health to establish public education program and promulgate guidelines related to food safety. | This bill, would establish standards for food date labeling and require the Department of Health to establish a public education program and guidelines related to food safety. Under the bill, a manufacturer may use food date labeling, but is required, if food date labels are used, to follow the labeling standards provided in the bill. A food date label may indicate either: (1) a "quality date" to indicate the date after which the quality of food may begin to deteriorate, but is still acceptable for consumption; or (2) an "elevated-risk date" to indicate the date, established by the manufacturer, after which there is a high level of risk associated with the consumption of a "time/temperature control for safety food." The bill defines a "time/temperature control for safety food" as a food that requires time/temperature control for safety, in accordance with the 2013 United States Food and Drug Administration Food Code, to limit pathogenic microorganism growth or toxin formation. Quality dates would be displayed with the uniform phrase "BEST if Used By" and elevated-risk dates would be displayed with the uniform phrase "USE By." Under the bill, a retail food facility would not be liable for a manufacturer's failure to properly label food in accordance with the bill. Nothing in the bill would prohibit the sale, donation, or use of food after the food's quality date has passed. However, a retail food facility would be prohibited from selling or donating food after its elevated-risk date. A retailer would also be prohibited from selling food labeled with a "sell-by" date, or any date that is intended to communicate primarily to a distributor or retailer for purposes of stock rotation and that is not a quality date or an elevated-risk date, unless the date is in a coded format not easily readable by consumers. The bill would also change the labeling requirements that must be used for fluid milk products from "sell by" or "not to be sold after" to a quality date label as described above. Alcoholic beverages would be exempt from the bill's provisions. The bill allows the Department of Health to designate additional foods as time/temperature control for safety foods, or exempt foods from the designation. The department would be required to post this information on its Internet website. Finally, the bill would also require the establishment of a public education program, which would include a public information campaign providing information about the meaning of date labels, and educating consumers on how to handle food properly and when it can safely be consumed. | In Committee |
| S203 | Establishes Statewide targets to reduce disposal of organic waste in landfills; requires DEP to adopt regulations to achieve targets. | This bill would establish Statewide targets to reduce the disposal of organic waste in landfills, and would require the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to adopt regulations to achieve those targets. The Statewide targets established in the bill are as follows: (1) a 50 percent reduction in the level of the Statewide disposal of organic waste from the 2016 level by January 1, 2027; and (2) a 75 percent reduction in the level of the Statewide disposal of organic waste from the 2016 level by January 1, 2032. The bill would require the DEP to adopt regulations to achieve these targets within 18 months after the bill's enactment. These regulations may require local governments to impose requirements on generators of organic waste or other appropriate persons or entities, and may authorize local governments to impose reasonable penalties for noncompliance. The regulations would not, however, include a numeric organic waste disposal limit for individual landfills. The bill would authorize local governments to charge and collect reasonable fees from generators of organic waste and other appropriate persons or entities to recover costs the local government incurs in complying with the regulations. No later than July 1, 2027, the DEP would be required to prepare and submit a report analyzing the progress that the solid waste sector, State government, and local governments have made in achieving the organic waste reduction targets established in the bill. Nothing in the bill would prohibit a local government from adopting, implementing, and enforcing requirements regarding the reduction of organic waste that are more stringent than, or in addition to, those adopted under the bill. | In Committee |
| S220 | Establishes Nuclear Power Advisory Commission. | Establishes Nuclear Power Advisory Commission. | In Committee |
| S1042 | "Protecting Against Forever Chemicals Act"; establishes requirements, prohibitions, and programs for regulation of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). | This bill would prohibit the sale of certain products containing intentionally added perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), require greater transparency in the labeling of cookware products containing PFAS, establish a source reduction program concerning the proper management of PFAS, and appropriate money for PFAS-related research. As defined in the bill, "PFAS" means substances that include any member of the class of fluorinated organic chemicals containing at least one fully fluorinated carbon atom. Specifically, the bill would prohibit, beginning two years after the bill's effective date, the sale, offer for sale, or distribution of cosmetics, carpets, fabric treatment, and food packaging that contain intentionally added PFAS. In addition, the bill would require, beginning two years after the bill's effective date, manufacturers of cookware sold in the State that contains intentionally added PFAS in the handle of the product or in any product surface that comes into contact with food, foodstuffs, or beverages to list the presence of PFAS on the product label. Beginning two years after the bill's effective date, the sale, offer for sale, and distribution of cookware that contains PFAS would be prohibited unless the cookware product and the manufacturer of the cookware has complied with the bill's cookware labeling requirements. The bill would also require the DEP to recommend to the Legislature products, in addition to those prohibited from being sold, offered for sale, or distributed pursuant to the bill, by category or use that should not be sold, offered for sale, or distributed for sale in this State if they contain intentionally added PFAS. Under the bill, the DEP would have the authority to audit or investigate a manufacturer to assess the manufacturer's compliance with bill's provisions. The bill would provide that any proprietary information or trade secrets included in any written notification, certification, or any other record submitted to the DEP pursuant to the bill would be required to be kept confidential from the general public pursuant to P.L.1963, c.73 (C.47:1A-1 et seq.), commonly known as the open public records act. The bill would require the DEP to establish, no later than one year after the bill's effective date, a source reduction program to reduce the presence of PFAS in the State's air, water, and soil by encouraging the proper management of materials that contain PFAS and the use of safer alternatives. The program would be required to include certain items enumerated in subsection a. of section 12 of the bill. The bill would also require the DEP to conduct PFAS-related research and comprehensive monitoring and testing of the presence and impact of PFAS on the environmental media within the State, including air, water, biota, and soil. The DEP's research would be required to include certain items enumerated in subsection b. of section 13 of the bill. No later than two years after the bill's effective date, and annually thereafter, the DEP would be required to submit a report to the Governor and the Legislature summarizing their research findings and activities and providing recommendations for programs, policies, and legislation to address the presence of PFAS in the State. Finally, the bill would appropriate $5 million to the DEP for the purposes of implementing the source reduction program, conducting PFAS-related research, and monitoring and testing environmental media, such as air, water, and soil, for PFAS pursuant to the bill. | In Committee |
| S216 | Directs Department of Agriculture to advertise and promote State aquaculture products through Jersey Fresh Program; establishes annual $25,000 appropriation. | Directs Department of Agriculture to advertise and promote State aquaculture products through Jersey Fresh Program; establishes annual $25,000 appropriation. | In Committee |
| S4350 | Changes certain allocations and amounts of constitutionally dedicated CBT revenues for Fiscal Year 2026 and thereafter; authorizes Garden State Preservation Trust and local governments to acquire lands in urban areas for agricultural or horticultural purposes. | This bill would authorize the Garden State Preservation Trust (trust) to develop a program to acquire land for agricultural or horticultural purposes in urban areas of the State through the purchase of fee simple titles or lesser interests in land, including, but not limited to, a development easement, a conservation restriction or easement, or any other restriction or easement permanently restricting development, by purchase or installment purchase agreement using constitutionally dedicated moneys. The bill would require the trust to develop eligibility criteria for the acquisition of land in urban areas of the State for agricultural or horticultural purposes and an application process for landowners to apply to the trust to sell a fee simple title or a lesser interest in land. The trust would be required to prioritize the purchase of small parcels of land in urban areas of the State that are suitable for agricultural or horticultural purposes. Under the bill, any land acquired in fee simple by the trust would be required to be held of record in the name of the State and may be offered for lease by the State using a competitive bidding process to interested parties, provided that the land is to be utilized for agricultural or horticultural purposes. The trust would be required to establish an application process for the lease of land acquired by the trust, which would require applicants to provide information concerning the intended use of the land for agricultural or horticultural purposes. The terms of the lease are to be established by the trust. The bill would require the trust to designate areas of the State as urban areas based on population density, residential and commercial development, and non-residential land uses, among other factors, in a specific region, and to adopt rules and regulations as necessary to implement the bill's provisions. In addition, the bill would establish funding allocations for the constitutional dedication of Corporation Business Tax (CBT) revenues for fiscal year 2026 and thereafter. Under the bill, on July 1 next following the bill's effective date, $25 million of the amount credited to the Preserve New Jersey Fund Account pursuant to the "Preserve New Jersey Act," P.L.2016, c.12 (C.13:8C-43 et seq.) would be required to be deposited into the Preserve New Jersey Urban Agriculture and Horticulture Fund, established pursuant to the bill. In addition, in each State fiscal year commencing in State fiscal year 2026 and annually thereafter, of the amount credited by the State Treasurer to the Preserve New Jersey Fund Account pursuant to the "Preserve New Jersey Act," P.L.2016, c.12 (C.13:8C-43 et seq.): (1) 62 percent would be required to be deposited into the Preserve New Jersey Green Acres Fund; (2) 26 percent would be required to be deposited into the Preserve New Jersey Farmland Preservation Fund; (3) seven percent would be required to be deposited into the Preserve New Jersey Historic Preservation Fund; and (4) five percent would be required to be deposited into the Preserve New Jersey Urban Agriculture and Horticulture Fund. The bill would also require the trust to establish and administer the Urban Agriculture and Horticulture Stewardship Grant Program (grant program) for the purpose of providing grants to qualified applicants for stewardship activity projects, including, but not limited to, projects that improve soil health, climate resiliency, and erosion and sediment control, on land that has been acquired by the trust and preserved for agricultural and horticultural purposes pursuant to the bill. Section 6 of the bill establishes certain eligibility criteria and application requirements for qualified applicants applying for a grant under the grant program. The trust would be required to approve applications for the grant program on a rolling basis subject to the availability of funds in the Preserve New Jersey Urban Agriculture and Horticulture Fund. Upon the approval of an application, the trust would be required to provide a grant, in an amount not to exceed ninety percent of the total estimated costs of the stewardship activity project, to the qualified applicant. The bill would authorize the trust to utilize moneys in the Preserve New Jersey Urban Agriculture and Horticulture Fund for: (1) the fee simple acquisition or lesser interests in land, including, but not limited to, a development easement, a conservation restriction or easement, or any other restriction or easement permanently restricting development, by purchase or installment purchase agreement of land in urban areas of the State for agricultural or horticultural purposes; (2) providing grants under the grant program; and (3) paying certain administrative costs. Of the monies deposited into the Preserve New Jersey Urban Agriculture and Horticulture Fund, not more than fifteen percent can be utilized by the trust for organizational, administrative and other work and services, including salaries, equipment, and materials necessary to administer the bill's provisions. Finally, the bill would allow counties and municipalities to utilize open space trust funds for the additional purpose of acquiring lands in urban areas of the State for agricultural or horticultural purposes. Under current law, counties are authorized to establish "County Open Space, Recreation, Floodplain Protection, and Farmland and Historic Preservation Trust Funds" and municipalities are authorized to establish "Municipal Open Space, Recreation, Floodplain Protection, and Farmland and Historic Preservation Trust Funds." This bill would expand this authorization to specifically include the acquisition and stewardship of lands in urban areas of the State for agricultural or horticultural purposes and would revise the names of these open space trust funds to include "urban agriculture and horticulture." | In Committee |
| S4134 | Prohibits certain vehicles from parking in electric vehicle charging spaces under certain circumstances. | Prohibits certain vehicles from parking in electric vehicle charging spaces under certain circumstances. | In Committee |
| S4143 | Requires energy usage plan for proposed artificial intelligence data centers and cryptocurrency mining facilities; requires all electricity for artificial intelligence data centers and cryptocurrency mining facilities to be derived from new clean energy sources. | Requires energy usage plan for proposed artificial intelligence data centers and cryptocurrency mining facilities; requires all electricity for artificial intelligence data centers and cryptocurrency mining facilities to be derived from new clean energy sources. | In Committee |
| S3914 | Prohibits aquaculture of any species of octopus for purpose of human consumption. | This bill prohibits the aquaculture of any species of octopus for the purpose of human consumption. In addition, this bill prohibits a business entity from selling, possessing, or transporting any species of octopus that is the result or product of aquaculture. Any violation of the bill's provisions would be subject to a civil penalty not to exceed $1,000, and each day during which the violation continues would constitute an additional, separate, and distinct offense. The practice of octopus aquaculture has raised ethical and environmental concerns due to the highly advanced cognitive abilities and complex behaviors exhibited by these animals. Octopus farming practices and conditions, including inadequate living environments and confinement, may subject octopus to significant stress and suffering, compromise their well-being, and lead to adverse behavioral changes. As carnivores, octopuses require a high-protein diet sourced from wild fish and shellfish which could substantially increase demand on marine resources, further depleting fish stocks and disrupting marine ecosystems. Additionally, octopus aquaculture poses further risks to the marine ecosystems due to the heightened potential for the spread of infectious pathogens, which may impact other marine species and ecosystems. | In Committee |
| S4424 | Establishes geothermal energy pilot program for gas public utilities. | This bill requires the Board of Public Utilities (board) to establish a three-year pilot program to authorize a gas public utility (utility) to recover the cost of a geothermal energy project (project), which project involves the replacement of aging or leaking natural gas pipelines with geothermal energy infrastructure, through the utility rates charged to its ratepayers. To participate in the pilot program, a utility is to submit an infrastructure plan with any information regarding the project that the board deems necessary. While reviewing a plan, the board is to consider: (1) the size, scope, and scale of the project; (2) the cost of the project; (3) the expected benefits of the project; (4) the project's financial impact on the utility's ratepayers; (5) whether the project's benefits justify the cost of the project; and (6) any other criteria that the board deems appropriate. In addition, a utility is required to submit certain information on the operations of the pilot program to the board. The bill requires the board to, at a minimum, summarize this information in an annual report to the Governor and the Legislature until the expiration of the pilot program. In its third and final report, the board is required to also determine whether to expand the pilot program to a permanent program. If the board decides to expand the pilot program, after considering laws, rules, and regulations in other states with similar programs, the board is to adopt rules and regulations to effectuate the transition from a pilot program to a permanent program. The pilot program is to expire 30 days after the board's submission of its third and final report on the pilot program, provided that the board has not decided to expand the pilot program to become a permanent program. The board is to publish the reports on its Internet website. In addition, the bill amends current law to provide that the term "public utility" is to include an entity that owns, operates, manages, and controls geothermal energy within the State. Under the bill, "geothermal energy" means a renewable energy source derived from heat stored within the earth. "Geothermal energy" includes networked geothermal energy and deep geothermal energy. In addition, the bill defines "geothermal energy infrastructure" to mean utility-scale distribution infrastructure that supplies heating or cooling from geothermal energy sources. | In Committee |
| S4425 | Establishes "Fleet Conversion Task Force" in DEP. | This bill would establish the "Fleet Conversion Task Force" (task force) in the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). The task force would provide a report to the Governor and Legislature, no later than two years after its first meeting, on the issue of converting commercial motor vehicle fleets to zero-emission vehicles, after which it would dissolve. The task force would be composed of 15 members: six ex-officio members and nine members of the public appointed by the Senate President, Speaker of the General Assembly, and Governor, as enumerated in subsection b. of section 1 of the bill. The bill would direct the task force to study the challenges faced by commercial motor vehicle fleet owners and operators in converting their fleets to zero emission vehicles, to coordinate with the necessary stakeholders to develop a cost-effective ecosystem to support the transition to zero-emission motor vehicle fleets, and to formulate recommendations for policy changes that could ease compliance with any existing laws or policies, and recommendations for new policies that could more effectively and efficiently reduce greenhouse gas emissions from commercial motor vehicles. | In Committee |
| S1043 | Requires DEP to perform certain assessments concerning regulation of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances. | Requires DEP to perform certain assessments concerning regulation of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances. | In Committee |
| S4343 | Revises various provisions of MLUL; provides for certain model applications and checklists. | This bill proposes several amendments to the Municipal Land Use Law (MLUL), P.L.1975, c.291 (C.40:55D-1 et seq.). Specifically: Section 1 of the bill would amend section 2 of the MLUL (C.40:55D-2), the provision which sets forth the "intent and purpose" of the MLUL, to clarify that a current MLUL purpose: to "encourage coordination of the various public and private procedures and activities shaping land development with a view of lessening the cost of such development," includes the cost of processing applications for development. Section 2 of the bill would amend section 8 of P.L.1979, c.216 (C.40:55D-10.1) to require a zoning board of adjustment (ZBA) to grant a non-binding informal review of a developer's concept plan. Current law requires a planning board but not a ZBA to grant a non-binding informal concept plan review. Section 3 of the bill would amend section 5 of P.L.1984, c.20 (C.40:55D-10.3) to specify a 14-day period for the review of a resubmitted application for development during the completeness determination. Specifically, after an applicant has been notified of deficiencies in a prior application for development, the bill would require the municipal agency, or its authorized committee or designee, to either certify a resubmitted application to be complete within 14 days of the date of its submission, or the application would be deemed complete, unless: the application lacks information indicated on a checklist adopted by ordinance and provided to the applicant; and the municipal agency or its authorized committee or designee has notified the applicant, in writing, of the deficiencies in the application within 14 days of submission of the application. Section 4 of the bill would supplement the MLUL by requiring the Department of Community Affairs to adopt model forms for applications for development, and model forms for checklists, for the purpose of providing municipal agencies the option to adopt uniform standardized application forms and checklists. Section 5 of the bill would amend section 13 of P.L.1975, c.291 (C.40:55D-22) to establish timeframes for the review of resolution compliance submissions. Generally, a resolution memorializing the approval of an MLUL application for development sets forth conditions that must be fulfilled before an applicant's site plan or subdivision map can be signed or a zoning permit and building permit can be issued. Current law does not specify a timeframe for municipal agency consideration of an applicant's resolution compliance submissions. The bill specifically would require a municipal agency, or its designee, to review and verify the submitted proof of the fulfillment of conditions, and respond to the applicant within 30 days of receipt of an initial submission, and, if applicable, within 15 days of receipt of a subsequent submission. The bill would allow a municipal agency, or its designee, and an applicant to agree to extensions of time. Under the bill, if a municipal agency or its designee fails to respond, the applicant may institute a summary action in court to compel the municipal agency or its designee to respond, in writing, and to impose costs and attorney fees against the municipality. Section 6 of the bill would amend section 5 of P.L.1993, c.32 (C.40:55D-40.5) to provide that residential parking standards set forth in a redevelopment plan, adopted under the "Local Redevelopment and Housing Law," P.L.1992, c.79 (C.40A:12A-1 et seq.), control the parking requirements for the redevelopment project rather than the residential parking standards set forth in the Residential Site Improvement Standards. Section 7 of the bill would amend section 13 of P.L.1991, c.256 (C.40:55D-53.2) to require each professional who rendered services to a municipality or approving authority under the Municipal Land Use Law to submit to the chief financial officer of the municipality, prior to March 1 of each year, an annual statement setting forth a compilation of the following information:· the dollar amount billed for services rendered on each application for development over the prior calendar year;· the dollar amount collected for services rendered on each application for development over the prior calendar year;· the total dollar amount billed for services rendered on each application for development between the date of submission of the application for development and the date of submission of the annual statement; and· the total dollar amount collected for services rendered on each application for development between the date of submission of the application for development and the date of submission of the annual statement. Additionally, section 7 of the bill would require the Department of Community Affairs, prior to the first day of the fourth month next following enactment, to adopt a form for each professional to use when preparing and submitting an annual statement reporting the amount billed and collected on each application for development. This section would also require a municipality that maintains an Internet website to post and display thereon each annual statement received by the municipality's chief financial officer from a professional who rendered services to the municipality or an approving authority of the municipality. Finally, section 7 of the bill includes technical amendments to clarify the process for a professional to submit vouchers to the chief financial officer of the municipality when requesting release of payments from amounts deposited by a developer, and held in escrow by the municipality, for payments to professionals. Technical amendments to this section clarify that a professional's voucher is required to identify the personnel performing the service, and for each date of service: the services performed, the hours spent to one-quarter hour increments, the hourly rate, and the expenses incurred. Section 8 of the bill amends section 3 of P.L.1995, c.54 (C.40:55D-53.2a) to address the ability of an applicant to dispute amounts a professional charges for reviewing an application for development, et al. Current law affords a municipal governing body a "reasonable time period" to attempt to remediate disputed charges, and allows an applicant to appeal a professional fee dispute to the county construction board of appeals, if the matter is not resolved by the governing body to the applicant's satisfaction, within 45 days of receipt of the informational copy of the professional's voucher. The bill would delete current law's process, through which a municipal governing body may attempt to mediate a dispute over a professional's fees and charges, and instead allow an applicant to submit a dispute directly to the county construction board of appeals for nonbinding mediation. Current law requires an applicant to file an appeal disputing a professional's charges within 45 days following the applicant's receipt of an informational copy of a professional's voucher, or if the professional has not supplied the applicant with an informational copy of the voucher, within 60 days following the applicant's receipt of the municipal statement of activity against the deposit or escrow account. The bill would amend these provisions to allow an applicant, who was not provided an informational copy of a professional's voucher by the professional, to initiate a dispute of a professional's charges at any time at any time up to the 20th day following the issuance of the permanent certificate of occupancy for the development. Section 9 of the bill would amend section 20 of P.L.1991, c.256 (C.40:55D-69.1) to provide that, if an application for development involves a request for a variance under subsection d. of section 57 of P.L.1975, c.291 (C.40:55D-70), then Class IV members of the planning board shall be called upon to serve until the zoning board of adjustment has a full complement of seven members. Current law provides that if a zoning board of adjustment does not have a quorum, then planning board members are called upon to serve until there are the minimum number of members necessary for a quorum. The bill also makes additional technical changes. | In Committee |
| S4126 | Prohibits certain uses of perchloroethylene and trichloroethylene. | This bill would prohibit certain uses of the chemicals perchloroethylene (PCE) and trichloroethylene (TCE). Specifically, the bill would (1) prohibit all uses in commerce of TCE and (2) prohibit all consumer and commercial uses of PCE, and require an owner or operator of a facility that utilizes PCE to take appropriate measures to protect the facility's worker from exposure to PCE. The bill would require the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to adopt rules and regulations to implement these requirements. The bill would additionally specify that the DEP codify, on the state level, the rules and regulations that were adopted by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in December, 2024 concerning the use of PCE and TCE. PCE is a solvent that is used in brake cleaners and adhesives, in dry cleaning, and in many industrial applications. The EPA has found that PCE is associated with health risks such as damage to the kidney, liver, and immune system, neurotoxicity and reproductive toxicity, and cancer from inhalation or skin exposure. TCE is a volatile organic compound that is used in industrial cleaning and degreasing applications, lubricants, adhesives and sealants, paints and coatings, automotive care products, cleaning products, and furniture care products. The EPA has found that TCE is associated with health risks including liver cancer, kidney cancer, and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. | Crossed Over |
| S2594 | Appropriates $28,670,924 in 2003 and 1992 bond act monies for loans for dam restoration and repair projects and inland waters projects. | An Act appropriating $22,431,294 from the "Dam, Lake, Stream, Flood Control, Water Resources, and Wastewater Treatment Project Bond Act of 2003," P.L.2003, c.162, and $6,239,630 from the "Green Acres, Clean Water, Farmland and Historic Preservation Bond Act of 1992," P.L.1992, c.88, to provide loans for dam restoration and repair projects and inland waters projects. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| S223 | Directs BPU to establish certain standards concerning electric public utility use of customer energy usage data. | Directs BPU to establish certain standards concerning electric public utility use of customer energy usage data. | In Committee |
| S1029 | "Invasive Species Management Act"; prohibits sale, distribution, import, export, and propagation of certain invasive species; establishes NJ invasive Species Council. | "Invasive Species Management Act"; prohibits sale, distribution, import, export, and propagation of certain invasive species; establishes NJ Invasive Species Council. | Crossed Over |
| S4117 | "Climate Corporate Data Accountability Act"; requires certain business entities to publicize annual greenhouse gas emissions data. | "Climate Corporate Data Accountability Act"; requires certain business entities to publicize annual greenhouse gas emissions data. | In Committee |
| SCR124 | Condemns President Trump's decision to withdraw U.S. from Paris Climate Accord. | This resolution condemns President Trump's decision to withdraw the United States from the Paris Climate Accord, and urges him to rejoin it. | In Committee |
| SR125 | Urges states in PJM Interconnection region to require data centers to obtain electricity from new zero- or low-emission sources of energy. | This resolution urges states within the PJM Interconnection region to enact policies that will require data centers to obtain their electricity from new zero- or low-emission sources of energy. Data centers consume approximately four percent of the electricity in the United States, and that is expected to increase to nine percent by 2030, according to the Electric Power Research Institute. At the rate at which electric consumption is projected to grow, regional electric grids will likely be unable to meet these demands. Regional electric grids across the United States are currently becoming less reliable and secure due to the increase in electricity consumption, in part caused by the rapid growth of data centers. As a result, the need for clean energy to support the demands of data centers in the PJM Interconnection region is critical in order to alleviate the load on the electric grid. Clean energy sources will be able to take on the burden of supplying electricity to existing data centers and provide long term sustainability for the increase in demand by data centers over time. | In Committee |
| S4271 | "Electronic Cigarette Extended Producer Responsibility Act." | This bill, to be known as the "Electronic Cigarette Extended Producer Responsibility Act," would require producers of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) and their component parts to form a producer responsibility organization (PRO) and develop and implement a plan to provide for the sound disposal of e-cigarettes. The bill would require the formation of the PRO within two years after the bill's enactment. The bill would require the PRO to be approved by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), and to meet certain standards established by the bill. Within five years after the bill's enactment, the bill would require the PRO to submit an "e-cigarette stewardship plan" to the DEP. The plan would be required to, among other things, provide collection site locations Statewide that will accept post-consumer e-cigarettes such that: (1) at least 90 percent of State residents have a permanent collection site within 15 miles of their residence; (2) permanent collection sites be established for every 30,000 residents of a population center, and (3) collection sites be distributed to provide convenient and equitable access for residents within each population center. The bill would also require the PRO to charge fees to its members, in order to fund the PRO's activities and the implementation of the e-cigarette stewardship plan. The fees would be based, in part, on the quantity of e-cigarettes sold by the member in the State. The fees would also be based on the environmental impact of the e-cigarette, with, for example, lower fees being charged for reusable e-cigarettes and e-cigarettes that contain recycled content. The bill would require the DEP to approve the e-cigarette stewardship plan, according to certain procedures established in section 6 of the bill, and the bill would require the plan to be updated at least every five years. Beginning six years after the bill's effective date, the bill would prohibit the sale of e-cigarettes made by producers that do not join the PRO, and the bill would establish civil penalties of $500 for producers, distributors, and retailers that sell the prohibited e-cigarettes. The bill would authorize the DEP, municipalities, and county environmental enforcement agencies to enforce this prohibition. The bill would also authorize the DEP to assess civil administrative penalties of up to $10,000 per violation for any violation of the bill's provisions. | In Committee |
| S199 | Requires environmental sustainability plan for State House Complex. | Requires environmental sustainability plan for State House Complex. | Crossed Over |
| SCR11 | Amends Constitution to prohibit construction of new fossil fuel power plants. | Amends Constitution to prohibit construction of new fossil fuel power plants. | In Committee |
| S3398 | "Packaging and Paper Product Stewardship Act." | "Packaging and Paper Product Stewardship Act." | In Committee |
| S3464 | Requires electric public utilities to upgrade certain portions of electric transmission and distribution system with advanced conductors. | This bill would direct each electric public utility in the State to upgrade the utility's portion of the electric transmission and distribution system with advanced conductors, wherever practicable, both in the course of routine maintenance to the system, and through standalone primary wire replacement projects. The bill would require each public utility, no later than one year after the effective date of the bill, to conduct an assessment of its portion of the transmission and distribution system in order to determine the most cost effective and beneficial locations to be upgraded through advanced reconductoring. No later than three months after the electric public utility completes the assessment, it would be required to make a filing with the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) outlining the locations it proposes to upgrade. The bill would also authorize electric public utilities to petition the BPU to include the reasonable costs of these projects in the utility's rate base, allowing the costs to be recovered from ratepayers. The bill would authorize the BPU to develop criteria for what constitutes "reasonable costs" for advanced reconductoring projects. Most power lines in the United States consist of steel cores surrounded by strands of aluminum. Advanced conductors use alternative designs or materials, for example smaller, lighter cores composed of carbon fiber, which can be surrounded by additional aluminum. Advanced conductors decrease the electric resistance of the power line and allow it to carry additional electric current. In addition, the cost of upgrading existing lines to advanced conductors is usually cheaper than the cost of constructing new power lines. | In Committee |
| S2556 | Requires installation of smart thermostats in all new residential construction. | This bill would require the installation of a smart thermostat in all new residential construction. For the purposes of this bill, a "smart thermostat" is defined as a thermostat with a wireless Internet connection, which may be used alone or as part of a larger home automation platform. This type of thermostat is also commonly known as a "wi-fi thermostat." In order to obtain a construction permit for new residential construction, an applicant would be required to include provisions in the construction permit application for the installation of a smart thermostat in each residential unit to be constructed. The bill directs the Commissioner of Community Affairs, in consultation with the Board of Public Utilities, to adopt regulations to effectuate the purposes of this bill. These regulations would include energy efficiency standards for smart thermostats. This bill would take effect on the first day of the seventh month following enactment into law. | In Committee |
| S4102 | Allocates $7.5 million annually of constitutionally dedicated CBT revenue for preservation of land in Highlands Region. | This bill would amend and supplement the "Preserve New Jersey Act," P.L.2016, c.12 (C.13:8C-43 et seq.), to allocate $7.5 million annually of constitutionally dedicated Corporation Business Tax (CBT) revenue to the Highlands Water Protection and Planning Council (council) for the preservation of land in the Highlands Region. The funding in this bill is provided from constitutionally dedicated CBT revenues pursuant to Article VIII, Section II, paragraph 6 of the State Constitution, which dedicates six percent of the CBT for certain environmental purposes. Under the "Preserve New Jersey Act" (act), P.L.2016, c.12 (C.13:8C-43 et seq.), of the dedicated CBT revenues allocated for open space, farmland, and historic preservation, each year: 62 percent is allocated to the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) for recreation and conservation purposes; 31 percent is allocated to the State Agriculture Development Committee (SADC) for farmland preservation; and the remaining seven percent is allocated to the New Jersey Historic Trust for historic preservation. Under this bill, $5 million of the amount allocated each year to the DEP and $2.5 million of the amount allocated to the SADC would be deposited into the "Preserve New Jersey Highlands Preservation Fund," a new fund created by the bill. These moneys, totaling $7.5 million each year would be used by the council to preserve lands located in the Highlands Region. | In Committee |
| S4040 | Requires public entities purchase five percent of goods and services from Central Nonprofit Agency; requires Division of Purchase and Property establish training protocols for all purchasing agents; grants Central Nonprofit Agency right of first refusal. | Under current law, State and local government agencies and political subdivisions of the State that are authorized to purchase goods and services are required to make a good faith effort to purchase five percent of such goods and services through the Central Nonprofit Agency, an agency established by the "Rehabilitation Facilities Set-Aside Act." Under the bill, such State and local government agencies and political subdivisions of the State will be required to purchase five percent of goods and services through the Central Nonprofit Agency. The bill clarifies reporting and oversight requirements. Under the bill, the Division of Purchase and Property in the Department of the Treasury must submit a report of purchasing data to the Central Nonprofit Agency for the Rehabilitation Facilities Set-Aside program no more than six months after the effective date of this bill, and on a quarterly basis thereafter. In addition, the Department of the Treasury will be required to report annually to the Governor and the Legislature detailing the compliance of State and local government entities and political subdivisions with the purchasing thresholds. The bill also provides that the Division of Purchase and Property, in collaboration with the Central Nonprofit Agency, must establish training protocols for all purchasing agents employed by State or local government entities or political subdivisions required to meet the purchasing thresholds. The bill also provides that the Central Nonprofit Agency will have a right of first refusal for all goods and services that may otherwise be purchased through a cooperative purchasing agreement catalog so long as the Central Nonprofit Agency can deliver the goods or services that would otherwise be purchased through a cooperative purchasing agreement catalog at a price that is within 15 percent of fair market value. The "Rehabilitation Facilities Set-Aside Act" assists persons who are blind or have a severe disability with achieving maximum personal independence through productive employment by assuring a continuous market for their goods and services, which are produced at qualified rehabilitation facilities and distributed through the Central Nonprofit Agency. The Central Nonprofit Agency is designated by the Commissioner of the Department of Human Services to facilitate the distribution of orders received from various State agencies as provided in the "Rehabilitation Facilities Set-Aside Act." This bill furthers the goals of the "Rehabilitation Facilities Set-Aside Act" to assist in the productive employment of individuals with special needs. | In Committee |
| S3545 | "Climate Superfund Act"; imposes liability on certain fossil fuel companies for certain damages caused by climate change and establishes program in DEP to collect and distribute compensatory payments. | "Climate Superfund Act"; imposes liability on certain fossil fuel companies for certain damages caused by climate change and establishes program in DEP to collect and distribute compensatory payments. | In Committee |
| S3802 | Requires certain State-funded construction projects to utilize plastic construction materials that contain certain amounts of postconsumer recycled content. | This bill would require State-funded construction projects carried out by the State, a county, or a municipality to incorporate plastic construction materials that contain 10 percent postconsumer recycled content until two years after the bill's enactment, and 15 percent thereafter. The bill would apply to construction materials that contain greater than 50 percent plastic, calculated by cost. The bill defines "construction material" as an article, material, or supply that is brought to the site of a construction project for incorporation into the building or work, which meets applicable standards related to performance and is of a satisfactory quality. The bill would provide exemptions to the bill's postconsumer recycled content requirements if: (1) the use of plastic construction material that contains the necessary recycled content would increase the overall cost of the project by 25 percent, or (2) plastic construction materials that contain the necessary recycled content do not exist for the intended application, or are not available in sufficient quantities. | In Committee |
| A3446 | "Freedom to Read Act"; establishes requirements for library material in public school libraries and public libraries; protects school library staff members and librarians. | An Act concerning public school libraries and public libraries and supplementing Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| AJR46 | Designates October of each year as "Hindu Heritage Month" in New Jersey. | This joint resolution designates January of each year as "Hindu Heritage Month" in the State of New Jersey in recognition of the many Hindu residents of this State and their rich and noteworthy history and cultural contributions to this State. Hinduism is the oldest religion in the world, dating back to a time between 3000-8000 BCE. Sacred texts have been passed on through generations for thousands of years, creating a strong following of 1.1 billion Hindus in the 21st century. Hindus believe in a variety of deities, each representing different concepts and values within Hinduism. Different sects of Hindus emphasize particular deities and practices over others, depending on their beliefs. Various Hindu gods and goddesses can be traced to origin points spanning several thousand years, making the traditions surrounding Hinduism and the Hindu deities rich and storied. Some deities have holidays celebrated in their honor, such as Diwali, the Festival of Lights, which celebrates Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and fortune. Another well-known Hindu holiday is Holi, the Festival of Colors. It is a holiday celebrating the coming of spring, famous for colorful paste and water thrown on those celebrating. Hindus have made enormous contributions to cultural development throughout history across the globe. Significant achievements in math, science, and medicine used in the modern world can be traced to Hindus. New Jersey is lucky enough to be the state with the highest percentage of Hindu residents in the United States. The Hindu community has shown others the beauty of their beliefs, including though the establishment of the largest Hindu temple in the world, now located in Robbinsville, New Jersey. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| SJR12 | Designates October of each year as "Hindu Heritage Month" in New Jersey. | Designates October of each year as "Hindu Heritage Month" in New Jersey. | In Committee |
| SR98 | Commemorates 45th anniversary of enactment of Taiwan Relations Act and 35th anniversary of New Jersey-Taiwan sister state relationship. | This resolution commemorates the 45th anniversary of the enactment of the Taiwan Relations Act and the 35th anniversary of the New Jersey-Taiwan sister state relationship. The Taiwan Relations Act (TRA) was passed by the United States. Congress on April 10, 1979 to sustain a close bilateral relationship and advance mutual security and commercial interests between the United States and Taiwan. Since its enactment, the TRA has served as the cornerstone of U.S.-Taiwan relations, preserving peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, a part of the South China Sea that separates the island of Taiwan from the Asian continent. The Taiwan Strait is crucial to the maintenance of a free, open, and secure Indo-Pacific region. Its importance has been recently highlighted in global summits such as the G7, NATO and East Asian Summit. The TRA has served as the foundation for the mutually beneficial partnership between Taiwan and the United States. In 2023, a total of $127.5 billion in bilateral trade occurred between the United States and Taiwan, making Taiwan the 8th largest trading partner of the United States. In June 2023, the U.S.-Taiwan Initiative on 21st Century Trade was signed to enhance the existing trade partnership as a means to promote innovation and inclusive economic growth for workers, as well as businesses. The United States has also assisted Taiwan in furthering their global participation through international organizations, such as the World Health Organization and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. In 1989, New Jersey and Taiwan entered a sister-state relationship, which remains a continuous and prosperous affiliation today. In 2021, the relationship was expanded by a sister-city agreement between Newark, New Jersey and Taoyuan City, Taiwan. In 2023, New Jersey exported approximately $723 million worth of products to Taiwan, making Taiwan the State's 5th largest export market in Asia. In October 2023, Governor Murphy announced plans to open Choose New Jersey's New Jersey Asian-Pacific Center in Taiwan and witnessed numerous Memorandums of Understanding between State executive agencies and Taiwan to establish powerful economic trade partnerships and bilateral educational infrastructure. As of March 2024, over 200 Taiwanese companies have invested in New Jersey leading to the creation of new jobs in the State. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| S2421 | "Freedom to Read Act"; establishes requirements for library material in public school libraries and public libraries; protects school library staff members and librarians. | "Freedom to Read Act"; establishes requirements for library material in public school libraries and public libraries; protects school library staff members and librarians. | In Committee |
| S3195 | Prohibits food service businesses from providing single-use utensils and condiments to customers, except upon request, and requires certain food service businesses to provide reusable, washable utensils to customers eating on site. | Prohibits food service businesses from providing single-use utensils and condiments to customers, except upon request, and requires certain food service businesses to provide reusable, washable utensils to customers eating on site. | In Committee |
| S2433 | Requires paint producers to implement or participate in paint stewardship program. | This bill requires every producer of architectural paint sold in the State to implement, or participate in, a Statewide architectural paint stewardship program. The bill requires every architectural paint producer, or a representative organization established on behalf of two or more such producers, to develop and implement a plan for an architectural paint stewardship program designed to minimize the involvement of, and eliminate costs to, the public sector in association with the collection, transportation and processing of post-consumer architectural paint by reducing its generation, promoting its reuse and recycling, and negotiating and executing agreements for its collection, transportation, reuse, recycling, burning for energy recovery, incineration, and disposal using environmentally sound management practices that are consistent with the United States Environmental Protection Agency's Waste Management Hierarchy (federal waste management hierarchy), a four-tiered hierarchy that guides waste management by promoting source reduction, recycling, energy recovery, and waste treatment and disposal, in that order. The bill requires any such plan to: (1) provide for convenient and available Statewide collection of post-consumer architectural paint from urban, suburban, and rural areas of the State in a manner that, at a minimum, ensures collection rates and a level of convenience equal to or greater than that provided by other collection programs available to consumers prior to the establishment of the architectural paint stewardship program; (2) provide collection site locations Statewide that will accept post-consumer architectural paint; (3) address, to the extent reasonably feasible and mutually agreeable, the coordination of the architectural paint stewardship program with the existing infrastructure of local governments and the existing household hazardous waste collection infrastructure in the State, to the extent that there are no additional costs to the local, county, or State government, for the collection, transportation, or processing of post-consumer architectural paint; (4) describe how the program will follow a hierarchy that is consistent, to the extent feasible, with the federal waste management hierarchy; (5) describe the educational materials and outreach efforts that would be used to inform consumers about the architectural paint stewardship program and the paint stewardship assessment including a notice provision stating that the costs of program operation will be included in the purchase price of all architectural paint sold in the State; (6) identify an appropriate amount for the paint stewardship assessment; (7) provide two lists respectively identifying each producer participating in the architectural paint stewardship program, and the brands of architectural paint included under the program; and (8) include a proposed budget that has been reviewed and certified by an independent financial auditor, and which confirms that the paint stewardship assessment included in the price of each unit of paint sold in the State will cover and sustain, but not exceed, the costs of the architectural paint stewardship program. No sooner than five years and no later than six years, after the effective date of this act, all architectural paint stewardship plans would be required to be amended to provide for the environmentally sound collection, transportation, reuse, recycling and disposal of aerosol paint. Under the bill, a producer or representative organization is also required to establish, as a funding mechanism for the program and the implementation of its plan, and to include in the program plan, a paint stewardship assessment amount that is uniformly included in the sale price of all brands of architectural paint covered under the architectural paint stewardship program. The bill prohibits the assessment amount from exceeding the costs of implementing and sustaining the architectural paint stewardship plan and the architectural paint stewardship program. Each producer is required to include the paint stewardship assessment in the cost of each container of architectural paint sold thereby to a retailer or distributor in the State, and each retailer or distributor is then required to include the paint stewardship assessment in the purchase price of the producer's architectural paint. If a producer is a member of a representative organization, the producer is required to remit to the representative organization the paint stewardship assessment received for each container of architectural paint sold by the producer in the State. The bill requires an architectural paint stewardship program plan to be submitted to the DEP for approval prior to its implementation by a paint producer or representative organization. The bill authorizes the DEP to approve or disapprove of a proposed plan. If the DEP disapproves of a plan, the bill provides a procedure for subsequent plan revision by the producer or representative organization, and DEP review of the revised plan. If the DEP is dissatisfied with a revised plan, the bill authorizes the DEP, in the interests of expediency, to propose any modifications or substitutions to the plan's provisions it deems necessary. The bill requires notice to the DEP if there are any changes to the location or number of collection sites, the identity of the processors that manage the post-consumer architectural paint, or the transporters of the post-consumer architectural paint collected by the program. An amendment to the plan is required if there is any change to the amount of the paint stewardship assessment or the goals of the architectural paint stewardship program. The bill directs the DEP to charge and collect from each producer or representative organization that submits a plan pursuant to the bill an annual administrative fee, not to exceed the DEP's costs in administering the provisions of the bill. The bill requires a producer or representative organization to implement the program described in a proposed plan within 90 days after its approval or modification by the DEP. The producer or representative organization is further required to submit an annual report to the DEP, which describes or includes, among other things: the pounds of post-architectural paint collected in the State; the methods used to collect, transport, reduce, reuse, recycle, and process post-consumer architectural paint; a list of all producers participating in the program; the estimated volume collected at each collection site; a list of the processors of post-consumer architectural paint and the disposition method used by each processor; an evaluation of the effectiveness of the program and any steps necessary to improve the program; samples of the educational materials provided to consumers of architectural paint; and a certification to the validity of the information contained in the report. The bill prohibits a producer, distributor, or retailer of architectural paint from selling architectural paint, or offering it for sale, in the State unless the producer of the paint, or a representative organization of which the producer is a member, is engaged in the implementation of, or has fully implemented, an architectural paint stewardship program plan or revised plan approved by the DEP commissioner. A distributor or retailer is deemed to be in compliance with this sales prohibition if, on the date architectural paint is ordered thereby, the producer of the paint and the brand name of the paint are each identified on the DEP's Internet website as being included in an architectural paint stewardship program plan. The bill provides that any producer, distributor, or retailer who fails to comply with the bill's sales prohibition is subject to a written warning for a first offense, and a penalty of $500 for each subsequent offense. The bill authorizes the DEP to institute a civil action for injunctive relief to prevent a continuing violation of this sales prohibition. However, in order to allow time for the submission, approval, or modification of the plans required by the bill, the sales prohibition and penalty provision do not take effect until the first day of the 18th month following enactment of the bill into law. The bill also provides that when the DEP determines that any producer, distributor, or retailer is in violation of the bill's provisions, the DEP may assess a civil administrative penalty of not more than $500 for each violation, not to exceed a maximum penalty of $10,000 during a calendar year, and each day of violation would constitute an additional, separate, and distinct violation. A civil administrative penalty would not be levied until a violator has been notified by certified mail or personal service of the following: the statutory or regulatory basis of the violation; the specific act or omission that constituted the violation; the amount of the civil administrative penalty to be imposed; the right of the violator to contest, through a hearing, any matter contained in the notice; and the procedures for requesting a hearing on any contested matter. The bill also provides that the DEP may post on its Internet website a list of producers, distributors, and retailers that are in violation of this act. Finally, the bill specifies that a producer or the representative organization participating in a post-consumer paint stewardship program will not be liable for any claim of a violation of antitrust, restraint of trade, unfair trade practice, or other anticompetitive conduct arising from conduct undertaken in accordance with the program, including, without limitation, the types or quantities of paint being managed consistent with the federal waste management hierarchy. This protection against antitrust liability is, however, not applicable to: (1) any agreement establishing or affecting the price of architectural paint, except an agreement to establish a paint stewardship assessment, as authorized by the bill; or (2) any agreement restricting the output or production of architectural paint or the geographic area or customers to which paint will be sold. | In Committee |
| S224 | Prohibits sale, distribution, and import of certain products marketed as recyclable, unless DEP determines that products are widely recycled. | Prohibits sale, distribution, and import of certain products marketed as recyclable, unless DEP determines that products are widely recycled. | In Committee |
| S3672 | Establishes protections for immigrants interacting with government agencies; designates "New Jersey Immigrant Trust Act." | This bill creates a uniform code for State and local government entities, as well as health care facilities, regarding the use of resources to aid federal immigration law enforcement, and designates the "New Jersey Immigrant Trust Act." Under the bill, the definition of government entities includes any of the principal departments of the executive branch of State government and any parts or creations thereof, any independent State authority, commission, instrumentality or agency, including any public institution of higher education. The bill's definition also includes political subdivisions of the State and combinations of political subdivisions, independent authorities, commissions, instrumentalities and agencies created by a political subdivision or combination of political subdivisions. Under the bill, government entities and healthcare facilities are prohibited from collecting certain personal and identifying information unless it is strictly necessary for program or service administration. Any record resulting from that collection, whether written or oral, would not be a government record under the "Open Public Records Act" unless an election agency requires it to ascertain the eligibility of a candidate when citizenship is required for an elected office. Any record also shall not be disclosed except as required to administer benefits or services pursuant to State or federal law, or valid court order or warrant, issued by a federal Article III judge or magistrate or the State equivalent. The bill provides that the prohibition on sharing information may be waived if the subject of the record or information provides written consent in that person's preferred language. The written consent shall include the following: (1) the exact record or information to be shared; (2) the purpose for sharing the record or information; (3) a statement clarifying that consent is voluntary and declining to consent shall not result in discrimination or retaliation by the government entity; (4) a statement clarifying that consent may be revoked, but that revocation does not impact a record or information already shared via prior written consent provided pursuant to this section; and (5) the person or agency to receive the record or information. The bill requires government entities to review their confidentiality policies, guidance and recommendations to identify any changes necessary to ensure compliance with the provisions of the bill and make any changes as expeditiously as possible, but no later than one year after the bill becomes effective. The bill also requires these entities to share their policies prominently on their Internet websites. This bill also requires the Attorney General, in consultation with the Public Defender, to prepare a written notice explaining in plain language the provisions of section 6 of the bill. Section 6 of the bill details the prohibition of certain actions by law enforcement. The bill requires the notice and all translations to be posted to the Internet website of the Department of Law and Public Safety and to be considered vital documents pursuant to P.L.2023, c.263 (C.52:14-40 et seq.). The Attorney General is also required to consult with stakeholders serving or representing immigrant communities in the development of standardized training and guidance for law enforcement to comply with the bill's provisions. The AG also shall provide mandatory training to all State, county and local law enforcement agencies within one year of the bill's effective date. Any newly sworn officer is required to complete this training within a year of the officer's appointment. The Department of Human Services is required to consult with stakeholders serving or representing immigrant communities to develop and lead a multilingual campaign to promote public awareness of the bill's requirements for law enforcement agencies. As part of the awareness campaign, DHS is required to publish the text of section 6 of the bill's provisions and a plain language summary and explanation of those requirements on its Internet website within 180 days of the bill's enactment. . Under the bill, the Attorney General is also required to consult with other government entities and stakeholders in the development of model policies for sensitive locations. These locations include health care facilities, public schools, public libraries, shelters, and any other locations deemed appropriate by the Attorney General to ensure that eligible individuals are not deterred from seeking services or engaging with government entities. The model policies prohibit the request or collection of certain information regarding a person's immigration status, place of birth or taxpayer identification except to determine eligibility for services or program benefits. The model policies prohibit assistance or participation of immigration enforcement, and prohibit the permission of immigration enforcement on entity premises that are not open without restriction to the general public. The Attorney General is required to publish the model policies on the Internet website of the Department of Law and Public Safety. The bill requires government entities with authority to regulate sensitive places to adopt the model policies within 180 days of issuance by the Attorney General's office and encourages facilities not regulated by government entities to adopt the policies. The bill prohibits certain actions by law enforcement. Specifically, State, county, and municipal law enforcement agencies and officials shall not: (1) stop, question, arrest, search, or detain any individual based on actual or suspected citizenship or immigration status, or actual or suspected violations of federal civil immigration law; (2) inquire about an individual's immigration status, citizenship, place of birth, or eligibility for a social security number; (3) make an arrest, detain, or prolong the detention of an individual based on civil immigration warrants; (4) use agency or department moneys, facilities, property, equipment, or personnel to investigate, enforce, or assist in the investigation or enforcement of any federal program requiring registration of individuals on the basis of race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, immigration status, citizenship, or national or ethnic origin; or (5) make agency or department databases available to anyone or any entity for the purpose of immigration enforcement or investigation or enforcement of any federal program requiring registration of individuals on the basis of race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, immigration status, citizenship, or national or ethnic origin. The bill nullifies any agreement, policy or practice in place that permits in conflict with this clause. Law enforcement agencies in the State are also prohibited from: (1) participating in civil immigration enforcement operations; (2) providing to federal immigration authorities any information that identifies, relates to, describes, is reasonably capable of being associated with, or could reasonably be linked, directly or indirectly, with a particular person; (3) providing access to any State, county, or municipal law enforcement equipment, office space, database, or property; (4) providing access to a detained individual for an interview; (5) facilitating or complying with immigration detainers, notification requests, and transfer requests from federal immigration authorities; (6) continuing to detain a person past the time the person would otherwise be eligible for release from custody based solely on an immigration detainer or civil immigration warrant; (7) entering into, modifying, renewing, or extending any agreement to exercise federal immigration authority or conduct immigration enforcement pursuant to section 287(g) of Title 8 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, 8 U.S.C. §1357(g), or otherwise exercising federal civil immigration authority or conducting immigration enforcement outside of the purview of 287(g) of Title 8 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, 8 U.S.C. §1357(g); or (8) providing or sharing funds, property, equipment, personnel, or access to facilities or real property not open to the general public for purposes of engaging in, assisting, supporting, or facilitating immigration enforcement. The bill provides that violations of the prohibitions on police conduct in the bill would be enforceable under the "New Jersey Civil Rights Act," P.L.2004, c.143. If an agency or law enforcement official intends to comply with an immigration detainer, notification request, civil immigration warrant, or transfer request concerning a person in custody, a written explanation specifying the legal basis for that action is required to be given to the person is custody. Lastly, the bill requires each State, county, and municipal law enforcement agency to submit to the Attorney General a report that includes: (1) the number of detainer requests, transfer requests, and notification requests made by immigration authorities, and the responses of the State, county, or municipal law enforcement agency. For any request that was granted, the report shall specify any legal basis for granting that request; (2) the number of interviews requested and the number of interviews conducted, either in person or telephonically, by immigration authorities of people in State, county, or municipal law enforcement custody. For each interview conducted, the report shall specify any legal basis for granting the interview; (3) any other requests made by immigration authorities for the agency's participation in immigration enforcement, the responses of the State, county, or municipal law enforcement agency, and the legal basis for granting the request; and (4) to the extent the law enforcement agency has knowledge, any information about State, county, and municipal databases to which immigration authorities have had access to at any time in the course of the year, including: the name of the database; an overview of information available on the database; the purpose for which immigration authorities have access to this database; the process through which immigration authorities requested access and agencies reviewed this request, if applicable; any legal basis for providing immigration authorities access to the database; and the frequency with which immigration authorities accessed the database over the course of the year. Law enforcement agencies have 180 days after the effective date of the bill to produce the first report and must then annually submit a report within 30 days of the end of the State's fiscal year. The Attorney General is initially required to publish the report on the office's website within 90 days of receipt, and then within 90 days of the end of the fiscal year thereafter. The Attorney General is also required to annually submit to the Governor and Legislature a report on each law enforcement agency's compliance with the provisions of this act. | In Committee |
| S3667 | Permits purchase of service credit in PERS for time served as Eagleton Science and Politics Fellow. | This bill allows for any current or future member of the Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS) to purchase service credit for time they previously spent in the Eagleton Science and Politics Fellowship Program at the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers, the State University, as a fellow. Members may purchase up to one year of service credit for this time by agreeing to pay the contributions required to cover the time in service. The bill provides that the member will be required to submit to the Division of Pensions and Benefits a statement, signed and attested to by the Director of the Eagleton Institute of Politics, detailing their time and the nature of their service in the fellowship program. The member will not be eligible to purchase this additional service if the member has a vested right to retirement benefits in another retirement system based in whole or in part upon that service. The public employer will not be responsible for any contributions to the retirement system based upon the member's prior service in the fellowship program. | In Committee |
| S3619 | Requires filtration system to capture microfibers and microplastics on washing machines sold on or after January 1, 2030. | This bill prohibits the sale or offer for sale, on or after January 1, 2030, of a new washing machine for residential, commercial, or State use unless the washing machine: (1) contains a microfiber filtration system with a mesh size of not greater than 100 micrometers; and (2) bears a conspicuous label that is visible to the consumer, in the form of a sticker or any other label type, that includes the following statement: "NOTICE: THIS WASHING MACHINE CONTAINS A FILTER TO CAPTURE MICROFIBERS. CHECK THE FILTER REGULARLY AND DISPOSE OF CAPTURED LINT IN A WASTE BIN." The bill also establishes a civil penalty for violations of the bill's provisions of up to $10,000 for a first violation, and up to $30,000 for each subsequent violation, to be collected by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) in a civil action by a summary proceeding under the "Penalty Enforcement Law of 1999." Finally, the bill authorizes the DEP to adopt regulations necessary to implement the bill's provisions. | In Committee |
| S3532 | Includes Sikhs as protected class in bias intimidation law; appropriates $100,000. | This bill amends N.J.S.A.2C:16-1, the crime of bias intimidation,to specifically include Sikhism in the protected classes set forth in the statute. Sikhism is the monotheistic religion founded in India in the 15th century by Guru Nanak. New Jersey is home to approximately 100,000 Sikhs, which is one of the largest Sikh populations in the United States. On October 16, 2023, the Federal Bureau of Investigation ("FBI") released its annual report of hate crime statistics, which recorded 198 anti-Sikh hate crime incidents. According to the FBI report, Sikhs remain the second-most targeted group in the nation for religiously-motivated hate crime incidents. Current law enumerates the protected classes of race, color, religion, gender, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, and ethnicity in the bias intimidation statute. Under the provisions of the bill, a person is guilty of the crime of bias intimidation if he commits, attempts, conspires, or threatens the immediate commission of certain specified offenses with a purpose to intimidate an individual or group because of their membership within a protected class, including but not limited to, race, color, religion, gender, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, ethnicity, or Sikhism, or knowing that the conduct would cause an individual or group to be intimidated on that basis or under circumstances in which the victim believes he was targeted on that basis. Pursuant to this bill, all local, county, and State law enforcement entities in New Jersey are to report all violations under the statute to the State and federal law enforcement agencies responsible for preparing bias crime reports. Further, this bill sets forth that the Office of Attorney General, in consultation with the Department of Education, is to: (1) develop training, for the dissemination to county and local law enforcement agencies, on Sihkism, which shall include, but not limited to, visible Sikh identity features, including turbans, bracelets, moustaches, beard, and physical attire, and the classification of bias intimidation cases as anti-sikh, to prevent the misclassification of hate and bias incidents. (2) coordinate with other State agencies and departments in the creation of a public awareness campaign and educational initiatives on Sikhism; and (3) annually report to the Governor and the Legislature on the public awareness campaign,educational initiatives on Sikhism executed through the public awareness campaign across different public platforms, and on the steps taken to include Sikhism education across curriculum standards in different grades across township boards of education within this State. Pursuant to this bill, the New Jersey Office of Attorney General, in consultation with the New Jersey field office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness, shall develop a transnational repression recognition and response training program that is to include how to identify different tactics of transnational repression and best practices for appropriate county, local and state law enforcement prevention, reporting, and response tactics. Current law establishes within the Division of Purchase and Property in the State Department of the Treasury, the position of Chief Diversity Officer. This bill expands the Chief Diversity Officer's responsibilities to include: ensuring that each public entity of this State incorporate the definition for anti-Sikh hate into the bias intimidation policy of the public entity; and ensuring that the definition of anti-Sikh hate is incorporated into the diversity, equity, and inclusivity promotion policies in any program offered by the State or any political subdivision of the State. This bill appropriates $100,000, for three consecutive years following enactment, from the General Fund to the Office of the Attorney General to fund Sikh awareness educational initiatives and outreach efforts to the Sikh community. | In Committee |
| S3559 | Revises New Jersey Aspire Program to clarify that certain incentive awards may not be prorated. | This bill amends the "New Jersey Aspire Program Act" to clarify that all redevelopment projects approved under the New Jersey Aspire Program (Aspire Program) would not have tax credits prorated during any year of the project's eligibility period. Under current law, redevelopment projects that submitted a completed project application to the authority on or prior to the effective date of P.L.2023, c.98 are subject to the rules and regulations adopted by the Chief Executive Office of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (authority) on November 5, 2021. Additionally, certain project applications submitted within 121 days after the effective date of P.L.2023, c.98 are subject to the rules and regulations adopted by the authority on November 5, 2021. All other redevelopment projects are subject to the rules and regulations adopted by the authority on December 5, 2023, pursuant to P.L.2023, c.98 (C.34:1B-335.1 et al.). Notably, the regulations adopted by the authority on November 5, 2021 required the authority to prorate the tax credit for the first and last years of the eligibility period based on the number of full months the project was certified in the year the developer first certifies. However, the regulations adopted by the authority on December 5, 2023 do not include this proration requirement. The bill provides that any project application submitted to the authority on or prior to the effective date of P.L.2023, c.98 (C.34:1B-335.1 et al.), July 6, 2023, or any project application that was approved under the rules and regulations adopted by the authority on November 4, 2021, would not be subject to the proration of the project's tax credit incentive award during any year of the project's eligibility period. | In Committee |
| SR99 | Urges EPA to adopt drinking water standard for microplastics and nanoplastics. | This resolution urges the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to adopt drinking water standards for microplastics and nanoplastics. Microplastics are tiny plastic particles that are less than five millimeters in length. Nanoplastics, a subset of microplastics, are even smaller plastic particles less than one micrometer in length, which is about the size of a bacterium and small enough to be undetectable by the naked eye. Microplastics and nanoplastics come from a variety of sources, some which are intentionally designed, such as microbeads, which are tiny pieces of manufactured polyethylene plastic that are added as an exfoliant to health and beauty products. However, most microplastics and nanoplastics are formed when larger pieces of plastic degrade into progressively smaller pieces. Microplastics and nanoplastics pass easily through water filtration systems and have been found in surface waters worldwide. Nanoplastics are found in bottled water, and a recent study from Columbia University found an average of 250,000 plastic particles in an average bottle of water, of which 90 percent were nanoplastics. Microplastics and nanoplastics are likely present in many other food products, such as meat due to plastic packaging, tap water, storm water, and even the air we breathe through synthetic textiles, construction materials, and landfills. Nanoplastics are small enough to enter the bodies of humans, pass through the intestines and lungs, and enter directly into the bloodstream, where they can travel to other organs, such as the heart and brain, invade individual cells, and even cross through the placenta to the bodies of unborn babies. Though there is limited human data on the health effects of microplastics and nanoplastics due to a lack of research, some recent studies suggest that exposure to microplastics and nanoplastics can cause negative health effects in humans by causing oxidative stress, inflammation, immune dysfunction, altered biochemical and energy metabolism, impaired cell proliferation, disrupted microbial metabolic pathways, abnormal organ development, and carcinogenicity. Plastic, unlike natural organic matter, does not change composition when it degrades, but divides and redivides into smaller and smaller particles of the same chemical composition for thousands of years, with no theoretical limit in size, and likely accumulates in the human body where it will remain until death. In 2024, the EPA announced final drinking water standards for six individual perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) substances, which was the first time that drinking water standards have been finalized for a new chemical under the Safe Drinking Water Act since it was last updated in 1996. The EPA should set drinking water standards for acceptable levels of microplastics and nanoplastics in drinking water, as it has recently done for PFAS, but the EPA has declined to do so. Furthermore, a 2019 petition signed by 280 environmental organizations, including the WHO, public health, indigenous, and community non-governmental organizations, has urged the EPA to update plastics regulations under the Clean Water Act, which regulates the quality of, and discharges to, waters of the United States. The EPA's lack of action has permitted the plastics industry to continue to operate under largely unchanged standards from the original passage of the Clean Water Act fifty years ago which fail to limit the widespread proliferation of microplastics and nanoplastics. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| S3399 | Requires end-of-life recycling of solar and photovoltaic energy generation facilities and structures. | Requires end-of-life recycling of solar and photovoltaic energy generation facilities and structures. | Crossed Over |
| SCR110 | Approves FY2025 Financial Plan of NJ Infrastructure Bank. | The passage of a concurrent resolution by each House is the means for the Legislature's approval of the Fiscal Year 2025 Financial Plan of the New Jersey Infrastructure Bank. The consolidated Financial Plan is required by law to be submitted to the Secretary of the Senate and the Clerk of the General Assembly on or before May 15, 2024 to implement financing of clean water and drinking water projects on the eligibility lists developed by the Department of Environmental Protection. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| S2428 | Codifies Eagleton Science and Politics Fellowship Program at Eagleton Institute of Politics; makes appropriations. | Codifies Eagleton Science and Politics Fellowship Program at Eagleton Institute of Politics; makes appropriation. | Crossed Over |
| S226 | Prohibits use by certain retailers of shipping box greater than two times volume of product being shipped. | Prohibits use by certain retailers of shipping box greater than two times volume of product being shipped. | Crossed Over |
| S3491 | Secures protections for patients and providers accessing and providing legally protected health care activities; establishes right of residents to legally protected health care services, which are restricted in other states. | This bill establishes certain protections for individuals seeking abortion or gender-affirming health care services, as well as certain protections for professionals who provided abortion-related health care services. Crime: Interference with Reproductive or Gender-Affirming Health Services This bill creates the new crime of "interference with reproductive or gender-affirming health services." A person is guilty of the crime if the person purposely or knowingly, with the purpose to unlawfully restrict another's access to or receipt or provision of reproductive or gender-affirming health care services or to intimidate the person from becoming or remaining a reproductive or gender-affirming health care services patient, provider, volunteer or assistant: (1) inflicts or attempts to inflict bodily injury; (2) obstructs any person seeking to enter into or exit from a reproductive or gender-affirming health care services facility; (3) intimidates, threatens, or coerces, or attempts to intimidate, threaten, or coerce, any person or entity because that person or entity is a reproductive or gender-affirming health care services patient, provider, volunteer, or assistant; (4) damages, defaces, or destroys the property of a person, entity, or facility, or attempts to do so, because the person, entity, or facility is a reproductive or gender-affirming health care service patient, provider, assistant, volunteer, or facility; (5) videotapes, films, photographs, or records by electronic means, within 100 feet of the entrance to a reproductive or gender-affirming health care services facility, a patient, provider, volunteer, or assistant without that person's consent; or (6) discloses or distributes a videotape, film, photograph, or recording of the person. Interference with reproductive or gender-affirming health care services is a crime of the fourth degree, but is a crime of the second degree if the victim suffers significant or serious bodily injury. Further, interference with reproductive or gender-affirming health care services is a disorderly persons offense if the act would cause a reasonable person to suffer: (1) damage to the victim's business or personal reputation; (2) financial harm; or (3) pain and suffering, mental anguish, or emotional harm. A crime of the fourth degree is punishable by up to 18 months imprisonment, a fine of up to $10,000, or both. A crime of the second degree is punishable by five to ten years imprisonment, a fine of up to $150,000, or both. A disorderly persons offense is a punishable by up to six months imprisonment, a fine of up to $1,000, or both. Civil Action: Interference with Reproductive or gender-affirming Health Services The bill also authorizes a person to bring a civil action against a person who unlawfully interferes with another person's reproductive or gender-affirming health care services. Under the bill, a court may award: (1) injunctive relief; (2) compensatory damages in an amount not less than liquidated damages computed at the rate of $1,000 for each violation; (3) punitive damages upon proof of willful or reckless disregard of the law; (4) reasonable attorney's fees and other litigation costs; and (5) any other preliminary and equitable relief as the court determines to be appropriate. Under the bill, the Attorney General may bring a civil action to enjoin a violation of the law, for compensatory damages, and for the assessment of a civil penalty against each person who violates the law. The civil penalty imposed on each actor will be up to, but not exceed, $10,000 for a first violation, and $25,000 for any subsequent violation. Dispersal of Gatherings The bill authorized any law enforcement officer to order the immediate dispersal of a gathering that substantially impedes access to or departure from an entrance or driveway to a reproductive or gender-affirming health care facility during the business hours of the facility. Failure to comply with an order to disperse issued by the Attorney General or a law enforcement officer is a disorderly persons offense. A disorderly persons offense is punishable by a term of imprisonment of up to six months, a fine of up to $1,000, or both. Licensing Boards The bill prohibits a board from imposing any additional or alternative penalties, in accordance with N.J.S.A.34:1-22, on the holder of a certificate, registration, or license based solely on the holder providing, authorizing, participating, referring to, or assisting with any health care, medical service, or procedure related to an abortion for a person who resides in a jurisdiction where the provision, authorization, participation, referral, or assistance is illegal. Applicability of Laws of Other States The bill establishes that a law of another state that authorized a person or government entity to bring a prosecution, civil action, or any other legal action to deter, prevent, sanction, or punish any person engaging, aiding, or assisting in providing or prescribing any legally protected health care activity is against the public policy of this State. Further, such laws of another state are prohibited from being applied to any matter, case, or controversy heard in a State court or in an administrative tribunal of this State. The prohibition does not apply to an action founded in tort, contract, or statute under the laws of this State, or an action founded in tort, contract, or statute under the similar laws of another state. This includes, but is not limited to, an alleged act of malpractice or negligence by a person in the person's profession or occupation. Protection of Patient Information This bill updates P.L.2022, c.51 to provide a definition of "legally protected health care activity" and "gender-affirming health care services." P.L.2022, c.51 provides certain protections with respect to the disclosure of patient information relating to reproductive health care services, as well as protecting access to health care, medical services, and procedures related to an abortion for persons who come to this State from jurisdictions in which these actions are illegal. The bill provides that in any civil action or other proceeding preliminary thereto, a medical provider or other covered entity, as described under federal law concerning medical privacy and security, is barred from disclosing the following communications or information, unless the patient or patient's conservator, guardian, or other authorized legal representative explicitly consented in writing to the disclosure: (1) any communication made to the covered entity, or any information obtained by the covered entity from, a patient or the conservator, guardian, or other authorized legal representative of a patient relating to legally protected health care activity; or (2) any information obtained by personal examination of a patient relating to legally protected health care activity that is permitted under the laws of this State. Additionally, under the bill, a public entity of this State or employee, appointee, officer or official or any other person acting on behalf of a public entity would be prohibited from providing any information, or expending or using time, money, facilities, property, equipment, personnel or other resources in furtherance of any interstate investigation or proceeding seeking to impose civil or criminal liability upon a person or entity for: (1) the provision, receipt, or seeking of, or inquiring or responding to an inquiry about legally protected health care activity that is legal in this State; or (2) assisting, advising, aiding, abetting, facilitating, soliciting, or conspiring with any person or entity providing, receiving, seeking, or inquiring or responding to an inquiry about legally protected health care activity that is legal in this State. Extradition This bill updates N.J.S.A.2A:160-14.1 to prevent a person from being extradited to another state under certain circumstances related to "legally protected health care activity." Under current law, N.J.S.A.2A:160-14.1 prevents extradition as it relates to "reproductive health care services." Under the bill, "Legally protected health care activity" is defined as activity providing, seeking, receiving, assisting with, or inquiring about reproductive health care services or gender-affirming health care services that are lawful in this State, regardless of the patient's location. Relatedly, the bill also defines "gender-affirming health care services" to mean all supplies, care, and services of a medical, behavioral health, mental health, surgical, psychiatric, therapeutic, diagnostic, preventative, rehabilitative, or supportive nature, including medication, relating to the treatment of gender dysphoria and gender incongruence. "Gender-affirming health care services" does not include sexual orientation change efforts as defined by N.J.S.A.45:1-55. In Vitro Fertilization Protections This bill strengthens reproductive health care freedom in New Jersey by specifying that: every individual present in this State, including, but not limited to, an individual who is under State control or supervision, shall have the fundamental right to choose whether to use assisted reproductive technology (ART), including, but not limited to in vitro fertilization (IVF); and a fertilized egg, embryo, or fetus shall not have independent rights under any of the laws of the State. Medicolegal Investigations This bill removes the requirement that a medical examiner conduct a medicolegal investigation of a death in the State related to a fetal death occurring without medical attendance. This provisions seeks to ensure that a woman who has a miscarriage or fetal complications is not investigated or the fetal death criminalized. Repealers The bill repeals the following statutes, which have either been obviated by court decision or would be obviated by this bill: (1) N.J.S.A.2A:65A-5 through N.J.S.A.2A:65A-7 (banned partial birth abortions); (2) N.J.S.A.9:17A-1.1 through N.J.S.A.9:17A-1.12 (required parental notification for minors' abortion); (3) N.J.S.A.30:4D-6.1 (barred Medicaid payment for abortion except where necessary to save the woman's life). | In Committee |
| S249 | Requires BPU to establish beneficial building electrification and decarbonization program and requires electric public utilities to prepare and implement beneficial building electrification and decarbonization plans. | Requires BPU to establish beneficial building electrification and decarbonization program and requires electric public utilities to prepare and implement beneficial building electrification and decarbonization plans. | In Committee |
| S217 | Prohibits sale and use of certain gas-powered leaf blowers; provides CBT credit for purchase of electric leaf blower that replaces gas-powered leaf blower. | Prohibits sale and use of certain gas-powered leaf blowers; provides CBT credit for purchase of electric leaf blower that replaces gas-powered leaf blower. | In Committee |
| S2427 | Establishes "Solar Roof Installation Warranty Program" in EDA and transfers $2 million from societal benefits charge to initially fund program. | This bill establishes a "Solar Roof Installation Warranty Program" (program) within the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (EDA). The purpose of the program is to provide a source of indemnification to commercial, industrial, and institutional building owners who install solar photovoltaic equipment on their building roofs, but are unable to obtain sufficient warranty coverage against damage to those roofs resulting from the installations. To implement the program, the bill requires the EDA to establish a "Solar Roof Installation Warranty Fund" (warranty fund) in a trust account in consultation with the Department of Banking and Insurance and the Board of Public Utilities (BPU). The purpose of the warranty fund is to: 1) provide sufficient money to pay claims by commercial, industrial, and institutional building owners, who are participating in the warranty fund, for damages to building roofs due to the installation or design of solar photovoltaic equipment that are not covered by a warranty or insurance policy; and 2) pay the costs of administering the solar roof installation warranty program, including the costs of obtaining sufficient reinsurance to prudently protect the warranty fund against unanticipated risks and costs incurred by the EDA in the discharge of its duties. The bill requires applications for participation in the program to be submitted by building owners at the time of installation of solar photovoltaic equipment on the roof of a building located in the State, in a form and manner determined by the EDA. The applicant must demonstrate that the solar photovoltaic equipment installer does not offer a comprehensive 20-year warranty on the roofs upon which the equipment is installed and that the installation of the equipment is not covered by any other warranty or insurance policy. The application fee is to be $1,000. The maximum amount to be paid from the warranty fund for a loss to a participant for any one building is to be $50,000. The application fee paid by building owners is to be forwarded to the EDA to be accounted for and credited to the warranty fund. The bill provides that, prior to making a claim against the warranty fund for damages covered by the warranty, a building owner must notify the installer of the damage and allow a reasonable time period for repair. If repairs are not made within a reasonable time or are not satisfactory to the building owner, the building owner may file a claim against the warranty fund in the form and manner prescribed by the EDA. The bill requires the EDA to investigate each claim to determine its validity, and upon a finding that the building owner is without fault with respect to the damage for which the claim is made, determine the amount of the award. If a claim is denied or the amount of the award is contested, the building owner may request a hearing. If an award is made from the warranty fund, the total amount of an award is not to exceed the maximum amount authorized in the bill or the cost of repairs, whichever is less. The EDA may provide for surcharges against building owners who are responsible for a significant number of awards against the warranty fund and may discontinue the participation in the warranty fund of any building owner who is responsible for an excessive number of awards against the warranty fund, after a hearing. The bill directs the BPU to transfer, in the fiscal year commencing July 1 next following the date of enactment, $2,000,000 from available balances accumulated in accounts of the BPU from funds collected through the societal benefits charge, for deposit into the warranty fund. The bill requires the BPU to make additional deposits of $500,000 each fiscal year thereafter until the warranty fund has been credited with a cumulative total of $5,000,000. The bill provides that, if in any fiscal year thereafter the balance in the warranty fund falls below $2,000,000, the BPU is to make a one-time deposit of $3,000,000 into the warranty fund. | In Committee |
| S2816 | Requires electric public utilities to submit to BPU and implement electric infrastructure improvement plans. | Requires electric public utilities to submit to BPU and implement electric infrastructure improvement plans. | Crossed Over |
| SCR105 | Proposes constitutional amendment to dedicate revenues from additional registration fee for zero emission vehicles to State transportation. | This concurrent resolution would amend the State Constitution to dedicate certain revenues to the Transportation Trust Fund (TTF) starting July 1, 2025. As required under the State Constitution, all revenues deposited into the TTF may only be used to support the State transportation system. Specifically, for each State fiscal year commencing on or after July 1, 2025 in which an additional motor vehicle registration fee is imposed on zero emission vehicles, this constitutional amendment requires an amount equivalent to the amount of revenue annually derived from the additional registration fee to be deposited into the TTF. This constitutional amendment does not require the State to impose a new fee on zero emission vehicles, nor does it change the standard registration fee that is currently imposed on all motor vehicles. Rather, for each State fiscal year commencing on or after July 1, 2025, in which an additional registration fee on zero emission vehicles is imposed, the amendment requires certain amounts of these revenues to be used for transportation purposes. | In Committee |
| S3065 | Excludes environmentally sensitive and flood-prone land from designation as vacant or available for purposes of affordable housing construction. | Excludes environmentally sensitive and flood-prone land from designation as vacant or available for purposes of affordable housing construction. | In Committee |
| S3135 | Requires producers of plastic packaging and certain other plastic products to reduce quantity of plastic sold; restricts additional substances under "Toxic Packaging Reduction Act." | Requires producers of plastic packaging and certain other plastic products to reduce quantity of plastic sold; restricts additional substances under "Toxic Packaging Reduction Act." | In Committee |
| S3147 | "Beverage Container Deposit Act"; requires use of returnable beverage containers in NJ and establishes deposit and refund system to facilitate return of such containers to manufacturers for reuse or proper disposal. | This bill, to be known as the "Beverage Container Deposit Act," would establish a container deposit and refund system in New Jersey to facilitate the return of used and empty beverage containers to manufacturers for reuse, recycling, or proper disposal. Commencing two years after the date of the bill's enactment, every filled beverage container sold or offered for sale in the State would need to: (1) be a returnable container; (2) have a refund value of $0.10 when empty; (3) be clearly identified by a stamp, label, or other mark securely affixed to the container, bearing the name of the State, and indicating the container's refund value; and (4) if composed primarily of metal, have no part that becomes detached when opened. Any manufacturer who manufactures for sale in this State, any distributor who sells, offers for sale, or gives to a dealer in the State, and any dealer who sells, offers for sale, or gives to a consumer in this State, a filled beverage container that fails to comply with these requirements will be subject to a civil penalty of $100 to $1,000, for each day of violation, as well as the payment of restitution in an amount equal to the loss resulting from the violation. Under the container deposit and refund system established in the bill, a distributor (including a manufacturer or other person) who sells a filled beverage container to a dealer in the State will be required to originate a $0.10 refundable container deposit surcharge on that container, which is to be paid by the dealer and collected and recorded by the distributor. A dealer who sells a filled beverage container to a consumer will then be required to charge the consumer the $0.10 deposit that was originated by the distributor on the container. The bill would not require a dealer to collect a deposit from a consumer who is purchasing the beverage for on-site consumption in the dealer's sale and consumption area; however, if a dealer elects to authorize on-site beverage consumption without payment of a deposit, the dealer will nonetheless be required to collect a deposit if the consumer fails to return the container upon leaving the sale and consumption area. A distributor or dealer who fails to originate or impose the $0.10 deposit on a beverage container, as required by the bill, will be subject to a civil penalty of $100 to $1,000, for each day of violation, as well as the payment of restitution in an amount equal to the loss resulting from the violation. The bill would require a dealer to accept for return, from any person, an empty returnable container of any kind, size, and brand that is sold or offered for sale by the dealer, and to pay the container's refund value, in cash, to the person returning the container, regardless of whether that person is the original customer who purchased the filled container or whether the filled container was originally sold by the dealer. A dealer may limit, to $25, the total dollar amount of container refunds that may be daily issued to a single person. A distributor would similarly be required to accept for return, from any dealer, an empty returnable container of any kind, size, and brand that is sold or offered for sale by the distributor, and to pay the dealer the full refund value of the container, in cash. The distributor would then be required to either return the redeemed empty container to the manufacturer or, if the distributor is the manufacturer, to retain possession of the redeemed container, for reuse, recycling, or proper disposal in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations. The bill would prohibit any person from paying, claiming, or receiving any container deposit, refund, processing payment, or handling fee for any of the following: (1) a beverage container that the person knows, or should know, was imported from out of State; (2) a previously redeemed beverage container; (3) a previously rejected beverage container; or (4) any other vessel, cup, non-beverage container, or other material that is ineligible for redemption pursuant to this act. The bill would further prohibit any person from fraudulently: (1) redeeming or attempting to redeem an out-of-state container, a previously redeemed container, a previously rejected container, or any other ineligible container or material; (2) returning a previously redeemed container to the marketplace for redemption purposes; (3) bringing an out-of-state container, a previously rejected container, or any other ineligible container or material to the marketplace for redemption purposes; or (4) receiving, storing, transporting, distributing, or otherwise facilitating or aiding in the redemption of any such ineligible container or material. Any person who violates these provisions would be subject to the payment of restitution in an amount equal to the loss resulting from the violation. In order to facilitate the return of beverage containers under the bill, the bill would require each dealer who sells filled returnable beverage containers for off-site consumption to provide, either on the premises where sales are made or within 100 yards thereof, a reverse vending machine or other convenient means by which empty returnable containers may be returned and a cash refund issued to the person who is returning them. The bill would additionally require a dealer to post written notice, in the area where returnable containers are redeemed, notifying consumers that they may be liable for the payment of restitution in association with any improper container returns made thereby. Any dealer who fails to comply with either of these requirements would be subject to a civil penalty of $50 per day of violation. Certain manufacturers of large quantities of beverages would also be required to use returnable containers that have a designated symbol, mark, or other distinguishing characteristic, approved by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), which is sufficient to enable a reverse vending machine to determine whether the container is returnable and is eligible for a refund. A manufacturer who does not use designated containers when required by the Department of the Treasury would be subject to a civil penalty of up to $2,000. Under the bill's provisions, if a distributor, in a single year, is an under-redeemer of beverage containers, meaning that the distributor has collected more money in container deposits than the distributor has expended in container refunds, the distributor will be required to pay, to the Department of the Treasury, the value of the unclaimed deposits, less the value of any over-redemption credit authorized under the bill. An over-redemption credit may be issued, by the Department of the Treasury, to any distributor who, in a single year, expends more money in container refunds than the distributor collects through deposits, and this credit may be carried forward for the next three years to offset any payments owed by the distributor upon becoming an under-redeemer. However, if an over-redeemer is not planning to continue making container deposits in subsequent years, the Department of the Treasury may allow the over-redeemer, on a one-time basis, to carry the value of the credit back into prior years in order to realize its value. In order to reduce the costs owed by an under-redeemer and reduce the amounts expended by an over-redeemer, the bill would authorize an under-redeemer to purchase empty redeemed containers from another distributor who is an over-redeemer in the same year. The bill would require the DEP to authorize and provide for the establishment, licensure, and operation of beverage container redemption centers, throughout the State, for the bill's purposes. Each such redemption center would be authorized to engage in the bulk collection of redeemable containers, in accordance with various requirements established in the bill, through the use of either or both an account-based bulk processing program or a bag-drop program, as such programs are defined in the bill. Except as otherwise provided by the bill, each such redemption center would be required to remain open and available to accept redeemable containers on a daily basis, seven days a week, for at least 10 hours a day from Monday through Saturday, and for at least six hours a day on Sunday. The redemption centers established and operated, pursuant to the bill, are to supplement, but not supplant, the consumer return of redeemable containers to dealers under the bill. The bill would further require each distributor of beverages, unless otherwise speci?ed in a contract executed with a dealer, to offer to provide a collection service, for redeemable containers, to each dealer or other establishment that allows for the on-site consumption of beverages in the State. Such collection service is to provide for the regular collection of all redeemable containers stored by such dealers and other establishments, in accordance with the following collection schedule: (1) if the dealer or other establishment has an on-site consumption capacity of 50 or more persons at a time, the collection system is to provide for all redeemable containers stored thereby, at least once per week; and (2) if the dealer or other establishment has an on-site consumption capacity of fewer than 50 persons at a time, the collection system is to provide for all redeemable containers stored thereby to be collected, by the distributor, at least twice per month. A distributor operating a collection system, pursuant to the bill, would be required to: (1) provide all of equipment and accessories necessary to facilitate the collection of redeemable containers under the system; (2) take appropriate and necessary steps to ensure that redeemable beverage containers are emptied and sorted on site, if possible; (3) issue appropriate refunds, for all redeemable containers collected under the system, not more than seven consecutive business days after such containers are collected; and (4) if the distributor requires the use of a digital application to facilitate the issuance of requisite refunds, assign a unique identi?cation code to each participating dealer or other establishment and require each such dealer or other establishment to attach, to each container stored thereby, a label containing that identification code. The bill would establish four new funds for the moneys that will be obtained through the implementation of the bill's provisions: (1) the Beverage Container Deposit Fund; (2) the Beverage Container Deposit Enforcement Fund; (3) the Clean-Up and Redevelopment Trust Fund; and (4) the Community Pollution Prevention Grant Fund. Moneys that are paid by under-redeemers, pursuant to the bill, are to be deposited into the Beverage Container Deposit Fund. The first $1 million in the BCD Fund is to be annually disbursed to the Beverage Container Deposit Enforcement Fund for use by the State Police in enforcing, and investigating violations of, the bill's provisions. However, if the balance in the Enforcement Fund exceeds $3 million, disbursements to that fund will be suspended until the balance falls below $2 million. Of the amounts remaining in the Deposit Fund following the requisite disbursement to the Enforcement Fund, 75 percent is to be disbursed to the Clean-Up and Redevelopment Trust Fund, and 25 percent is to be apportioned to each dealer in the State, based on the number of empty returnable containers handled by each dealer. In addition to the moneys disbursed thereto from the Beverage Container Deposit Fund, the Clean-Up and Redevelopment Trust Fund would also be credited with all penalty and restitution amounts that are imposed and collected by a court for violations of the bill's provisions. For each of the three fiscal years next following the bill's effective date, the first $15 million annually deposited in the trust fund is to be disbursed, in equal amounts, to eight different clean-up and redevelopment funds currently existing in the State and identified in the bill. Of the moneys remaining in the trust fund in those first three fiscal years, and of the total sum of moneys deposited in the trust fund in the fourth and each subsequent fiscal year following the bill's effective date, 80 percent of such moneys are to be equally disbursed, on an annual basis, to the eight different clean-up and redevelopment funds identified in the bill, and 10 percent of such moneys are to be disbursed to the Community Pollution Prevention Grant Fund, newly established pursuant to the bill. Moneys in the Community Pollution Prevention Grant Fund are to be used, by the DEP, to provide grants to local governments, local health departments, regional planning agencies, and similar entities (in amounts of up to $100,000 per year for each recipient) to finance various programs and activities related to water pollution prevention and litter clean-up, as specified in the bill. Each grant recipient would be required to provide a financial match equaling 25 to 50 percent of the grant award. Finally, this bill would repeal section 5 of P.L.2007, c.311 (C.13:1E-96.6), which currently provides for the State's existing recycling tax to become inoperable if State or federal law requires a deposit on, or establishes a refund value, for a beverage container, as this bill would do. This repeal will ensure that the State's existing recycling tax continues to remain in effect, notwithstanding this bill's enactment. | In Committee |
| S208 | Requires producers of packaging products sold in New Jersey to adopt and implement packaging product stewardship plans. | This bill requires every producer of packaging products sold in the State, either individually or as a part of a group of producers, to develop and implement a packaging product stewardship plan, in consultation with the Department of Environmental Protection (department). The bill defines "producer" to mean: the manufacturer of a packaging product who sells, offers for sale, or distributes the product in the State under the person's own name or brand; the owner or licensee of a trademark under which a packaging product is sold, offered for sale, or distributed in this State, whether or not the trademark is registered in this State; any person who sells, offers for sale, or distributes a packaging product in the State; and any person who imports a packaging product for use by a commercial enterprise that sells, offers for sale, or distributes packaging products in this State. The term would not include a municipality or other local government unit. The bill further defines "packaging product" to mean any product or material that is designed and used for the containment, protection, handling, delivery, or presentation of another product, including, but not limited to, a food or beverage item, that is sold, offered for sale, imported, or distributed in the State. The term expressly includes: primary, secondary, and tertiary packaging; service packaging, including carry-out bags, bulk goods bags, take-out bags, home delivery food service packaging, and prescription bottles, which are designed and intended to be filled at the point of sale; beverage containers; ancillary elements that are attached to another product and that serve a packaging function; and any other product, whether constituted of paper, plastic, glass, metal, a mixture thereof, or any other material, which serves a packaging function. The purpose of a stewardship plan is to: 1) ensure that participating producers remain responsible for managing and facilitating the collection, transportation, reuse, and recycling or disposal of all discarded packaging products in the State, in accordance with environmentally sound management practices; 2) encourage participating producers to increase the post-consumer content in packaging products and reduce the amount of waste generated from discarded packaging products; 3) prioritize and promote the reuse and recycling of discarded packaging products; and 4) otherwise minimize public sector involvement in the life-cycle management of packaging waste. To the extent practicable, a packaging product stewardship plan is to provide for the use of existing solid waste collection and recycling infrastructure in the State. The stewardship plan is also to provide for all of the costs associated with the collection, transportation, reuse, and recycling or disposal of discarded packaging products to be borne by participating producers. The bill requires the department and participating producers to jointly develop a method to ensure the provision of prompt payment to counties and municipalities, recycling and other solid waste collection and disposal facilities, and other appropriate entities that provide services pursuant to the plan. Each packaging product stewardship plan that is adopted pursuant to the bill is to identify, and provide contact information for, each producer participating in the plan, and is to also include a comprehensive list of the packaging products that are covered by the plan. Each plan is additionally required to: 1) identify the means, methods, processes, procedures, systems, and strategies that will be used by participating producers to: a) reduce, through product design modifications and program innovation, the amount of material used for each packaging product and the amount of waste resulting from use of each packaging product; b) facilitate and promote the prompt and efficient collection of discarded packaging products throughout the State in a manner that is as, or more, convenient for consumers than the other collection programs available prior to the implementation of the packaging product stewardship plan; c) transport discarded packaging products to authorized storage and recycling facilities; and d) facilitate the reuse of discarded packaging products for alternate second-life purposes, the processing and recycling of used packaging products that cannot be reused for alternate second-life purposes, and the proper end-of-life disposal, in accordance with environmentally sound management practices, of discarded packaging products that cannot be reused or recycled; 2) identify performance goals for a minimum post-consumer recycled material content rate and a minimum recycling rate for packaging products, and describe how such goals will be met or exceeded; 3) describe the ways in which existing municipal solid waste collection and recycling infrastructure will be used to implement the stewardship plan or, if existing infrastructure will not be used, provide an explanation as to why it is necessary to establish a separate infrastructure, as well as a description of how the separate infrastructure system will function, and an indication of the date by which the separate infrastructure system is expected to be placed into operation; 4) describe the ways in which the producer or stewardship organization will work with existing waste haulers, recyclers, and counties and municipalities throughout the State to effectuate the collection, transportation, reuse, recycling, and other disposal of packaging products, in accordance with environmentally sound management practices, and identify the name and location of all authorized recyclers that will be directly utilized pursuant to the plan; 5) certify that the participating producers will use open, competitive, and fair procurement practices when directly entering into contractual agreements with municipalities and other service providers, pursuant to the stewardship plan; 6) describe the means and methods that will be used by participating producers to finance the collection, transportation, reuse, and recycling or other environmentally sound disposal of discarded packaging products under the stewardship plan; 7) identify the process that was used, during the development of the stewardship plan, to receive, consider, and implement the comments of various stakeholders, as well as the nature of stakeholder comments received during the plan development period, and describe the extent to which the stakeholders' comments were incorporated into the stewardship plan; 8) describe the means and methods that will be used by participating producers to facilitate public outreach, education, and communication with respect to the stewardship plan, in accordance with the bill's provisions; 9) describe how the stewardship plan will be administered, and identify the staff members who will be responsible for ensuring proper administration of the plan; and 10) include any other information the commissioner deems appropriate. The performance goals established in a stewardship plan are to provide, at a minimum, for all single-use packaging products to be composed of at least 75 percent post-consumer content by January 1, 2027; all single-use packaging products to be readily recyclable or compostable by January 1, 2030; and all single-use plastic packaging to be reduced to the maximum extent practicable, or by at least 25 percent, by January 1, 2030. A stewardship plan adopted pursuant to the bill may not be implemented without the prior approval of the Commissioner of Environmental Protection (commissioner). Not more than 120 days after the commissioner receives a completed packaging product stewardship plan, the commissioner will be required to approve, conditionally approve, or disapprove the plan and provide written notice of the determination to the participating manufacturers. If the commissioner does not provide written notice of such determination within this 120-day timeframe, the plan will be deemed to have been approved. If the plan is approved, participating producers will be required to implement the plan within 90 days after receipt of the commissioner's notice or the expiration of the 120-day timeframe set for the determination, as the case may be, or within another timeframe agreed to by the commissioner. If the plan is conditionally approved, the commissioner's written notice is to specify the conditions that are to be satisfied in order for the plan to be deemed approved and implemented under the bill, and the participating producers will be required to implement the conditionally approved plan, in accordance with the conditions stated in the notice, either within 90 days after receipt of the commissioner's notice or within another timeframe agreed to by the commissioner. If the plan is disapproved, the commissioner's written notice is to be accompanied by a detailed statement describing the reasons for disapproval. Not more than 30 days after receipt of the notice of disapproval, the participating producers will be required to submit a revised plan to the commissioner, who will be required to approve, conditionally approve, or disapprove of the revised plan in accordance with the bill's provisions. Within 90 days after approving a packaging product stewardship plan, or any revisions thereto, the department will be required to post the plan on the department's Internet website, together with a list identifying the producers participating in the plan and the packaging products covered thereunder. The bill requires a packaging product stewardship plan to be reviewed and updated by the participating manufacturers, and resubmitted to the department, at least once every five years. However, the bill also authorizes the commissioner, at any time, to review a previously approved stewardship plan and order modifications to the plan in order to ensure that it is being implemented in accordance with the bill's provisions. Producers implementing a packaging product stewardship plan will be required to engage in public outreach, to address public questions and concerns, and to provide consumers with educational and informational materials related to the stewardship plan and the services that are available thereunder. Participating producers will also be authorized to provide educational and informational materials to retailers regarding the implementation of the stewardship plan. Eighteen months after the bill's effective date, a producer will be prohibited from selling, offering for sale, importing, or distributing any packaging product in the State unless the producer is engaged in the implementation of, or has fully implemented, a packaging product stewardship plan in accordance with the bill. The bill further provides that, if a producer violates the terms and conditions of an approved packaging product stewardship plan in which the producer is participating, the commissioner may order the producer to stop selling, offering for sale, distributing, or importing for sale or distribution, any packaging products in the State. The bill also establishes various civil and administrative penalties for persons who violate the provisions of the bill, any rules or regulations adopted pursuant thereto, any stewardship plan approved thereunder, or any order issued by the commissioner in enforcing the bill. Producers participating in an approved stewardship plan will be required to submit an annual report to the department describing the actions being undertaken by participating producers pursuant to the plan, and evaluating the plan's costs and effectiveness. The commissioner will be required to post each annual report on the department's Internet website, and will be further required to prepare, and post on the department's Internet website, a summary report describing the progress that is being made under each stewardship plan, as well as any corrective action that has been ordered by the commissioner under the bill. The bill specifies that any actions undertaken by producers under the bill will not be deemed to constitute a violation of any State law relating to antitrust, restraint of trade, unfair trade practices, or the regulation of trade or commerce, so long as the action is necessary to plan for or implement the organized collection or recycling of packaging products pursuant to the bill's provisions. However, this exemption from liability will not apply to any agreement that establishes or affects the price of a product or that restricts the output or production of a product or the geographic area or customers to which a product will be sold. | In Committee |
| SCR104 | Condemns Hinduphobia and anti-Hindu bigotry and intolerance. | This resolution condemns Hinduphobia, anti-Hindu bigotry and intolerance, and declares the State of New Jersey as a place that welcomes the diversity brought by Hindu Americans. This resolution recognizes that Hinduism is one of the world's largest and oldest religions with over 1.2 billion adherents in over 100 countries and which encompasses an array of diverse traditions and belief systems with values of acceptance, mutual respect, and peace. The United States has always been a beacon of hope, progress, and innovation, attracting people from around the world to create and live a better and fulfilling life, and has welcomed more than four million Hindus from all corners of the world and given them better opportunities and the freedom to practice Hinduism, also known as "Sanatana Dharma". The American Hindu community has been a major contributor to diverse sectors such as medicine, science and engineering, information technology, hospitality, finance, academia, manufacturing, energy, retail trade, and so much more. Hindu contributions of Yoga, Ayurveda, meditation, food, music, arts, and more have enriched the cultural fabric and have been widely adopted in American society and enriched the lives of millions. Hinduphobia, as described by the Understanding Hinduphobia Initiative, is "a set of antagonistic, destructive, and derogatory attitudes and behaviors towards Sanatana Dharma (Hinduism) and Hindus that may manifest as prejudice, fear, or hatred". There have been documented instances of hate crimes against Hindu Americans over the last few decades in many parts of the country. | In Committee |
| S3066 | The "Healthy and Affordable Construction for Tomorrow Act." | This bill, known as the "Healthy and Affordable Construction for Tomorrow Act," requires the Commissioner of Community Affairs (commissioner) to amend the State Uniform Construction Code (code) to prohibit the combustion of substances exceeding certain emissions levels of carbon dioxide in certain new buildings or structures. In New Jersey, the electrification of buildings and structures protects the environment, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, significantly impacts indoor air quality, protects the public health, and creates substantial savings for New Jersey residents in utility costs. Exposure to indoor air pollutants released by the combustion of natural gas and other similar substances can have severe, adverse effects on public health, including children. These potential health effects which include: premature mortality, lung and breast cancer, asthma, brain and heart toxicity, sleep disorders, birth defects, and neurological disorders. These effects are the highest for apartments due to smaller residence size, which disproportionately affects vulnerable, low-income renters in this State. Further, electrification lowers air pollution and reduces greenhouse gases, which are driving the current climate crisis. Across the country, crop yields are dropping, fires are destroying vulnerable communities, and the planet is experiencing the warmest years on record. Transitioning from natural gas and energy sources that significantly contribute to our current crisis is critical to ensure that the environment, and our communities, are protected for both present and future generations. In addition to severe health risks and crippling danger to our environment associated with the use of natural gas, electrification creates substantial savings for New Jersey residents, who could save up to 41 percent for utilities, while gas rates are expected to rise 35 percent by 2030. Further, not only is it less expensive to build homes with high energy efficiency mechanicals and appliances, across the country on clothes dryers alone, Americans could save more than $1.5 billion each year in utility costs if certain electric appliances were utilized instead of natural gas. Therefore, it is necessary to reduce New Jersey's reliance on natural gas that causes severe health effects and cripples the environment, in order to protect the public health and our planet, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, create substantial savings for New Jersey residents on utility costs, and foster the electrification of new buildings and structures. The bill prohibits, in any new building or structure of less than seven stories, the combustion of any qualifying substance beginning 12 months after the bill's enactment. The bill extends this prohibition to include all new buildings or structures, regardless of height, beginning 36 months after the date of enactment. These prohibitions are subject to exceptions provided in the bill. The bill defines the term "qualifying substance" to mean a substance that, when combusted, emits 25 kilograms or more of carbon dioxide per million British thermal units of energy, as determined by the United States Energy Information Administration. Following the applicable date of the requirements set forth in the bill, the bill prohibits the issuance of a certificate of occupancy for any noncompliant building or structure. The bill requires the code to provide exemptions from the requirements of the bill for: (1) systems for emergency back-up power and standby power systems; (2) emergency management facilities; and (3) buildings or structures specifically designated for occupancy by a commercial food establishment. The code is required to limit, where an exemption is provided, the combustion of a qualifying substance to the system and areas of a building or structure for which compliance with the requirements is infeasible. The code is also to require to the fullest extent feasible, that an area or service within the building or structure, where there exists the combustion of any qualifying substance, be all-electric ready, as defined in the bill. The bill provides that financial considerations are not to constitute a sufficient basis to determine physical or technical infeasibility, and exemptions granted by the code are to be reviewed by the commissioner during each major code update cycle to determine whether the exemption remains necessary. The bill also provides that nothing in the bill is to be construed or interpreted as preempting a municipality from prohibiting infrastructure, building systems, or equipment that uses or combusts fossil fuels or any qualifying substances, or from prescribing standards that are more restrictive than the bill for infrastructure, building systems, or equipment that uses fossil fuels or any qualifying substances. The bill further requires the commissioner and the President of the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities to submit a joint report to the Governor and Legislature concerning what changes to electric rate designs, new or existing subsidy programs, statutes, rules, regulations, or policies are necessary since the date of enactment of the bill. The bill is to take effect on the first day of the third month next following the date of enactment, except the commissioner is permitted to take anticipatory action necessary to effectuate the provisions of the bill. | In Committee |
| S258 | Requires electric public utilities to develop and implement grid modernization plans; appropriates $300 million. | Requires electric public utilities to develop and implement grid modernization plans; appropriates $300 million. | In Committee |
| S237 | "New Jersey Clean Energy Act of 2024"; establishes 100 percent clean electricity standard and directs BPU to establish clean electricity certificate program. | "New Jersey Clean Energy Act of 2024"; establishes 100 percent clean electricity standard and directs BPU to establish clean electricity certificate program. | In Committee |
| S198 | Prohibits investment by State of pension and annuity funds in, and requires divestment from, 200 largest publicly traded fossil fuel companies. | This bill, would prohibit the Director of the Division of Investment (director) from investing any assets of the State retirement funds in any of the top 200 companies that hold the largest carbon content fossil fuel reserves. Under the bill, divestment from coal companies would be required to be completed within two years, and from all other fossil fuel companies within one year. The director would be authorized to cease divestment or reinvest in previously divested companies if the director demonstrates that, as a direct result of the divestment, the State retirement funds have or will become equal to or less than 99.5 percent of their hypothetical value had no divestment occurred. Finally, the bill would require the State Investment Council and the director to report on the divestment efforts required by the bill within 120 days of the bill's effective date, and annually thereafter. | In Committee |
| S2906 | Establishes natural disaster relief grant program in DEP; appropriates $250 million. | This bill would direct the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to establish a program to provide relief, in the form of grants for up to 50 percent of eligible project costs, to local government units or school districts whose facilities have been damaged or otherwise harmed by a climate change-related natural disaster. The purpose of the program would be to ameliorate the harmful effects of climate change on residents of the State. Under the bill, the DEP would determine the eligibility criteria, covered costs, priority ranking of projects, and application procedures for the program. The bill would require the DEP to report to Governor and the Legislature on the progress of the program in achieving its goals. The bill would appropriate $250 million from the General Fund to the DEP to provide the initial funding for the program. | In Committee |
| S1392 | Establishes Office of Clean Energy Equity in BPU; directs establishment of certain clean energy, energy efficiency, and energy storage programs for overburdened communities; makes change to community solar program. | Establishes Office of Clean Energy Equity in BPU; directs establishment of certain clean energy, energy efficiency, and energy storage programs for overburdened communities; makes change to community solar program. | In Committee |
| S209 | Provides CBT tax credit for retrofit of existing warehouses with solar-ready zone once solar panels are installed. | This bill would incentivize the retrofitting of existing warehouses with solar-ready zones by providing a tax credit against the corporation business tax to compensate a taxpayer who retrofits an existing warehouse with a solar-ready zone. The tax credit would be available once the taxpayer installs solar panels on the warehouse. The bill defines "warehouse" as a building, room, structure, or facility of at least 100,000 square feet used primarily for the storage of goods intended for sale. The bill defines "solar-ready zone" as a section of a roof or building overhang designated and reserved for the future installation of a solar photovoltaic or solar thermal system, which is at least 40 percent of the roof area calculated as the horizontally projected areas minus the area covered by skylights, occupied roof decks, vegetative roof areas, and mandatory access or set back areas required by the State Uniform Construction Code, or as otherwise provided in the 2018 International Energy Conservation Code, Appendix CA, and any successor model code, concerning solar-ready zones. The amount of the tax credit provided by the bill may not exceed the lesser of (1) fifty percent of the cost incurred to retrofit an existing warehouse with a solar-ready zone, or (2) $250,000. A taxpayer may claim the credit authorized under the bill for the cost of retrofitting an existing warehouse with a solar-ready zone for up to eight existing warehouses owned or operated by the same taxpayer in a single privilege period. The bill would require a taxpayer that retrofits an existing warehouse with a solar-ready zone to demonstrate to the Director of the Division of Taxation in the Department of the Treasury (director) that solar panels have been installed on the warehouse prior to receiving the tax credit provided in the bill. The bill would also limit the cumulative total of tax credits awarded pursuant to the bill to $25 million. The director would be required to certify taxpayers as eligible to receive the tax credit provided in the bill. A taxpayer that retrofits an existing warehouse with a solar-ready zone would be eligible to receive the tax credit if: (1) the warehouse meets the size criteria required pursuant to the bill; (2) the warehouse has been retrofitted with a solar-ready zone; and (3) solar panels have been installed on the warehouse's solar-ready zone. The director may require the submission of any information the director deems necessary to award a tax credit pursuant to the bill. Finally, the bill would require the director, in consultation with the Department of Community Affairs, to adopt rules and regulations as are necessary to implement the bill's provisions. | In Committee |
| S212 | Directs BPU to update interconnection standards for Class I renewable energy sources and develop fixed fee structure for interconnection costs. | This bill directs the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) to update the safety and power quality interconnection standards for certain renewable energy systems in the State, and to establish a fixed fee structure for the costs of interconnection of those projects to the electric grid. Specifically, the bill directs the BPU to adopt rules and regulations, no later than 18 months after the bill's enactment, which establish interconnection standards for Class I renewable energy source systems. "Class I renewable energy" is defined in the law as "electric energy produced from solar technologies, photovoltaic technologies, wind energy, fuel cells, geothermal technologies, wave or tidal action, small scale hydropower facilities with a capacity of three megawatts or less and put into service after the effective date of P.L.2012, c.24, methane gas from landfills, methane gas from a biomass facility provided that the biomass is cultivated and harvested in a sustainable manner, or methane gas from a composting or anaerobic or aerobic digestion facility that converts food waste or other organic waste to energy." The bill directs the BPU to adopt standards that conform to the model interconnection procedures promulgated by the Interstate Renewable Energy Council in its "Model Interconnection Procedures (2019)" document, unless there is a compelling reason why a provision in that document is infeasible to adopt in New Jersey. The bill also directs the BPU to establish a fixed fee schedule for interconnection fees, which are paid by the owners or developers of renewable energy systems to electric utilities to defray the costs of interconnection, including administrative tasks or studies carried out by the utility, and infrastructure upgrades necessary for the safe operation of the renewable energy system. The bill designates these fees as "grid modernization fees," and would authorize the BPU to develop tiers for the fees, for example based on the size of the system or the source of the energy (e.g. solar or wind). The bill authorizes the BPU to update the fee structure every three years. The bill also stipulates that, for the first three years the fees go into effect, the fee for a residential, net-metered system of 10 kilowatts or less would be no more than $50 per kilowatt. The bill authorizes electric public utilities to recover interconnection costs in excess of the amount recovered through grid modernization fees from the customers of the utility, either through the utility's base rate or through a surcharge. In addition, the bill authorizes electric utilities to recover costs of any infrastructure upgrades that are necessary to render a segment of the electric grid capable of new interconnections by renewable energy systems, provided that the utility demonstrates that the upgrades are necessary and in the public interest at a rate case proceeding. The bill directs the BPU to establish a schedule of maximum interconnection costs, and authorize the BPU to adjust this schedule every three years. Utilities that incur interconnection costs for a renewable energy project above this cost threshold would only be authorized by the bill to recover an amount up to the maximum cost from their customers. The bill also directs the BPU to establish provisions in the interconnection standards which provide for greater enforceability of interconnection timelines promulgated by electric utilities, including monetary penalties for utilities that fail to meet the timelines. Finally, the bill directs the BPU to submit a report to the Governor and the Legislature on the implementation of the interconnection standards and grid modernization fees adopted pursuant to the bill. The report would be required to include an analysis of the economic impact of the standards and fees, and their effect on the State's progress towards meeting the goals established by the "Global Warming Response Act," P.L.2007, c.112 (C.26:2C-37 et seq.). The report could also include recommendations for future legislative or regulatory action. | In Committee |
| S210 | Provides corporation business tax and gross income tax credits for purchase and installation of electric vehicle charging stations and for commercial zero emission vehicle fleet conversions. | This bill provides corporation business tax and gross income tax credits for the purchase and installation of electric vehicle charging stations and for the purchase of commercial zero emission vehicles. The first component of the credit is based on the amount a taxpayer pays to purchase and install an electric vehicle charging station at their business, trade, or occupation, at the taxpayer's primary residence in this State, or at a multi-family or mixed-use property for use by tenants or guests. The credit is capped at 50 percent of the amount paid towards the purchase and installation of the electric vehicle charging station during a privilege period or taxable year, or $1,000 per station, whichever amount is less. The second component of the credit is based on the difference in the amount paid by a taxpayer for a qualified commercial zero emission vehicle compared to what the taxpayer would have paid for a comparable conventionally fueled vehicle. This credit is capped at 50 percent of the difference between the amount paid during the privilege period or taxable year towards the purchase of a qualified commercial zero emission vehicle and the amount that would have been paid for a comparable conventionally fueled vehicle, except that the credit cannot exceed $25,000 if the qualified commercial zero emission vehicle weighs less than 14,000 pounds, $50,000 if the vehicle weighs 14,001 to 26,500 pounds, and $100,000 if the vehicle weighs more than 26,500 pounds. A taxpayer is required to submit an application with the Commissioner of Environmental Protection, who is responsible for certifying a taxpayer's application for the credit, and providing a copy of the certification to the taxpayer and the Division of Taxation in the Department of the Treasury. These tax credits are non-refundable, but may be carried forward for seven years after the privilege period or taxable year during which the credit are initially earned. The credit would be available for a five-year period commencing on January 1 next following the effective date of the bill. | In Committee |
| S245 | Requires BPU to study and implement methods to allow additional distributed energy sources to interconnect to electrical grid. | This bill would require the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) to conduct a study for the purpose of identifying, researching, and quantifying the effects of short-term solutions that could enable segments of the electrical transmission and distribution system to host greater amounts of power from distributed energy generation sources. The study would also including planning for the testing and implementation of the solutions. The bill would require the BPU to consider the following potential solutions, as well as any additional potential solutions identified by the BPU: (1) permitting the flow of electricity, through an electrical substation, from the distribution system to the transmission system; (2) requiring solar inverters to include, activate, and use technology that allows the inverter to inject and absorb reactive power autonomously or in response to remote control; (3) requiring energy storage systems to include, activate, and use technology that allows the energy storage system to inject or absorb real and reactive power; and (4) requiring solar photovoltaic systems to include, activate, and use technology and services that enable the power output of the system to respond to short term prediction of weather conditions to control the rate-of-change of the power output, or other system parameters. As defined by the bill, "reactive power" means the portion of alternating current electricity, measured in volt-amperes reactive, that cannot do useful work due to a misalignment of the current and voltage waveforms of the electricity. The bill would require the BPU to submit a final report on its study to the Governor and the Legislature within one year after the bill's effective date, which contains recommendations for legislative, regulatory, or local governmental action. The bill would also require the BPU to adopt rules and regulations to implement the recommended regulatory action, within one year after the final report is published. The bill would direct the BPU to initially apply the recommendations as a pilot program and then, if successful, provide for Statewide implementation of the rules and regulations. | In Committee |
| S225 | Establishes incentive program for installation of energy storage systems. | This bill requires the Board of Public Utilities (board) to develop a program to provide monetary incentives to persons who install new energy storage systems in the State. Specifically, the bill directs the board, no later than 180 days after the bill's effective date, to publish incentive levels and an application process for an energy storage incentive pilot program. The pilot program will continue until the board adopts rules and regulations to establish a permanent program pursuant to the bill. The program is to meet or exceed the State's goal of hosting two gigawatts of energy storage capacity by 2030. The bill establishes certain requirements for the program, including parameters for the types of energy storage projects eligible for the program, as described in the bill. The program is available to customer-sited energy storage systems, which are smaller energy storage systems owned by a customer of electric utilities and sited in a customer's residence or business, and to front-of-the-meter energy storage systems, which are larger energy storage systems that are connected directly to the grid. The bill directs the board to reserve a portion of the incentives for energy storage systems owned by low-to-moderate income customers and customers sited in overburdened communities. The incentives are an upfront incentive and a performance incentive. The upfront incentive consists of a one-time payment made by the board's Clean Energy Program, which is funded by the societal benefits charge imposed under current law pursuant to N.J.S.A.48:3-60. The amount of the upfront incentive is calculated using a "gap analysis," as defined in the bill, to determine the difference between the all-in system cost and the expected lifetime revenue that the customer can expect to gain from the system. "All-in system cost" is defined as the total cost of purchasing and installing a new energy storage system, including the costs of hardware, siting, installation, permitting, and interconnection. The bill requires certain applicants for an upfront incentive to pay a deposit and requires applicants to meet certain timeline requirements, as described in the bill. The bill specifies that the board is to allocate at least $60 million per year of funds collected from the societal benefits charge for upfront incentives for the duration of the pilot program. The performance incentive is a recurring payment, made by an electric public utility, to compensate the owner of the energy storage system for services to the grid made by the system, including reduction of peak demand and supply of power during outages. The bill directs each electric public utility to file a tariff, a pricing structure that includes rates and other charges, with the board for front-of-the-meter energy storage systems that are not subject to a tariff by PJM Interconnection, L.L.C. The tariff is required to take into account the costs of service and benefits to the grid from front-of-the-meter energy storage systems. The tariff is required to exempt front-of-the-meter energy storage systems from charges intended for customers who consume electricity, including, but not limited to, the societal benefits charge. Finally, the bill directs the board to submit a report to the Legislature on the pilot program no later than one year after the program is established. | In Committee |
| S1633 | Prohibits public libraries and public schools from banning or restricting access to certain books; permits withholding of State Aid for non-compliance. | This bill prohibits public libraries and public school libraries from banning or restricting access to certain books and permits the withholding of State Aid for non-compliance. This bill prohibits a governing body of any free public library, joint free public library, free county library, and free regional library from banning or restricting access to books or other resource materials because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval. Additionally, this bill requires the governing body of these public libraries to either adopt: 1) the American Library Association's Library Bill of Rights, which provides that books and materials "should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation;" or 2) a policy prohibiting the banning or restricting access to a book or resource because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval. Under the "state library aid law," the Department of the Treasury can withhold State Library aid from any municipality, county, or area library if the public library fails to comply with certain laws and regulations. This bill amends current law to permit the withholding of State Library aid if a public library fails to follow the provisions of this act. Similarly, this bill prohibits a board of education of a school district from banning or restricting access to books or other resource materials in a school library. Under the bill, a board of education is similarly required to adopt the American Library Association's Library Bill of Rights or a policy prohibiting the banning or restricting access to books or resources. The bill permits the Commissioner of Education to withhold State aid to any board of education that does not follow the provisions of this act. The bill's provisions should not be construed to require a free public library or board of education to purchase, or otherwise acquire, a book or resource for inclusion in its collection. | Dead |
| S2425 | Establishes low-carbon transportation fuel standard program in DEP. | This bill would establish a low-carbon transportation fuel standard program in the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). Under the program, each refiner, wholesaler, or importer of diesel or gasoline, and each producer of alternative fuel, would be required to ensure that the fuel refined, sold, imported, or produced by the entity, as applicable, and supplied for use in the State, meets the low-carbon transportation fuel standard, on an annual basis. The low-carbon transportation fuel standard would be a maximum level of greenhouse gas emissions associated with the entire life-cycle of a given unit of fuel, including its production, transportation, and consumption. An alternative fuel, under the bill, is any fuel used for transportation other than gasoline or diesel. Such fuels could include hydrogen, biodiesel, or electricity. In implementing the program, the DEP would be required to establish a system of salable and tradable credits and deficits, under which a given unit fuel that exceeds the low-carbon transportation fuel standard would generate a credit and a given unit of fuel that does not meet the standard would generate a deficit. Entities regulated under the program would be required to ensure that they do not generate any net deficits in a given year, after offsetting their deficits with credits they generate or purchase from third parties. The bill would establish certain requirements for the low-carbon transportation fuel standard program, as enumerated in subsection b. of section 3 of the bill, including the requirement that the program reduce the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the diesel and gasoline used in the State by 10 percent below 2019 levels by the year 2030. The bill would also enumerate certain optional requirements for the program, in subsection c. of section 3 of the bill, including mechanisms whereby producers of alternative fuel can voluntarily opt-in to the program to generate credits when the fuel use displaces the combustion of gasoline or diesel for a non-transportation use. Finally, the bill would direct the DEP to consult with fuel and transportation experts while developing the program, and it would authorize the DEP to consider linking New Jersey's program with similar policies in other jurisdictions. | In Committee |
| S2424 | Establishes various programs in DEP concerning management of publicly owned forested land; appropriates $60 million. | This bill would establish various programs and in the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) concerning the management of publicly owned forested land in the State. The bill would appropriate $50 million in constitutionally dedicated corporate business tax (CBT) revenues and $10 million from Green Acres bond act funds to implement the programs established by the bill. Specifically, the bill would require the DEP to conduct a comprehensive survey, mapping, and planning process for publicly owned forested lands, including lands owned by the State, and parcels of land owned by local government units that are larger than a size threshold that the DEP is to determine under the bill. The bill would require the survey to include certain items, as enumerated in subsection b. of section 2 of the bill, including the identification of forests that are suitable to be designated as part of the New Jersey Natural Areas System and the identification of areas suitable to function as carbon reserves. The bill would require the DEP to update the survey at least every 10 years. The bill would direct the DEP to establish a program to designate appropriate forested areas of the State as Carbon Reserve Forests. The bill would require that the program have the goals of (1) sequestering sufficient carbon in the State to advance the State's greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals, (2) protecting mature forests, and (3) providing for the development of old growth forests in the future. Under the bill, active management (e.g., tree felling) of a Carbon Reserve Forest would be required to have the aim of addressing an ecological or safety threat. Under the bill, the DEP would be required to adopt, within one year after the bill's enactment, rules and regulations to provide interim guidelines for forest stewardship and other management plans for publicly owned forested lands. The DEP would be required to cease approving such plans until the rules and regulations are adopted. In addition, the bill would require the DEP to adopt more comprehensive rules and regulations concerning forest stewardship plans on public forests, within three years after the bill's enactment. The bill would establish certain requirements for the rules and regulations, as enumerated in subsections b. and c. of section 6 of the bill. The bill would require any forest stewardship or other management plan for a State-owned parcel of forested land, or for a locally owned parcel of forested land that is larger than the size threshold established by the DEP, to conform to the rules and regulations. The bill would require that this threshold be not less than 10 acres. The bill would direct the DEP to establish a program to measure the deer population on publicly owned forested lands. The bill would also direct the DEP to begin developing programs to reduce the deer population, including: (1) establishing a pilot program for commercial sale of venison; (2) studying the viability of reintroducing natural predators into the State; (3) implementing fertility control measures on deer populations, including sterilization; and (4) revising current rules, regulations, and guidelines regarding deer baiting and feeding practices. The bill would amend the "Natural Areas System Act," P.L.1975, c.33 (C.13:1B-15.12a) to authorize the DEP to add additional acres of appropriate forested lands to the State's Natural Areas System. The bill would also require the DEP to develop and implement an appropriate management plan for each natural area in the Natural Areas System. The bill would amend the "Prescribed Burn Act," P.L.2018, c.107 (C.13:9-44.11 et seq.) to require the DEP to develop and administer a program for prescribed burning on public and private lands within 18 months after the bill's enactment. The bill would also require that certain provisions be included in the program. Current law authorizes the DEP to conduct prescribed burning or mechanical vegetation removal on an area of land which is determined by the Forest Fire Service to be in reasonable danger of wildfire. This bill would require the DEP to conduct prescribed burning or mechanical vegetation removal on an area of land which is determined by the Forest Fire Service to be in danger of wildfire. The bill would also require the DEP to adopt rules and regulations to implement the "Prescribed Burn Act" within 18 months after the bill's enactment. Finally, the bill would appropriate $50 million in constitutionally dedicated CBT revenues for those portions of the bill's provisions that qualify as development or a stewardship activity on lands permanently preserved for recreation and conservation purposes. The bill would also appropriate $10 million from Green Acres bond act funds to implement the bill's provisions, provided that the use of the moneys is consistent with the provisions of the relevant bond act. | In Committee |
| S2298 | Provides FY 2024 supplemental appropriations to, and establishes "Drinking Water Emergency Response Fund" in, DEP; appropriates $6.85 million to fund and various divisions of DEP. | This bill would provide several FY 2024 supplemental appropriations to the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) for the purpose of hiring new staff. The bill would also establish a new nonlapsing fund in the DEP to fund emergency response efforts to reduce unexpected drinking water contamination. Specifically, the bill would establish the "Drinking Water Emergency Response Fund" in the DEP. The bill would stipulate that moneys in the fund may only be used to: (1) fund emergency response efforts by the DEP to drinking water contamination from unexpected contamination or other incidents, including chemical releases or spills, or harmful algal blooms; or (2) provide moneys to publicly owned drinking water systems to fund emergency response efforts, as described in paragraph (1). The bill would appropriate $1 million from the General Fund to the "Drinking Water Emergency Response Fund." The bill would also appropriate $1.4 million to the New Jersey Forest Service, $1.3 million to the New Jersey State Park Service, $2 million to the Division of Water Supply and Geoscience in the DEP, and $1 million to the Division of Land Use Regulation in the DEP. The purpose of the appropriations would be to pay the salaries of new staff members in those divisions of the DEP. The bill would also appropriate $150,000 to the Green Acres program for the purpose of employing a volunteer coordinator at the New Jersey Natural Lands Trust. | In Committee |
| S2299 | Increases FY2024 appropriation from General Fund to DCF for the Center for Great Expectations by $1.5 million from $500,000 to $2.0 million. | This bill increases the FY2024 appropriation from the General Fund to the Department of Children and Families for the Center for Great Expectations by $1.5 million, from $500,000 to $2.0 million. The Center for Great Expectations is located in Somerset and provides safe housing and supportive services to over 1,000 women, men, and children annually, from both within and outside Somerset. Many of these individuals are homeless or economically marginalized, pregnant or parenting, or living with mental health or substance use disorders. Importantly, the organization administers the State's only residential program for adolescents with mental health disorders, who are pregnant or parenting. The additional State funds will be used to support the Center's adolescent residential program, the adult residential program for pregnant and at-risk women, and the outpatient substance abuse and mental health programs. All of these programs face a funding shortfall in the current fiscal year, which will be completely mitigated with the help of this additional State funding. | In Committee |
| S2297 | Provides corporation business tax and gross income tax credits for certain solar energy system expenditures. | This bill provides a tax credit under the corporation business tax and the gross income tax for certain solar energy system expenditures. Under the bill, a taxpayer is eligible to claim a credit in an amount equal to 35 percent of qualified solar energy system expenditures up to $5,000 for residential properties, $350 per unit for apartment buildings, and $500,000 for commercial and industrial properties. For purposes of the bill, qualified solar energy system expenditures include the cost of components utilizing solar radiation to produce energy, and expenditures for materials, labor costs for on-site preparation, assembly, and original installation, in addition to architectural and engineering services and designs or plans directly related to the construction or installation of the solar energy system equipment. The bill also specifies that a taxpayer may still receive the tax credit if the taxpayer leases the solar panels on their property from another entity, or if the taxpayer purchases energy produced by the solar panels on their property from another entity that owns the panels. The bill provides that a taxpayer must first qualify for a credit to be eligible to claim the credit. To qualify, a taxpayer must file an application with the Commissioner of Environmental Protection who is responsible for issuing a certification confirming that the expenditures meet the requirements of qualified solar energy system expenditures. The bill provides that the commissioner has 90 days after receipt of a complete application to make a determination as to the issuance of a certification. If the application is certified, the commissioner must submit the certification to the Director of the Division of Taxation in the Department of the Treasury and to the taxpayer. The taxpayer then uses that certification when filing a tax return that includes a claim for the credit. The bill provides that the first privilege period or taxable year in which a taxpayer may use the credit is the privilege period or taxable year in which the certification is granted. The bill also provides that the amount of any unused credit may be carried forward, if necessary, to each of the seven privilege periods or taxable years following the period or year in which the credit is first allowed, but stipulates that a credit is not allowed if the qualified solar energy system expenditures are used to secure another credit in the same or prior period or year by the same or another taxpayer. The bill requires the commissioner to establish a pre-certification process through which a taxpayer can determine if expected solar energy system expenditures are eligible for a credit, and to develop and adopt regulations, in consultation with the Director of the Division of Taxation, establishing technical specifications and certification requirements for the qualification of solar energy system expenditures. The bill specifies that pre-certification established by the commissioner may require submission of certain written information describing the equipment to be purchased and how it is intended to be used or consumed, but that obtaining pre-certification is not required to qualify for a credit. The maximum cumulative amount of credits permitted is limited to $25 million Statewide per year, and the program would expire after five years. The purpose of this bill is to encourage taxpayers to install solar panels on their homes and businesses by providing financial incentives to do so. | In Committee |
| S215 | Requires school districts to include environmental sustainability plan in long-range facilities plan. | 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. | In Committee |
| S1041 | Requires DEP and Drinking Water Quality Institute to perform study concerning regulation and treatment of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances. | This bill would require the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), in consultation with the Drinking Water Quality Institute, to conduct a study on the regulation of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water. The study would include an assessment of the feasibility of establishing a maximum contaminant level or other standard for the entire class, or for certain subclasses or mixtures, of PFAS in drinking water, rather than for each individual substance. The study would also include an assessment of treatment technologies that may be effective in removing PFAS from drinking water or wastewater. The bill would require the DEP to publish the report no later than 24 months after the bill's enactment. PFAS are man-made chemical compounds that have multiple fluorine atoms bonded to a chain of carbon atoms. Since the 1930s, PFAS have been widely used in countless consumer products because they repel oil, water, and grease. The carbon-fluorine bond that forms PFAS is one of the strongest chemical bonds found in nature and does not break down under typical environmental conditions. As a result, the presence of PFAS in the environment is widespread. There are over 12,000 different types of PFAS, and new types are continually being developed and used in commerce. Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) were first developed in the 1940's and are the two most commonly found PFAS in the environment and are also the two most studied and regulated PFAS. In 2018, the DEP adopted amendments to its Safe Drinking Water Act regulations to establish drinking water standards for another common PFAS, perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), at a maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 13 parts per trillion. In 2020, the DEP adopted additional drinking water standards for PFOA at a MCL of 14 parts per trillion and for PFOS at a MCL of 13 parts per trillion. | Dead |
| S250 | Requires BPU to designate solar portion of critical renewable microgrid as solar energy project under Community Solar Energy Program; requires Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness to designate certain microgrids as assets of importance. | This bill would require, no later than three months after the bill is enacted into law, the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) to develop a program that would allow certain solar energy systems that are connected to a critical renewable microgrid to be designated as solar energy projects and eligible for incentives under the permanent Community Solar Energy Program, established pursuant to subsection f. of section 5 of P.L.2018, c.17 (C.48:3-87.11). A solar energy system that is approved for designation in the program would be eligible for SREC-IIs at the monetary value designated for low- or moderate-income customers and may have a rated capacity larger than five megawatts. As defined in the bill, "microgrid" means a group of interconnected loads and distributed energy resources within clearly defined electrical boundaries that acts as a single controllable entity with respect to the electric grid, which can connect and disconnect from the electric grid to enable it to operate both connected to, or independent of, the electric grid. As also defined in the bill, "critical renewable microgrid" means a microgrid that utilizes renewable energy as its primary source of energy, to the largest extent technically and economically feasible, and that serves a critical function in protecting the State's economy, public health and safety, and transportation sector during power outages caused by natural or man-made disasters. In order for a solar energy system to receive this designation, and therefore be eligible for incentives under the permanent Community Solar Energy Program, the solar energy system would be required to: (1) demonstrate that the solar energy system will devote at least 75 percent of its energy output to low- or moderate-income customers, at a price that is at least 20 percent lower than the value of a community solar credit provided on a community solar program subscriber's utility bill; and (2) meet the eligibility requirements, as developed by the BPU. In developing the program pursuant to this bill, the BPU would be required to establish eligibility criteria for solar energy systems that are connected to a critical renewable microgrid and an application and approval process for such systems. The bill would also: (1) limit the total annual capacity of approved solar energy systems that are connected to a critical renewable microgrid to no more than 100 megawatts per year; (2) provide that solar energy systems' participation in the program would be for a term of 25 years; (3) require that approved solar energy systems that are projected to have a total rated capacity of greater than 15 megawatts are constructed in a manner to add a rated capacity of no more than 15 megawatts per year; (4) establish a process, in a form and manner determined by the BPU, for municipalities to partner with, support, and acquire customers for a solar energy system that is connected to a critical renewable microgrid, which may include the use of automatic enrollment of customers to participate in the solar energy system as long as the customers are notified of their enrollment and ability to opt-out; (5) provide that any incentives, including SREC-IIs, provided to a solar energy system that is approved for designation in the program and is designated as part of an asset of importance for homeland security pursuant to section 2 of this bill would not be subject to the Class I renewable energy requirement cost cap established by paragraph (2) of subsection d. of section 38 of P.L.1999, c.23 (C.48:3-87); and (6) provide that any solar energy system that meets the eligibility requirements would be eligible to participate in the program, and that the owners or operators of the system may apply or reapply until accepted into the program. The solar capacity of solar energy systems that are connected to critical renewable microgrids and designated by the BPU as community solar projects would be in addition to the capacity of community solar projects approved by the BPU pursuant to the permanent Community Solar Energy Program. The bill would also require, no later than six months after the bill's effective date, the Director of the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness (director) to develop standards for designating a critical renewable microgrid as an asset of importance for homeland security. If a critical renewable microgrid is so designated by the director, the State incentives provided for the solar energy system connected to the critical renewable microgrid, pursuant to the bill, would not be subject to the Class I renewable energy requirement cost cap established by paragraph (2) of subsection d. of section 38 of P.L.1999, c.23 (C.48:3-87). Microgrids can provide a multitude of benefits to the State, such as improving electric reliability, enhancing energy resilience, lowering energy costs, strengthening the central electric grid, bolstering cybersecurity, and improving overall community well-being. Hurricane Sandy caused tens of billions of dollars of damage to New Jersey, and caused the curtailment or loss or of vital infrastructure protecting the economy, the environment, public health, public safety, and transportation. Several other unusual weather events have caused widespread and long-lasting power outages in the State during recent years. The frequency and intensity of such events is expected to increase as a result of global warming. In response, many state and local governmental entities and quasi-governmental entities plan to develop microgrids to provide resilient power to facilities providing critical public functions. Microgrids can play a vital role in protecting the State's economy, environment, public health, public safety, and transportation during future widespread power outages. The planning and development of renewable microgrids is essential in providing resilient power throughout the State and in combating the adverse effects of climate change. For these reasons, solar energy systems that are connected to critical renewable microgrids should be eligible for incentives under the Community Solar Energy Program. | In Committee |
| S239 | Eliminates prohibition on paper bags, and allows packaging options, for certain grocery orders for three years; requires program for disposition of reusable bags; extends timeframe for use of certain bags by food banks and pantries. | This bill authorizes a third party grocery delivery service or a grocery store to provide, or sell to customers for a fee, any of the following options for groceries prepared for delivery, pickup, or curbside pickup: 1) single-use paper carryout bags, provided that the bags contain at least 40 percent postconsumer recycled content; 2) cardboard boxes; or 3) reusable bags. Under the bill, if a grocery store or third party grocery delivery service provides customers more than one packaging option, the customer may choose one of the available packaging options. A grocery store or third party grocery delivery service may also provide customers the option of receiving unpackaged groceries to a receptacle provided by the customer where the groceries can be safely delivered. Beginning three years after the bill's effective date, third party grocery delivery services and grocery stores would no longer be authorized to provide paper bags or cardboard boxes. Finally, the bill requires grocery stores and third party grocery delivery services that provide reusable bags for home delivery to establish a program for the return, sanitation, and reuse of the reusable bags, a program to recycle the returned reusable bags, or a donation program to donate the reusable bags returned by customers to a food bank or food pantry. Grocery stores and third party delivery services would not be required to take back reusable bags provided to customers by another grocery store or third party delivery service. | In Committee |
| SR15 | Urges lending institutions in State to stop financing projects that contribute to climate change. | This resolution urges lending institutions in the State to stop financing projects that contribute to climate change. The exploration for, development of, and burning of fossil fuels, such as oil, gas, and coal, releases greenhouse gases into the Earth's atmosphere. Greenhouse gases cause rising global temperatures that lead to catastrophic weather events, such as intense storms, weather extremes, heat waves, wildfires, and flooding. Despite the adoption of the Paris Agreement in 2015, the world's 60 largest lending institutions provided a combined total of $3.8 trillion in financing to oil, gas, and coal companies from 2016 to 2020. In addition, these same lending institutions have incrementally increased financing to oil, gas, and coal companies each year between 2016 and 2019. Many of these major lending institutions financed the fracking of oil in Neuquén province, Argentina, which has negatively affected the health and economic prosperity of the indigenous Mapuche people native to the area. Today, the Mapuche people and the animals grazing on the land suffer from serious health issues that have been linked to the fracking of oil, such as deformities, cancer, and bone density loss. In addition, the Mapuche community has lost large swaths of land to oil companies that were originally used for subsistence pasture. In Mozambique, a gas extraction project financed by major lending institutions has resulted in the forced relocation of at least 550 local families, has reduced the amount of usable land, and has left families in formerly self-sustaining local villages without livelihoods. Environmentally conscious lending institutions acknowledge that financing projects that contribute to climate change damages the health of the planet, and all life living on it, and take action to limit and reduce funding to oil, gas, and coal companies that plan to undertake projects that increase greenhouse gas emissions. For example, NatWest, formally the Royal Bank of Scotland, the largest bank in the world, and a substantial financier of the oil, gas, and coal industries, has pledged to finance $133 billion in sustainable energy projects by the end of 2025. NatWest has already financed a significant number of sustainable energy projects in the past, including offering $10 billion in sustainable and climate financing from 2018 to 2020, and $200 million in 2012. In 2017, NatWest reported it did not finance any new coal mining projects. In 2020, NatWest announced it would stop lending and underwriting major oil and gas companies if the companies failed to provide a transition plan that aligned with the goals of the Paris Agreement to restrict global temperatures by the end of 2021. In addition, while NatWest still finances previously existing coal related projects, the bank plans to phase out all coal related financing globally by January 1, 2030, reduce carbon related financing by 50 percent by 2030, and achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions on discretionarily managed assets by 2050. In order to prevent the pervasive, damaging effects of climate change, and protect the Earth's environment and all life living on it, it is important that other lending institutions adopt a similar limit in financing oil, gas, and coal projects, and begin substantially financing sustainable energy projects. Therefore, this House urges lending institutions in the State to stop financing projects that contribute to climate change. | In Committee |
| S201 | Establishes Renewable and Efficient Energy Financing Program; authorizes BPU to transfer up to $20 million annually in societal benefits charge revenues to New Jersey Infrastructure Bank for purposes of program. | This bill would establish the Renewable and Efficient Energy Financing (REEF) program in the New Jersey Infrastructure Bank (NJIB). The purpose of the REEF program would be to provide loans and other forms of financial assistance, as the NJIB deems appropriate, to State entities, local units, and school districts to finance cost-effective energy efficiency improvements in buildings and other property owned or operated by the State entities, local units, or school districts. The NJIB would also be authorized to provide loans and other financial assistance directly to a private entity for an energy efficiency improvement project sponsored and guaranteed by a local unit. A State entity, local unit, or school district seeking financial assistance under the REEF program would be required to apply to the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) in a form and manner determined by the BPU. The BPU, in consultation with the NJIB, would develop criteria for the approval or disapproval of applications. As part of the application process, an applicant would be required to perform an energy efficiency assessment of the buildings or other property owned or operated by the applicant. The assessment would identify the energy efficiency improvements that could be installed and operated in the buildings or other property at a total cost that is less than the energy cost savings, in the form of lower energy bills, realized by the applicant over the lesser of a 10-year period or the useful life of the energy efficiency improvement. Upon approval of an application, subject to the availability of funds, the NJIB would make loans or other forms of financial assistance to the applicant to finance all or a portion of the cost of the energy efficiency improvements identified in the assessment. The loans and other forms of financial assistance would be made subject to terms and conditions determined by the NJIB. The installation or contract for the installation of the energy efficiency improvements would be required to address provisions concerning payment schedules, monitoring, inspection, measuring, and warranties as are necessary to ensure that the energy efficiency improvements installed and operated in the building or other property are cost-effective. The bill establishes in the NJIB a special, nonlapsing fund to be known as the Renewable and Efficient Energy Financing Fund. Monies in the fund would be used by the NJIB to make loans and other financial assistance under the bill, and for administration of the REEF program. The fund would be credited with: (1) moneys obtained from the payment of principal and interest on loans made under the bill; (2) moneys transferred to the NJIB from the BPU under the bill; (3) any other moneys appropriated by the Legislature or made available to the NJIB for the purposes of the bill; and (4) any interest earnings or other investment income earned or received on the moneys in the fund. Under the bill, in next the State fiscal year after the bill's enactment and each year thereafter, the BPU would be required to transfer to the NJIB up to $20 million from available balances accumulated in accounts of the BPU from funds collected through the societal benefits charge (a surcharge imposed on all electric and gas public utility customers in the State) for the purposes of the REEF program. The BPU and the NJIB would be authorized to enter into any contract deemed necessary to implement the payment arrangement between the two entities. The BPU, in consultation with the NJIB, would be required to develop a priority system for energy improvement projects and establish ranking criteria and funding policies for the energy efficiency improvement projects to be funded under the program. The BPU would be required to set forth a "Renewable and Efficient Energy Financing Program Project Priority List" for funding by the NJIB each fiscal year. Finally, the BPU and the NJIB would be required to submit an annual report to the Governor and the Legislature on the effectiveness of the program in promoting energy efficiency and energy cost savings for State entities, local units, and school districts. | In Committee |
| S236 | Requires electric public utilities to submit to BPU and implement integrated distribution plans. | This bill would require electric public utilities to submit integrated distribution plans to the Board of Public Utilities (BPU). As defined by the bill, "integrated distribution plan" means a plan developed by an electric public utility to assess the necessary physical and operational changes to the transmission and distribution system in its service area to enable safe, reliable, and affordable service that satisfies customers' changing expectations and facilitates the use of distributed electric power sources. The bill would first require the BPU to develop criteria for the integrated distribution plans no later than six months after the bill's enactment. The bill would establish certain minimum requirements for the criteria, as enumerated in paragraph (1) of subsection a. of section 1 of the bill. The bill would then require, one year after the BPU develops criteria for integrated distribution plans, all electric public utilities in the State to submit to the BPU an integrated distribution plan that conforms to the criteria. Finally, the bill would require each electric public utility to implement its integrated distribution plan, once it is approved by the BPU. | In Committee |
| SR14 | Urges schools to implement share tables in order to reduce food waste and help alleviate food insecurity. | This Senate resolution would urge schools to implement share tables, in order to reduce food waste and help alleviate food insecurity in the State. | In Committee |
| S228 | Allows public bodies to conduct meetings by electronic means. | This bill permits a public body to conduct a meeting and public business, cause a meeting to be open to the public, vote, and receive public comment by means of communication or other electronic equipment. Under current law, remote meetings, voting, and public comment are only permitted during a state of emergency, public health emergency, or state of local disaster emergency. This bill removes that restriction. Under the bill, any meeting conducted by means of communication or other electronic equipment must be open to the public in a manner consistent with N.J.S.A.10:4-12. "Public body" is defined under the "Senator Byron M. Baer Open Public Meetings Act" to be a commission, authority, board, council, committee, or any other group of two or more persons organized under the laws of this State, and collectively empowered as a voting body to perform a public governmental function affecting the rights, duties, obligations, privileges, benefits, or other legal relations of any person, or collectively authorized to spend public funds including the Legislature, but does not mean or include the judicial branch of the government, any grand or petit jury, any parole board or any agency or body acting in a parole capacity, the State Commission of Investigation, the Apportionment Commission established under Article IV, Section III, of the Constitution, or any political party committee organized under Title 19 of the Revised Statutes. | In Committee |
| S244 | Directs BPU to conduct study to determine feasibility of use of large-scale geothermal heat pump systems in State. | This bill directs the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) to conduct a study of the feasibility and benefits of implementing large-scale geothermal heat pump systems (GHPs), as these systems are defined in the bill. The bill requires the BPU, in conducting the study, to assess the challenges and obstacles for the installation of large-scale GHPs in the State, and to consult with the United States Department of Energy, other states, geothermal experts and public and private entities with experience installing GHPs, and public utilities concerning the feasibility, costs, and benefits of the use of geothermal energy and GHPs. The bill requires the BPU to consider the feasibility and desirability of establishing a financial incentive system, or the use of other available means and methods, to encourage and incentivize the development and successful deployment of geothermal energy and geothermal heat pump systems. The bill also requires the BPU to evaluate the costs and savings to ratepayers, government entities, electric public utilities, and the State associated with the implementation of the study findings and recommendations, and provide a recommendation on the feasibility of, need for, and design of, a pilot program in the State for the installation of GHPs. Finally, the bill requires the BPU, within one year after the bill is enacted into law, to prepare and submit a written report to the Governor and the Legislature summarizing the findings from the study, and providing recommendations for the feasibility, need for, and design of a pilot program, and for legislative, executive, and other actions. | In Committee |
| S221 | Codifies certain energy goals related to 2019 Energy Master Plan. | This bill would codify in law certain State energy goals advanced for the years 2025 to 2035 in the 2019 New Jersey Energy Master Plan, prepared pursuant to section 12 of P.L.1977, c.146 (C.52:27F-14). The bill would also direct the Board of Public Utilities, Department of the Treasury, New Jersey Transit Corporation, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Department of Community Affairs, Department of Transportation, and Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to review current rules and regulations and notify the Legislature of any instances in which the existing statutory authority is insufficient to achieve the goals. In addition, the bill would require the DEP to submit an annual report to the Legislature on the State's progress in meeting the goals. | In Committee |
| S998 | Provides for establishment of New Jersey Water Infrastructure Center at institute of higher education designated by DEP; appropriates $5 million. | This bill would provide for the establishment of a New Jersey Water Infrastructure Center (center) at a public or private institution of higher education designated by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). The bill would require the DEP's designation to be made pursuant to a competitive selection process and not more than six months after the bill's effective date, and it would further require the center to commence its operations within one year after the bill's effective date. The three-fold purpose of the center would be to: (1) identify and promote policy and management methods to facilitate the transformation of the State's water infrastructure systems, as necessary to ensure that these systems are effectively delivering quality drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater services at the lowest long-term cost; are providing all residents of every community in the State with quality, affordable, and clean drinking water; are adequately funded; are operating efficiently and remain in a state of good repair; and provide multiple benefits to their host communities, including, but not limited to, clean water and waterways, local jobs, flood and climate change resilience, economic growth, and healthier, safer neighborhoods; (2) collect and bring together cross-disciplinary data, applied research, and stakeholders to accelerate the development and implementation of effective water infrastructure policies, water resource management practices, and solutions to problems facing water utilities and system owners and operators; and (3) ensure that all stakeholders, including, but not limited to, consumers, local government officials, water infrastructure departments and utilities, policymakers, regulators, and advocates, have easy and transparent access to all available water-related data and metrics generated by the center. The center would have the duty to: engage in critical analysis; provide relevant information to, and encourage cooperation among stakeholders; and develop new strategies and solutions, as may be necessary to effectuate its purposes. The center would be required to provide, at a minimum, the following programs and services, to the extent feasible with available funds: (1) a data collection and dissemination program that uses an accessible, up-to-date online data dashboard to provide stakeholders with water systems performance data, benchmarking data, data on Statewide trends in water usage and supply, and other relevant data and statistics relevant to water infrastructure, supply, utilities, or resource management in the State; (2) an applied research program that provides and facilitates cross-disciplinary policy and management research and identifies cutting-edge, data-driven solutions to problems affecting State-level water policy development, water systems operators, and the design of water systems; (3) a small grants program that provides financial assistance to institutions of higher education in the State, in order to enable those institutions to fund independent research related to the State's water supply, water infrastructure, or management of water resources; (4) a stakeholder collaboration program that uses educational newsletters and group meetings to help foster a constructive dialogue among stakeholders on water-related issues; and (5) a water service innovation program that facilitates active engagement and cooperation among, and the development and maintenance of connections and ongoing relationships between, institutions of higher education and water system owners and operators, planners, policymakers, regulators, and other relevant parties, for the purpose of encouraging and better enabling the collective development of new and innovative water management and infrastructure strategies and solutions. The bill would appropriate $5 million from the General Fund for the purposes of financing the establishment and operations of the center. The bill would further authorize the center to seek additional funding, from State, federal, or other sources, as may be necessary to strengthen and expand the center's programming. For example, the center would be authorized to seek additional funding to establish programs and initiatives such as the following: (1) a consumer connections program that facilitates engagement and the development and maintenance of connections between water service consumers and the owners and operators of the local water systems that serve them; (2) a technical assistance program to help at-risk water systems implement cost-saving strategies, including, but not limited to, regionalization strategies, climate resiliency strategies, water-energy nexus strategies, and staff capacity-building strategies; or (3) a water workforce training and connections program that provides training courses and otherwise facilitates the creation of employment pipelines between water systems, local communities, and educational institutions in the State to effectuate an increase in the State's water workforce. One year after the center is established, and annually thereafter, it would be required to submit a written report, to the Governor and Legislature, describing: the programs the center has implemented and the activities it has undertaken; the actual and anticipated effects of those programs and activities on the State's water systems, drinking water supply, and water consumers; the center's priorities for the upcoming year; and the additional resources, if any, that the center needs to properly effectuate its mission. Each report would also be published on the Internet websites of the Department of Environmental Protection and of the institution of higher education that is hosting the center. The bill would require the Department of Environmental Protection to: (1) provide advice and assistance to guide the operations of the center; (2) provide relevant data and research assistance to the center, upon request, as may be necessary for the center to perform its duties and implement its programs; (3) identify topics of concern and research areas that should be addressed, through the center's programs, services, and activities, to the extent feasible given existing funding and ongoing research efforts; and (4) identify, and provide for the center to implement, new programs, services, or activities, not already identified in the bill, which are related to water infrastructure, water resource management, or drinking water quality or supplies in the State. | In Committee |
| S206 | Authorizes local law enforcement officers to conduct certain alternative deer control methods. | This bill would define the term "authorized agent" as used in P.L.2000, c.46 (C.23:4-42.3 et seq.), the law authorizing community based management plans, to provide that term may include local law enforcement officers. A community based deer management plan is a plan by which a county board of agriculture, the governing body of a county or municipality, or the owner or operator of an airport may request, from the Division of Fish and Wildlife, a special deer management permit to implement alternative deer control methods in order to manage a deer population that is causing significant property damage in that area. Under this bill, the term "authorized agent" may include, but is not limited to, upon the request of a municipal governing body, a local law enforcement officer trained or otherwise approved by the division to employ alternative deer control methods. | In Committee |
| S242 | Requires BPU to allow low- and moderate-income residential customers to self-attest to income for participation in community solar programs. | This bill would require the Board of Public Utilities to promulgate rules and regulations to allow low- and moderate-income residential customers to self-attest to the residential customer's income for participation in a community solar program established pursuant to P.L.2018, c.17 (C.48:3-87.8 et al.). | In Committee |
| S214 | Requires all motorbuses purchased for public transportation service to be electric-powered by 2035; makes annual appropriation of $82 million. | This bill requires public entities including the New Jersey Transit Corporation (NJ Transit) to transition to electric motorbuses. Beginning in FY 2031, 25 percent of the new motorbuses purchased by each public entity for regular route service that is provided by a public entity must be electric motorbuses. Beginning in FY 2036, all new motorbuses purchased by each public entity for regular route service provided by a public entity must be electric motorbuses. The bill also requires public entities to begin preparing for this transition starting in the first State fiscal year following the effective date of the bill. The bill requires NJ Transit and county transportation services to each provide a report to the Governor and Legislature by March 1, 2025, which documents their progress in preparing for the gradual transition to electric motorbuses beginning in FY 2031. The report is to include updates on the preparations these entities began making to transition to electric motorbuses, the status of each entity in training staff and equipping facilities for the use of electric motorbuses, a schedule for their planned transition to electric motorbuses, an analysis of whether electric motorbuses will be sufficient to replace the existing motorbus fleet, and the potential fiscal impact of the transition to an electric motorbus fleet relative to maintenance and upkeep of the fleet with non-electric motorbuses. The bill also amends the requirements of the Statewide Capital Investment Strategy as they apply to NJ Transit. Currently, NJ Transit is required to transition its diesel bus fleet to lower emission alternatives. This bill sunsets that requirement in FY 2030, so that beginning in FY 2031, the requirements under this bill for the electrification of the motorbus fleet are put in place, which will eventually result in a zero emission fleet. The bill appropriates $82 million each year starting on the first State fiscal year after the bill is enacted and ending before FY 2036. The bill appropriates money to NJ Transit from the societal benefits charge and any revenues generated from the sale of carbon emission allowances resulting from the State's participation in the Transportation and Climate Initiative Program. The bill requires the money to be equitably divided between public entities operating motorbus regular route service to prepare for the transition to electric motorbuses and to purchase electric motorbuses. | In Committee |
| S235 | Establishes tax credits and financial grant related to construction and operation of advanced nuclear energy facilities. | This bill establishes two tax credits and a financial grant related to the construction and operation of advanced nuclear energy facilities. The bill allows a taxpayer that is a manufacturer of equipment and components for advanced nuclear facilities licensed by the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission to apply for a corporation business tax credit equal to 15 percent of the amount paid during the privilege period for: (1) new manufacturing equipment installed at a new or existing manufacturing facility located within the State; and (2) the acquisition, construction, reconstruction, installation, or erection of improvements or additions that result in the renovation, modernization, or expansion of a manufacturing facility located within the State. The bill also creates the "New Jersey Advanced Nuclear Energy Development Program" within the New Jersey Economic Development Authority to encourage the construction of advanced nuclear energy facilities in the State through the provision of incentive tax credits to a developer for the construction and production of energy at the facility. The program would be administered by the authority in consultation with the Board of Public Utilities. In order to qualify for the incentive tax credit established pursuant to this bill, a developer would be required to demonstrate that: · there is a need for project financing; · the project is located at a current or decommissioned commercial nuclear generating facility in the State with a license that is or was previously issued by the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission;· the developer intends to initiate the process for acquisition of a license for the construction of an advanced nuclear reactor with the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission by the end of calendar year 2023 and be issued an operator license for the facility by 2030;· the project will comply with various environmental, affirmative action, and wage standards; and· the developer will commit at least 20 percent of the total project cost.In addition to assisting with financing construction of an advanced nuclear energy facility, an incentive tax credit provided under the program would provide $1 million for each megawatt of energy produced by the facility upon completion. Finally, this bill establishes a financial grant to facilitate the construction and operation of the first advanced nuclear energy facility in the State. The bill provides that commencing on January 1 next following the bill's enactment, and on January 1 of each year thereafter, the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) will be required to provide a financial grant (known as an advanced nuclear energy grant) to the first advanced nuclear energy facility operating in the State. The grant is to equal $50 per megawatt-hour of electricity generated by the advanced nuclear energy facility in the preceding calendar year. The first advanced nuclear energy facility in the State would be entitled to receive such a grant in each of the first 25 years of the facility's operations. | In Committee |
| S241 | Establishes "Electric Vehicle Battery Repurposing Fund" to support repurposing, remanufacturing, and recycling of electric vehicle batteries; dedicates amounts based on certain sales of electric vehicles. | This bill establishes in the General Fund a dedicated account entitled the "Electric Vehicle Battery Repurposing Fund" that will be credited each State fiscal year with an amount equal to $500 for each retail sale of an electronic vehicle in this State during the prior fiscal year. The amounts credited to the fund shall be appropriated exclusively to support repurposing, remanufacturing, and recycling of electric vehicle batteries in an environmentally sound manner. There are approximately 100,000 electric vehicles on the road in New Jersey, and that number may increase dramatically in the near future. Eventually, the electric vehicle batteries in these vehicles will come to the end of their useful life for powering the electric motors in electric vehicles. However, reused or "second-life" electric vehicle batteries, especially lithium-ion batteries, still have a lot of energy storage capacity left in them, and may be reused in limited stationary applications such as for home energy projects, off the grid energy storage and to power street lighting. The reuse of electric vehicle batteries under environmentally safe conditions will prevent the contamination of landfills with the toxic chemicals such as lithium, cobalt, and graphite found in these used batteries. The "Electric Vehicle Battery Repurposing Fund" will support efforts to repurpose, remanufacture, and recycle electric vehicle batteries in an environmentally sound manner. | In Committee |
| S213 | Establishes certain State goals for sale of zero-emission medium-duty and heavy-duty trucks, and certain off-road vehicles and equipment. | This bill establishes goals concerning the sale, lease, and operation of certain on-road vehicles and off-road vehicles and equipment in the State. Specifically, the bill sets a goal that 100 percent of new medium-duty and heavy-duty trucks offered for sale or lease for registration in the State would be zero-emission vehicles by December 31, 2045. As defined in the bill, "heavy duty truck" means an on-road vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating of greater than 32,000 pounds, "medium-duty truck" means an on-road vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating of greater than 8,500 pounds and less than 32,000 pounds, and "zero-emission vehicle" or "ZEV" means a vehicle certified as a zero emission vehicle pursuant to the California Air Resources Board zero emission vehicle standards for the applicable model year, but does not include an advanced technology partial zero emission vehicle or a partial zero emission vehicle. The bill also establishes the goal that 100 percent of off-road vehicles and equipment would be zero-emission vehicles and equipment by December 31, 2035, where feasible. As defined in the bill, "off-road vehicle or equipment" means any vehicle or equipment that is used primarily for construction, loading, and other off-road purposes and, when in use, is not commonly operated on a roadway except when used for roadway construction and repair, including, but not necessarily limited to, rollers, scrapers, excavators, rubber tire loaders, bulldozers, and off-highway trucks. The bill would require the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to adopt policies and regulations to accomplish the goals established pursuant to the bill. The DEP would be required to, within one year of the bill's effective date, submit a report to the Governor and the Legislature that, at a minimum: (1) assesses the current state of the zero-emission vehicle market in New Jersey; (2) measures the State's progress towards achieving the goals established in subsection a. of this section; (3) identifies barriers to the achievement of the goals; and (4) makes recommendations for legislative or regulatory action to address barriers to the achievement of the goals. Within two years of the bill's effective date, the DEP would be required to develop strategies to achieve the bill's goals. The strategies required pursuant to the bill would be required to be consistent with safety requirements and be technologically feasible and cost-effective. The DEP would be required to publish the strategies on their Internet website and update the strategies annually. Within two years of the bill's effective date, the DEP, in consultation with the Department of Transportation (DOT), and any other State agencies that the DEP deems necessary, would be required to develop a zero-emission vehicle market development strategy. The strategy, at a minimum would be required to: (1) ensure coordinated and expeditious implementation of the policies, programs, and regulations necessary to achieve the goals established pursuant to section 2 of this act; and (2) outline a plan to increase accessibility to new and used zero-emission vehicle markets for all residents of the State. The DEP would be required to update the zero-emission vehicle market development strategy every three years. The bill would also require, the DEP, in consultation with the DOT, and any other State agencies the DEP deems necessary, to identify near-term actions and investment strategies to improve sustainable transportation, freight, and transit options within the State, including, but not limited to: (1) supporting bicycle and pedestrian options, particularly in low-income and disadvantaged communities in the State, by incorporating safe and accessible infrastructure, where appropriate; and (2) supporting light-duty, medium-duty, and heavy-duty zero-emission vehicles and infrastructure as part of larger transportation projects, where appropriate. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, heavy-duty trucks are the largest contributor to mobile source emissions of nitrogen oxide and will be one of the largest mobile source contributors to ozone in 2025. Medium-duty and heavy-duty trucks tend to be intense polluters due to their use of diesel, which emits large amounts of nitrogen oxides and particulate matter. The pollution can cause certain adverse health effects including chronic heart and lung disease. Diesel pollution is also especially concentrated in urban areas and tends to be worse in low-income communities and communities of color. Off-road vehicles and equipment are also a key source of pollution as they emit large amounts of fine particulate matter and nitrogen oxides into the air. In order to enhance air quality and public health, it is important to begin transitioning medium-duty and heavy-duty trucks and off-road vehicles and equipment to be zero-emission vehicles and equipment. This bill's goals, and the strategies required to be developed in order to help the State achieve the goals, will contribute to a healthier environment and better public health for New Jersey residents. | In Committee |
| S255 | Establishes conditions for net metering for authorized food waste recycling facilities. | This bill would specify that authorized food waste recycling facilities are able to engage in net metering and would establish conditions and compensation for those facilities. Under current law, specifically subsection e. of section 38 of P.L.1999, c.23 (C.48:3-87), electric power suppliers and basic generation providers are required to offer net-metering to industrial, commercial, and residential customers. This bill specifies that authorized food waste recycling facilities would be eligible to engage in net metering. "Net metering" refers to an accounting, or billing, process that allows a customer that generates electricity from a Class I renewable energy source to receive credit on their utility bill for the electricity produced. An authorized food waste recycling facility is defined in law to mean "a Class C recycling center within the State authorized to accept, store, process, or transfer food waste or compostable material, pursuant to subsection b. of section 41 of P.L.1987, c.102 (C.13:1E-99.34)." Under the bill, if the amount of electricity generated by the authorized food waste recycling facility (facility), plus any kilowatt hour credits held over from previous billing periods, exceeds the electricity supplied by the electric power supplier (supplier) or basic generation service provider (provider), then the supplier or provider, as the case may be, would credit the facility for the excess kilowatt hours until the end of the annualized period. If any kilowatt hour credit remains at the end of the annualized period, the facility would be compensated by the supplier or provider for any remaining credits or, the facility could choose to have the supplier or provider credit the facility at the applicable published tariff rate for residential basic generation service, inclusive of sales and use tax, plus $0.03 per kilowatt hour. Alternatively, if a facility chooses not to receive a credit, the facility would be able to: execute a bilateral agreement with a supplier or service provider for the sale and purchase of the excess generation; or enter into a contract to deliver or sell the power to end-use customers located within the same electric public utility's service territory as the facility. | In Committee |
| S727 | Authorizes EDA to provide grants from "Global Warming Solutions Fund" to finance replacement of certain agricultural equipment. | This bill would authorize the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (EDA) to provide grants to farmers, using moneys from the "Global Warming Solutions Fund," established pursuant to section 6 of P.L.2007, c.340 (C.26:2C-50), to finance the replacement of inefficient or polluting agricultural equipment with more efficient, less polluting equipment. Under current law, the EDA is authorized to use moneys in the "Global Warming Solutions Fund" to provide grants and other forms of financial assistance to commercial, institutional, and industrial entities to: (1) support end-use energy efficiency projects and new, efficient electric generation facilities that are state of the art; (2) develop combined heat and power production and other high efficiency electric generation facilities; (3) stimulate or reward investment in the development of innovative carbon emissions abatement technologies with significant carbon emissions reduction or avoidance potential (4) develop qualified offshore wind projects; and (5) provide financial assistance to manufacturers of equipment associated with qualified offshore wind projects. This bill would add agricultural entities to the types of entities eligible to receive funding, and would add the replacement of inefficient or polluting agricultural equipment with more efficient, less polluting equipment to the list of the types of projects authorized to receive funding. As provided under current law, the EDA, in consultation with the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) and the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), would be authorized to determine the process by which the grants would be applied for and awarded. However, the bill would require the application process for a grant to finance the replacement of agricultural equipment to require the applicant to demonstrate that the old equipment has been dismantled or otherwise permanently decommissioned. The "Global Warming Solutions Fund" serves as the repository for funds generated from the sale of greenhouse gas emissions allowances under the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). The EDA receives 60 percent of moneys appropriated by the Legislature from the fund each year, while the BPU and the DEP each receive 20 percent. | In Committee |
| S1002 | Directs DEP to develop State water infrastructure investment plan; requires NJ Infrastructure Bank to publish additional information about water infrastructure projects; appropriates $200,000 to NJ Infrastructure Bank. | This bill would direct the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to prepare a State Water Infrastructure Investment Plan every five years. The bill would also require the New Jersey Infrastructure Bank (NJIB) to publish additional information about water infrastructure projects in the State. No later than 12 months after the bill's effective date and every five years thereafter, the bill would direct the DEP, in consultation with the NJIB and, where appropriate, the Board of Public Utilities and the Department of Community Affairs, to prepare and submit to Governor and the Legislature a State Water Infrastructure Investment Plan (plan). The plan would serve as the State's long-term capital investment strategy for upgrading and maintaining the State's drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure. The bill would establish various requirements for the contents of the plan, as enumerated in subsection b. of section 2 of the bill. In addition, each time the DEP prepares a plan, the bill would require the DEP to conduct at least three public meetings on the proposed plan, and meet with other stakeholders as described in subsection c. of section 2 of the bill. The bill would also require the NJIB to prepare an Annual Water Infrastructure Capital Program (annual program), which would provide details about current water infrastructure projects in the State. The annual program would be submitted to the Governor, Legislature, and the DEP. The bill would establish various requirements for the content of the annual program, as enumerated in subsection a. of section 3 of the bill. The bill would also require the NJIB to develop and maintain an Internet website that provides similar details about water infrastructure projects in the State. The bill would require the NJIB to update the website at least twice a year. In addition, the bill would establish various requirements for the content of the website, as enumerated in subsection b. of section 4 of the bill. In addition, the bill would require municipalities to review and consider any applicable recommendations of the current State Water Infrastructure Investment Plan before adopting or amending their municipal master plans. Finally, the bill would appropriate $200,000 to the NJIB to develop and maintain the website required under section 4 of the bill. | In Committee |
| S227 | Requires installation of operational automatic rain sensor on lawn sprinklers as condition of sale and on lawn sprinklers on commercial, retail, or industrial property and in common interest communities within specified timeframes. | This bill requires that every contract of sale of real property upon which a lawn sprinkler system was installed on or prior to September 8, 2000, i.e., the effective date of P.L.2000, c.107 (C.C.52:27D-123.13), must include a provision requiring, as a condition of the sale, the installation of an operational automatic rain sensor device or switch that will override the irrigation cycle of the automatic lawn sprinkler system when adequate rainfall has occurred. Current law requires all automatic lawn sprinkler systems installed after September 8, 2000 be equipped with an automatic rain sensor device or switch that will override the irrigation cycle of the automatic lawn sprinkler system when adequate rainfall has occurred. This bill would expand this requirement to automatic lawn sprinkler systems installed on or prior to September 8, 2000, in accordance with the timeframes and conditions set forth in the bill. Under this bill, the closing of title on the sale of any real property cannot occur unless documentation is provided demonstrating the installation of an operational automatic rain sensor device or switch. At closing, the buyer and seller would both be required to certify in writing that this requirement has been met. Failure to comply with these requirements would not defeat or impair the title conveyed. These provisions would not apply to the closing of title on the sale of property within a common interest community. "Common interest community" is defined as a horizontal property regime, condominium, homeowner association, cooperative, or mutual housing corporation, in which some of the property, commonly known as "common elements" or "common areas," is owned or controlled by the unit or association owners or members. An owner of property who sells, leases, rents, or otherwise permits to be utilized or occupied any property when it does not comply with these requirements would be subject to a fine of up to $500. In addition, within 24 months after the date of enactment of the bill into law, an automatic lawn sprinkler system installed on or prior to September 8, 2000 in a common interest community would be required to be retrofitted with an operational automatic rain sensor device or switch that will override the irrigation cycle of the automatic lawn sprinkler system when adequate rainfall has occurred. Lastly, within 12 months after the date of enactment of the bill into law, an automatic lawn sprinkler system installed on or prior to September 8, 2000 on any commercial, retail, or industrial property would be required to be retrofitted with an operational automatic rain sensor device or switch that will override the irrigation cycle of the automatic lawn sprinkler system when adequate rainfall has occurred. | Dead |
| S232 | Requires owners and operators of certain landfills to control and monitor landfill gas emissions. | This bill would impose methane emissions control and monitoring requirements on the owners or operators of certain sanitary landfill facilities. The requirements would go into effect 24 months after the bill's enactment into law. Specifically, the bill would require any owner or operator of an authorized to accept solid waste for final disposal sanitary landfill facility or a sanitary landfill facility that closes after effective date of the bill, to: (1) obtain from the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) a permit pursuant to the "Air Pollution Control Act (1954)," P.L.1954, c.212 (C.26:2C-1 et seq.); (2) install and operate a landfill gas collection and control system; (3) conduct quarterly surface monitoring of the facility's surface for methane levels; (4) ensure that methane emissions from the facility do not exceed certain limits described in subsection a. of section 1 of the bill; (5) submit to the DEP each year an estimate of the amount of methane generated by the facility each year; and (6) keep records and make reports to the DEP as necessary to comply with the bill's provisions. A landfill gas collection and control system collects landfill gas (which is composed primarily of methane and carbon dioxide) through pipes or wells buried in the landfill, processes the gas to remove impurities, and either converts the gas into usable fuel or combusts the gas using a flare. The bill contains certain minimum standards for landfill gas collection and control systems that are installed or modified after the bill's effective date, as enumerated in subsection b. of section 1 of the bill. Any violation of the bill's provisions would be a considered a violation of the "Solid Waste Management Act," P.L.1970, c.39 (C.13:1E-1 et seq.). A person who violates the "Solid Waste Management Act" could be liable for civil penalties and civil administrative penalties up to $50,000 per day of the offense. | In Committee |
| S233 | Establishes NJ Wind Institute for Innovation and Training. | This bill would establish the New Jersey Wind Institute for Innovation and Training (institute). The institute would be governed by a board consisting of nine members, as follows: the Governor, the President of the Board of Public Utilities, the Commissioner of Environmental Protection, the Chief Executive Officer of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, the Secretary of Higher Education, and the Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development, or their designees; and three public members appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate. The public members would have relevant experience in one or more of the following areas: workforce development; organized labor; education, research and innovation; clean energy or offshore wind development; environmental protection; or diversity and inclusion. The institute would be charged with: (1) designing, establishing, and implementing workforce development, education, research, and innovation programs and initiatives that advance the State's offshore wind industry and associated clean energy goals; (2) collaborating with State agencies and other instrumentalities that include, but are not limited to, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education, the Department of Education, the Department of Labor and Workforce Development, the Board of Public Utilities, the Department of Environmental Protection, and the New Jersey Commission on Science, Innovation, and Technology; (3) engaging with, collaborating, and coordinating efforts among offshore wind stakeholders, including but not limited to industry, State and federal agencies, regional partners, public and private institutions of primary, secondary, and higher education, labor groups, environmental groups, and environmental justice organizations in order to advance offshore wind workforce development, education, research, and innovation; and (4) promoting, supporting, and funding offshore wind workforce development, education, research, and innovation efforts, including issuing requests for proposals or requests for qualifications, awarding grants or loans to private companies, private or public organizations, or individuals, entering into agreements and contracts, and entering into public-private partnerships. The institute would be headed by an executive director, who would receive compensation without regard for Title 11A of the Revised Statutes. The executive director would be responsible, among other things, for hiring staff for the institute who would also receive compensation without regard for Title 11A of the Revised Statutes. Under the bill, no action taken at meetings held by the board would have force or effect until approved by the Governor or until 10 days after a copy of the minutes have been delivered. If, in this 10-day period, the Governor returns the copy of the minutes with a veto of any action taken by the board or any member thereof at the meeting, the action would have no effect. The bill authorizes the Governor to approve all or part of an action taken prior to the expiration of the 10-day period. The bill would delegate to the institute certain enumerated powers, as described in section 8 of the bill. The bill would also authorize the board to form nonprofit entities, as described in section 9 of the bill. Under the bill, the institute and any nonprofit entity formed or for which control is assumed by the institute could enter into any agreements necessary to provide for the establishment, operation, and financial support of the institute and the nonprofit entity. The Governor's Budget-in-Brief for Fiscal Year 2023 includes $5 million to help establish the Wind Institute for Innovation and Training to support the State's offshore wind workforce. According to the budget-in-brief, this funding would complement funding from other sources, including Clean Energy Fund allocations and funding related to offshore wind development. This bill would establish the institute in statute. | In Committee |
| S253 | Directs BPU to conduct study to determine feasibility, marketability, and costs of implementing large-scale geothermal heat pump systems in State. | This bill directs the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) to conduct a study of the feasibility, marketability, costs, and benefits of implementing large-scale geothermal heat pump systems (GHPs), as these systems are defined in the bill. The bill requires the BPU, in conducting the study, to assess the challenges and obstacles for the installation of large-scale GHPs in the State, and to consult with the United States Department of Energy, other states, geothermal experts and public and private entities with experience installing GHPs, and public utilities concerning the feasibility, costs, and benefits of the use of geothermal energy and large-scale GHPs. The bill requires the BPU, as part of the study, to: consider the feasibility and desirability of establishing a financial incentive system, or the use of other available means and methods, to encourage and incentivize the development and successful deployment of geothermal energy and large-scale geothermal heat pump systems; evaluate the costs of using geothermal energy and large-scale geothermal heat pump systems; conduct an assessment to compare the energy efficiency and costs of common energy sources to that of geothermal energy in commercial and residential buildings; and evaluate the marketability of geothermal energy and large-scale geothermal heat pump systems and consider methods to promote their use. The bill also requires the BPU to evaluate the costs and savings to ratepayers, government entities, electric public utilities, and the State associated with the implementation of the study findings and recommendations, including whether financial incentives or other means of promoting geothermal energy are necessary, and provide a recommendation on the feasibility of, need for, and design of, a pilot program in the State for the installation of large-scale GHPs. Finally, the bill requires the BPU, within one year after the bill is enacted into law, to prepare and submit a written report to the Governor and the Legislature summarizing the findings from the study, and providing recommendations for the feasibility, need for, and design of a pilot program, and for legislative, executive, and other actions. | Dead |
| S202 | "Water Resources Protection Trust Fund Act"; establishes user fee on water consumption and diversion; utilizes fee revenue for water quality, supply, and infrastructure projects. | This bill would establish the Water Resources Protection Trust Fund (fund), to be administered by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). Moneys in the fund would be derived from: (1) a water consumption user fee imposed on the owner or operator of every public community water system equal to $0.40 per 1,000 gallons of water delivered to a consumer; and (2) a water diversion user fee imposed on every person required by law to obtain a diversion permit or a water use registration equal to $0.40 per 1,000 gallons of water diverted for a consumptive use. The water consumption user fee would be collected in the same manner as the water tax on public community water systems imposed under the "Safe Drinking Water Act." The following water uses would be exempt from the water consumption user fee: (1) water delivered to a consumer for the purpose of storage for future water supplies; (2) water delivered to a consumer for the purpose of transferring water between public water systems; (3) water delivered to a consumer for emergency purposes, including firefighting, flood prevention, response to a discharge of hazardous substances, or for other emergency purposes as may be determined by the DEP; (4) water delivered to a consumer, including water delivered for resale, or a bulk sale of water delivered to a consumer in another public water system; and (5) unaccounted-for water of 15 percent or less. The following water uses would be exempt from the water diversion user fee: (1) water diverted for agricultural or horticultural purposes under a water usage certification required pursuant to law; (2) water diverted for a nonconsumptive use. In the case of those permittees or persons with diversion privileges to divert water for both a consumptive use and a nonconsumptive use, the calculation of the amount of water diverted for nonconsumptive use would be determined by the DEP based on water use as reported to the DEP pursuant to law, or if not reported, based on standard industry water use profiles; (3) surface water diverted by permittees or persons required to apply for and obtain a water use registration in such a manner that it is returned to another surface water body; (4) water diverted for the remediation of areas with contaminated ground water supplies, or for other remedial actions as provided by law; (5) water diverted for emergency purposes, including firefighting, flood prevention, response to a discharge of hazardous substances, or for other emergency purposes as may be determined by the DEP; (6) diversions of salt water except whenever the DEP determines that the diversion and resultant usage may affect utilization of fresh water; (7) water diverted for a paper manufacturing process utilizing post-consumer waste material in the manufacture of a recycled product which constitutes at least 75 percent of total annual sales dollar volume of the products manufactured in the State by that manufacturer as determined by the Director of the Division of Taxation; (8) water subject to the water consumption user fee; (9) diversions of saline water except whenever the DEP determines that the diversion and resultant usage may affect utilization of fresh water; (10) water diverted for purposes of reducing air emissions or water pollutants necessary for compliance with local, State or federal regulations; (11) water diverted for the purpose of transferring water between public water systems; and (12) water diverted for resale, or a bulk sale of water diverted to another public water system. Any person subject to the water diversion user fee would be eligible for water conservation credits against the water diversion user fee. Water conservation credits would be granted to any permittee or person required to apply for and obtain a water use registration who can demonstrate a net reduction in annual water use over any 10-year period commencing January 1, 2019. The water conservation credits would be equal to 50 percent of the difference between the maximum year withdrawal during this period and the current year, where the reduction can be documented as attributable to water conservation. The DEP would approve the diversion permit or water use registration modification to reflect the water conservation credits granted. The fund would be administered by the DEP and would be credited with all water consumption user fee and water diversion user fee revenue collected under sections 7 and 8 of the bill, all interest and other investment income received on moneys in the fund, and all sums received as repayment of principal and interest on outstanding loans made from the fund. The DEP would be authorized to use not more than one percent of the total revenues deposited in the fund during the fiscal year to cover administrative expenses incurred in implementing the provisions of the bill. The moneys in the fund may be used for the following water quality, supply, and infrastructure projects: (1) the costs of transferring water between public water systems during a state of water emergency or to avert a drought emergency in all or any part of the State; (2) the protection of existing water supplies through the acquisition of watershed and wetlands areas; (3) the interconnection of existing water supplies, and the extension of water supplies to areas with contaminated ground water supplies; (4) the costs of water supply infrastructure projects undertaken by water purveyors for the purpose of drought mitigation; (5) the costs of a safe or dependable yield analysis of the State's surface and ground water resources undertaken by the DEP, up to $100,000; (6) projects to rehabilitate, repair, or replace public water system infrastructure; (7) grants to local government units to finance the cost of developing asset management programs for public water systems; and (8) projects to remediate lead in drinking water infrastructure. In addition, beginning 10 years after the effective date of the bill, the money in the fund may be used for projects to rehabilitate, repair, or replace wastewater treatment system infrastructure, including, but not limited to, combined sewer overflow abatement projects. Whenever any moneys in the fund are used for the protection of existing water supplies through the acquisition of watershed and wetlands areas, the percentage of moneys used for such acquisitions in the Highlands region would be an amount equivalent to not less than the percentage of total revenues deposited in the fund which were collected from user fee payers within the Highlands region, and the percentage of moneys used for such acquisitions in the Pinelands area would be an amount equivalent to not less than the percentage of total revenues deposited in the fund which were collected from user fee payers within the Pinelands area. The DEP would be authorized to make low-interest loans to local governments and water purveyors to finance the cost of authorized water quality, supply, and infrastructure projects. To be eligible for a grant, a local government or water purveyor would be required to demonstrate the ability to match the grant requested by generating funds in ratios specified by the DEP. On or before January 15 of each year, the DEP would submit to the Legislature a financial plan designed to implement the financing of the projects on the project priority list submitted to the Legislature for approval by May 15 of that year. The financial plan would contain an enumeration of the projects for which the DEP intends to provide funds and the terms and conditions of any loans or grants associated therewith, the anticipated rate of interest per year and repayment schedule for any loans. The financial plan would also set forth a complete operating and financial statement covering its proposed operations during the forthcoming fiscal year, summarize the status of each project for which grants or loans have been made, and describe any major impediments to the accomplishment of the planned projects. On or before May 15 of each fiscal year, the DEP would prepare and submit to the Legislature for approval a project priority list recommending the particular water quality, supply, and infrastructure projects to be funded for the upcoming fiscal year. The project priority list would include a description of each project, its purpose, impact, cost, and construction schedule, and an explanation of the manner in which priorities were established. The bill provides that no expenditure from the fund would be made except by an appropriation made pursuant to law and in accordance with the project priority list developed by the DEP. Each such appropriation act would clearly set forth all terms and conditions governing the expenditure of the appropriation, would identify each specific project or projects for which an appropriation is made, and may provide such sums as may be necessary to cover the costs associated with the administration thereof. The bill requires the DEP to undertake a safe or dependable yield analysis of the State's surface and ground water sources to ascertain what actions may be required to maintain safe yield, and to include the results of the analysis in revisions and updates of the New Jersey Statewide Water Supply Plan. | In Committee |
| S211 | Requires Division of Rate Counsel to consider environmental impacts of proposed rate or service measure when representing public interest in certain proceedings and appeals. | This bill would require the Director of the Division of Rate Counsel to consider certain factors, related to climate and the environment, when representing the public interest in case proceedings before, or appeals from, a State department, commission, authority, council, agency, or board that is charged with regulating or controlling any business, industry, or utility with respect to the provision of a required service or the fixing of rates, tolls, fares, or charges thereby. Current law authorizes the division to initiate a case proceeding or appeal when the director determines that a discontinuance of, or a change in, a required service or rate, toll, fare, or charge is in the public interest. The bill would clarify that, in making a determination as to what is in the public interest, and in evaluating how the public interest can best be served in any proceeding or appeal initiated pursuant to this provision of law, the director will be required to consider both: (1) the affordability and equitability of the proposed rate or service measure (i.e., the proposed rate or service change or discontinuance), in comparison to the status quo and other viable alternatives; and (2) the actual and potential effects of the proposed rate or service measure on the climate and environment, including, but not limited to: (a) the social cost of carbon, in comparison to the status quo and other viable alternatives, that will result from the proposed measure; (b) whether, and the extent to which, the proposed measure, in comparison to the status quo and other viable alternatives, will aid or hinder the State's ability to timely fulfill its de-carbonization goals; and (c) whether, and the extent to which, the proposed measure, in comparison to the status quo and other viable alternatives, will cause or contribute to cumulative environmental or public health stressors that are higher in an overburdened community than in other communities. The bill would further require the division, when representing the public interest for these purposes, to prioritize those cases that are determined, by the director, to have the most potential to either negatively or positively impact: the social cost of carbon; the ability of the State to timely fulfill its de-carbonization goals; or the number, type, or extent of environmental or health stressors that are present in an overburdened community. | In Committee |
| S234 | Establishes Capital Project Development Loan Program to support certain large-scale redevelopment projects; appropriates $300 million. | This bill establishes the "Capital Project Development Loan Program" (loan program) within the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (EDA) to provide low-interest loans to support the completion of transformative capital projects. The bill appropriates $300 million from the General Fund to support the loan program. To qualify for the loan program, an applicant would be required to: (1) be a public institution of higher education, a State-owned hospital, a public agency, or a non-profit organization; (2) undertake a transformative capital project, which is defined to include large-scale redevelopment projects that support research and development, health care infrastructure, green infrastructure, or transformational real estate and infrastructure; and (3) meet any other eligibility requirements that the EDA deems appropriate. However, if the applicant is a non-public entity, the applicant would also be required to demonstrate that the project would be operated under a public-private partnership agreement, as approved by the EDA. Under the loan program, the EDA may approve applications on a rolling basis, subject to the availability of funds. When reviewing applications, the bill permits the EDA to prioritize applications based on any considerations that the EDA deems appropriate, including the intent of the project, the economic feasibility of the project, and the degree to which the project advances Statewide and regional planning goals. Upon approval of an application, the EDA would provide low-interest loans to each selected applicant. Under the bill, each loan may mature no later than 30 years after the date of issuance. The bill also provides that if a borrower fails to repay all or part of a program loan, the EDA may disqualify the borrower from future program loans. The bill also requires the EDA to establish and maintain a non-lapsing revolving fund, which would be known as the "Capital Project Development Loan Fund." The revolving fund would serve as the repository of all monies used to support the loan program. Specifically, the $300 million that is appropriated from General Fund under the bill would be deposited into the revolving loan fund. | In Committee |
| S205 | Directs New Jersey Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Cell, Office of Information Technology, and New Jersey Big Data Alliance to develop advanced cyberinfrastructure strategic plan. | This bill directs the New Jersey Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Cell, the Office of Information Technology, and the New Jersey Big Data Alliance to coordinate and establish an advanced cyberinfrastructure strategic plan. The advanced cyberinfrastructure strategic plan is to include, but is not to be limited to: 1) assessing the State's cyberinfrastructure, public and privately-owned, including, high performance computing, data storage systems, advanced instrumentation, data center facilities, visualization environments, the human expertise necessary to operate the cyberinfrastructure, and the software and advanced networks that link these resources together; 2) creating a roadmap for implementing advanced cyberinfrastructure improvements throughout the State, which shall include, but not be limited to the development of a shared data cloud that integrates data infrastructure, hosted data, and data analytics, and the development of a high speed network infrastructure. The shared data cloud is to host an open data repository to address big data challenges and catalyze collaborations between academia, industry, and government; 3) recommending implementation strategies and policies for improving the State's cyberinfrastructure; 4) identifying the benefits and the essential applications of cyberinfrastructure; 5) recommending workforce development strategies to ensure that the necessary human expertise is in place; 6) identifying the means of using advanced cyberinfrastructure to drive economic development and facilitate the creation of public private partnerships; and 7) identifying cybersecurity risk mitigation strategies to help ensure public safety and privacy controls are comprehensively integrated into the State's cyberinfrastructure. Under the bill, "big data" is defined to mean high volume information assets, high velocity information assets, high variety information assets, or all three, that require new forms of processing to enable enhanced decision making, insight discovery, and process optimization. The term "cyberinfrastructure" includes, but is not limited to, data networks, computational facilities, computing resources, large data sets, specialized software applications, information technology usage improvements, and the human expertise necessary to develop and manage such resources. The bill defines "New Jersey Big Data Alliance" to mean the consortium designated as the State's advanced cyberinfrastructure consortium, consisting of the following institutions and academically oriented organizations: Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey; Princeton University; New Jersey Institute of Technology; Rowan University; The College of New Jersey; Felician University; New Jersey City University; Ramapo College of New Jersey; Rider University; Saint Peter's University; Seton Hall University; Stockton University; Kean University; Montclair State University; the Stevens Institute of Technology; William Paterson University of New Jersey; and the nonprofit organization and technology services provider NJEdge. | In Committee |
| S204 | Prohibits municipal zoning ordinances from regulating solar panels under certain circumstances; limits fees for certain renewable energy installations. | This bill would supplement the "Municipal Land Use Law" to prohibit a municipality from adopting an ordinance which limits the right of a property owner to install solar panels on a residential property under certain circumstances. A municipal ordinance would not be authorized to regulate the installation of photovoltaic solar energy systems when: 1) in the case of a roof mounted system, the panels, and all accessory equipment, extend 12 inches or less beyond the edge of the roofline or above the highest point of the roof surface or structure; or 2) in the case of a surface level or ground mounted system, the system consists of 10 or less photovoltaic panels and is situated more than 50 feet from the nearest property boundary line. Section 2 of the bill would provide that a municipal ordinance regulating the installation of a photovoltaic solar energy system or small wind energy system on residential property shall not require payment of a fee that exceeds the municipality's costs for reviewing and approving an application pertaining to the installation or operation of a system. The purpose of section 2 of the bill is to prevent municipalities from imposing excessive fees unrelated to application and review costs because it is the State's policy to encourage installation of photovoltaic solar energy systems wherever possible in the State and to discourage actions that would have a chilling effect on such installations. | In Committee |
| S416 | Allows gross income tax deduction for amounts paid for removal of lead, asbestos, sodium, chloride, and other contaminants from taxpayer's property. | This bill would allow taxpayers, regardless of income, to deduct up to a combined $45,000 from gross income in a year for the following expenses: (1) lead-based paint hazard abatement in the taxpayer's residential property if performed by a certified lead abatement contractor; (2) asbestos hazard abatement in the taxpayer's residential property if performed by a licensed asbestos abatement contractor; (3) replacement of a water service line containing hazardous amounts of lead if the line is owned by the taxpayer, the line is on the real property of the taxpayer's residential property, and the line's replacement is necessary for abatement of the hazard in the taxpayer's residential property; (4) replacement of plumbing containing hazardous amounts of lead in the taxpayer's residential property; (5) remediation of lead and other contaminants in the soil of a taxpayer's residential property; (6) replacement of leaded windows on the taxpayer's residential property; (7) the cost of installing a water treatment system by a licensed contractor or plumber if the private well water servicing the taxpayer's property is contaminated with excess sodium or chloride levels; (8) the cost of replacing any pipes connected to the water treatment system if the private well water servicing the taxpayer's property is contaminated with excess sodium or chloride levels; and (9) the cost of certain upgrades to a property's septic system or leach field if the private well water servicing the taxpayer's property is contaminated with excess sodium or chloride levels. As used in the bill, "residential property" means a taxpayer's primary residence, owner-occupied home, or rental unit. The Director of the Division of Taxation in the Department of the Treasury would be required to set the standards by which taxpayers are to demonstrate that they qualify for the deduction. To be eligible for the deduction for costs related to lead-based paint hazard abatement or asbestos hazard abatement, the taxpayer would be required to submit an affidavit from the municipality in which the residential property is located to the director acknowledging that the work was done and the amount paid by the taxpayer to the licensed contractor. During the first taxable year following the bill's enactment, a taxpayer would be allowed to deduct any covered expenses incurred between January 1, 2018 and that year. The provisions of the bill would expire on December 31, 2025. | In Committee |
| S222 | Authorizes regulation of greenhouse gas emissions under "Air Pollution Control Act (1954)" and "Global Warming Response Act." | This bill would amend the "Air Pollution Control Act (1954)," P.L.1954, c.212 (C.26:2C-1 et seq.), and the "Global Warming Response Act," P.L.2007, c.112 (C.26:2C-37 et al.), to authorize the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to adopt rules and regulations limiting greenhouse gas emissions. Specifically, the bill would expand the authority given to the DEP to regulate air pollution in the State to also include "excess greenhouse gas emissions," which is defined by the bill to mean "Statewide greenhouse gas emissions which exceed those of the limits established in section 4 of P.L.2007, c.112 (26:2C-40) or the interim benchmarks adopted pursuant to section 5 of P.L.2007, c.112 (C.26:2C-41)." "Greenhouse gas" is defined by the bill to mean carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, sulfur hexafluoride, and any other gas or substance determined by the DEP to be a significant contributor to the problem of global warming. The bill would also direct the DEP to adopt rules and regulations, no later than 24 months after the bill's enactment, which incorporate greenhouse gas emissions limits into the DEP's operating permit requirements adopted pursuant to "Air Pollution Control Act (1954)," and include any other restrictions on greenhouse gas emissions deemed by the DEP to be necessary for the State to meet the requirements of the "Global Warming Response Act." In addition, the bill would require the DEP to adopt rules and regulations as necessary to meet the requirements of the "Global Warming Response Act," including, but not limited to, rules and regulations that restrict the sale and use of fossil fuel types or establish greenhouse gas emissions limits from stationary sources. | In Committee |
| S259 | Directs DEP to establish leasing program for State-owned land to be used and managed as pollinator habitat. | This bill directs the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to establish a leasing program for the lease, development, use, and management of appropriate and suitable State-owned land as pollinator habitat by any person, local government unit, nonprofit organization, or other entity that the DEP determines is qualified and appropriate to manage State-owned land for this purpose. The bill also directs the DEP, in consultation with the Department of Agriculture, to adopt rules and regulations providing for: 1) the identification of State-owned lands that are appropriate and suitable for management as pollinator habitat; and 2) criteria for the selection of appropriate entities to lease, develop, use, and manage State-owned land for this purpose. | In Committee |
| S257 | Authorizes State Treasurer to appoint Garden State Preservation Trust acting executive director under certain conditions. | This bill would authorize the State Treasurer, in consultation with the Commissioner of Environmental Protection and the Secretary of Agriculture, to appoint an acting executive director for the Garden State Preservation Trust (GSPT) under certain conditions. Specifically, the bill would apply when the position of executive director has remained vacant for a period of one year or longer. An acting executive director appointed pursuant to the bill would serve for a minimum of one year, at an annual expense not to exceed $150,000, as established by the State Treasurer. The GSPT would retain all other oversight authority over the acting executive director. The position of GSPT executive director has been vacant since July 1, 2021. The GSPT is in charge of supporting important Statewide initiatives designed to enhance the efficient use of taxpayer's conservation dollars and is responsible for reporting to the Governor and the Legislature on the progress being made on achieving statutory goals and objectives concerning open space preservation and park development, farmland preservation, and historic preservation. | In Committee |
| S254 | Concerns contracting powers of certain local entities related to redevelopment. | This relates to contracting powers of certain local entities related to redevelopment. Currently, a county improvement authority's ability to enter into and execute any contract "necessary, convenient, or desirable" to the authority's purposes, is subject to the "Local Public Contracts Law," P.L.1971, c. 198 (C.40A:11-1 et seq.). This bill would provide an alternative requirement and allow a county improvement authority to enter such contracts subject to section 34 of P.L.1979, c.275 (C.40:37A-55.1). That provision of the statutory law sets forth the authority's power to address and provide for the redevelopment of blighted and deteriorating areas. Expanding a county improvement authority's ability to contract for redevelopment purposes will allow for more flexibility and greater opportunity to participate in redevelopment. The bill also amends the "Local Public Contracts Law" to allow any contract that exceeds the bid threshold to be negotiated and awarded by a contracting unit's governing body, without public advertising for bids and bidding, if the contract is for the provision or performance of goods or services when acting in connection with a redevelopment plan adopted in accordance with section 7 of the "Local Redevelopment and Housing Law," P.L.1992, c.79 (C.40A:12A-7). The bill further amends the "Local Redevelopment and Housing Law," P.L.1992, c.79 (C.40A:12A-1 et al.), to clarify that municipalities and designated redevelopment entities may negotiate, arrange, or contract with public agencies or redevelopers for the planning, replanning, construction, or undertaking of any project or redevelopment work without public bidding. The bill further specifies that a municipality or designated redevelopment entity may do so at such prices and upon such terms as it deems reasonable, if the project or redevelopment work is undertaken pursuant to a redevelopment plan adopted in accordance with section 7 of P.L.1992, c.79 (C.40A:12A-7). | In Committee |
| S218 | Directs NJ Infrastructure Bank to establish financing program for electric school buses; allocates $20 million annually in societal benefits charge revenues to NJ Infrastructure Bank for purposes of program. | The bill directs the New Jersey Infrastructure Bank (NJIB) to establish, within one year after the date of enactment of the bill into law, a program, to be known as the Electric School Bus Financing Program, to provide loans and other forms of financial assistance to school districts to finance the purchase of electric school buses in lieu of, or to replace, diesel-powered school buses for the daily transportation of students and the purchase and installation of related electric school bus charging infrastructure. A school district seeking financial assistance for the purchase of an electric school bus or the purchase and installation of related electric school bus charging infrastructure would be required to apply to the Board of Public Utilities (BPU). As part of the application process, the school district would be required to perform an energy assessment of the school district's current fleet of school buses. The assessment would compare the costs of acquiring, operating, and maintaining an electric school bus versus those for a diesel-powered school bus, identify the potential environmental benefits of using electric school buses within that school district, and identify potential savings that may be realized over the estimated useful life of the electric school bus. The BPU, in consultation with the NJIB, would be required to develop criteria for the ranking of applications received for funding and specifications for the types of electric school buses and related charging infrastructure eligible for financing. The bill specifies that this criteria provide priority ranking for school districts located in overburdened communities. Upon approval of an application, the BPU would submit a certification of application approval to the NJIB. Subject to the availability of funds under the program, the NJIB may make and contract to make loans or other forms of financial assistance to the applicant to finance all or a portion of the costs of the purchase of an electric school bus or the purchase and installation of related electric school bus charging infrastructure, as identified in the certification of application approval, provided that the project is included on a "Electric School Bus Financing Program Project Priority List" prepared by the BPU pursuant to section 4 of the bill. Loans and other forms of financial assistance provided pursuant to the bill would be made subject to such terms and conditions as the NJIB deems appropriate. The bill provides that a school district may use performance and operational savings realized from the purchase and use of an electric school bus or related charging infrastructure to repay a loan issued pursuant to the bill. The BPU, in conjunction with the NJIB, would be required, no later than one year after the first loan or other form of financial assistance is made, and for each succeeding year in which such financial assistance is made, to prepare and submit a report to the Governor and the Legislature on the effectiveness of the program in promoting the purchase of electric school buses and related charging infrastructure by school districts. The report would identify each school district that received a loan or other financial assistance from the program established by the bill, describe the electric school buses and related charging infrastructure purchased, and provide an analysis of the environmental benefits achieved from the purchase and use of electric school buses. The report may also include any recommendations for legislative changes that may improve the effectiveness of the program. Lastly, the bill would require the BPU, in the State fiscal year commencing July 1 following the date of enactment of the bill into law, and each year thereafter, to transfer to the NJIB $20 million from available balances accumulated in accounts of the BPU from funds collected through the societal benefits charge (established by the "Electric Discount and Energy Competition Act," P.L.1999, c.23 (C:48:3-49 et al.) for the purposes of the Electric School Bus Financing Program established pursuant to the bill. The BPU and the NJIB would be authorized to enter into any contract deemed necessary to implement this transfer of funds between the two entities. | In Committee |
| S243 | Requires manufacturers of electric vehicles to establish and implement electric vehicle battery management plans. | The bill requires every manufacturer of electric vehicles sold within the State, either individually or as a part of a group of manufacturers, to develop, in consultation with the Department of Environmental Protection (department), and submit an electric vehicle battery management plan to the department for review and approval. The plan is to provide for manufacturers to be responsible the collection, transportation, reuse, and recycling or disposal of all used electric vehicle batteries using environmentally sound management practices. The plan is required to prioritize the reuse and recycling of used electric vehicle batteries prior to disposal. The bill requires the electric vehicle battery management plan to include: (1) information identifying the make, model, and year of electric vehicles that may contain an electric vehicle battery, and the estimated number of electric vehicle batteries for which the manufacturer is responsible; (2) methods that will be used to remove, collect, and store the used electric vehicle batteries, including proposed collection services; (3) methods that will be utilized to transport the used electric vehicle batteries to authorized recycling facilities, including the name and location of all authorized recyclers to be directly utilized pursuant to the plan; (4) the processes and methods that will be utilized to reuse used electric vehicle batteries for alternate second-life purposes, recycle used electric vehicle batteries that cannot be reused for alternate uses including a description of the recycling processes that will be used, and, if necessary, a plan for final disposal of used electric vehicle batteries; (5) a strategy for informing consumers and residents of this State about the requirements to properly manage electric vehicle batteries, the environmental impact of the improper handling or disposal of used electric vehicle batteries, and the mechanisms for the collection, transportation, reuse, and recycling or proper disposal of used electric vehicle batteries that are available to consumers; (6) a plan for the implementation and financing of the electric vehicle battery management plan; and (7) any other information, policies, or procedures as the department deems appropriate. Under the bill, the electric vehicle battery management plan would, to the extent practicable, utilize the existing recycling infrastructure. Where the existing recycling infrastructure is not utilized, the electric vehicle battery management plan is required to include the reasons for establishing a separate infrastructure. An electric vehicle battery management plan is required to provide for the financing of the collection, transportation, reuse, and recycling or disposal of used electric vehicle batteries. The costs of such financing is required to be borne by the manufacturers of electric vehicles sold in the State. The department and the manufacturers would be responsible for jointly developing a method that ensures the prompt payment to recycling facilities for costs associated with electric vehicle battery collection, transportation, reuse, and recycling or disposal. An electric vehicle battery management plan would be reviewed and updated, as necessary, at least once every two years. The bill requires a complete electric vehicle battery management plan to be submitted to the department for approval prior to its implementation by manufacturers. The department may approve, disapprove, or conditionally approve the electric vehicle battery management plan. If the department approves the electric vehicle battery management plan, the manufacturer is required to implement the plan within 90 days after receipt of approval from the department or as otherwise agreed to by the department. If the electric vehicle battery management plan is disapproved, the manufacturer would have 30 days to submit a revised electric vehicle battery management plan to the department. The department may approve part, in part, an electric vehicle battery management plan, and may disapprove a part of the plan that does not comply with the requirements of the bill and the rules and regulations adopted pursuant thereto. In this case, the manufacturer is required to implement the approved components, within 90 days after receipt of approval by the department or as otherwise agreed to by the department, and submit a revised electric vehicle battery management plan within 30 days after receipt of notification of the disapproval of the department in order to bring the entire plan into compliance. The department will review and approve, conditionally approve, or disapprove a revised electric vehicle battery management plan within 30 days after receipt of the revised plan. If, at the conclusion of the time period ending 120 days after receipt by the department of a complete electric vehicle battery management plan, the department has neither approved nor disapproved the electric vehicle battery management plan, the electric vehicle battery management plan is to be considered conditionally approved. A manufacturer, subject to any modifications required by the department, is required to implement a conditionally approved electric vehicle battery management plan within 90 days after the plan has been deemed conditionally approved by the department. Within 90 days after the department's approval of an electric vehicle battery management plan, or any revisions thereto, the department is required to post, at a publicly accessible location on its Internet website, each electric vehicle battery management plan and a list identifying each of the manufacturers participating in an electric vehicle battery management plan. Manufacturers implementing electric vehicle battery management plans are required to provide consumers with educational materials related to the electric vehicle battery management plan and the electric vehicle battery collection services that are available. The bill prohibits a manufacturer or retailer of electric vehicles from selling, or offering to sell, electric vehicles to any person in the State unless the manufacturer of the electric vehicle is engaged in the implementation of, or has fully implemented, an electric vehicle battery management plan. A retailer would be deemed to be in compliance with this sales prohibition if, on the date the electric vehicle is ordered thereby, the manufacturer of the electric vehicle is identified on the list maintained on the department's Internet website. If a manufacturer fails to comply with the conditions and terms of an approved electric vehicle battery management plan, the manufacturer would be prohibited from selling or offering for sale electric vehicles in this State. The bill also establishes penalties for violations of the bill's provisions or any rules or regulations adopted pursuant thereto. The bill also requires manufacturers to submit an annual report to the department, which describes or includes, among other things: (1) a description of the methods used to remove, collect, store, transport, reuse, and recycle or dispose of the used electric vehicle batteries under the electric vehicle battery management plan; (2) the number of used electric vehicle batteries collected during the preceding year; (3) the number of used electric vehicle batteries that were reused for second-life, alternate purposes during the preceding year and a description of what the electric vehicle batteries were used for; (4) the number of used electric vehicle batteries that were recycled in the preceding year; (5) the number of used electric vehicle batteries that were disposed of in the preceding year; (6) a list of all manufacturers implementing the electric vehicle battery management plan; (7) the total cost of implementing the electric vehicle battery management plan, including separate figures for the cost of collection, transportation, reuse, recycling, disposal, communication, and any other categories that involved cost; (8) samples of the educational materials provided to consumers of electric vehicles, together with an evaluation of the methods used to disseminate those materials, and an assessment of the educational and outreach effectiveness of those materials; (9) an evaluation of the effectiveness of the electric vehicle battery management plan and any steps necessary to improve the effectiveness of the electric vehicle battery management plan; and (10) any other information the department may require. The bill requires the department to review these reports and issue an annual report on the progress of the electric vehicle battery management plans. Finally, the bill authorizes the department to adopt rules or regulations necessary to implement the provisions of the bill. | In Committee |
| S229 | Appropriates $450,000 for Hooked on Fishing-Not on Drugs Program. | The bill appropriates $450,000 to the Department of Environmental Protection to fund the cost of implementing the Hooked on Fishing-Not on Drugs Program. The money would be appropriated from the "Drug Enforcement and Demand Reduction Fund," a statutory account established to receive fines and penalties from convicted drug offenders that are used to support State-authorized drug and alcohol abuse abatement programs. The bill encourages the Legislature to appropriate sufficient funding annually from the "Drug Enforcement and Demand Reduction Fund" or any other appropriate source to maintain the operation of the program in future years. | In Committee |
| S105 | "Green Building Tax Credit Act." | This bill, entitled the "Green Building Tax Credit Act," provides tax credits toward the corporation business tax, gross income tax, and certain other specified taxes for developers and owners who design and construct buildings and owners who retrofit buildings to meet certain "green building" criteria. The bill provides that developers or owners of newly constructed and retrofitted buildings would qualify for the tax credits if the building meets the green building standards set forth in section 7 of the bill to be adopted by the Department of Community Affairs (DCA) in consultation with the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), or if the building meets the criteria required for Certified, Silver, Gold, or Platinum status under the LEED Green Building Rating System or LEED Residential Green Building Rating System. The "Green Building Tax Credit Act" would be administered by the DCA in consultation with the DEP and the Division of Taxation in the Department of the Treasury. The bill directs the DCA, in consultation with the DEP, within one year after the date of enactment of the bill into law, to adopt standards for the "green building" criteria set forth in section 7 of the bill, and requires the standards to be reviewed and updated at least every two years from the date on which they are adopted. The tax credits provided by the bill would be available for seven years. The total of all credits which could be allocated in the first fiscal year after enactment would be no more than $20 million. In each of the subsequent six fiscal years, up to $50 million of credit allocations may be authorized per year, and any unused allocable amounts may roll over to subsequent fiscal years. An eligible taxpayer may apply no more than 20 percent of their total tax credit in any tax year. | In Committee |
| S1044 | Requires public water systems and landlords to provide certain notice of elevated perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl substances levels in drinking water; requires DEP to establish educational program. | This bill requires public water systems to provide certain notifications about elevated perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) levels in drinking water to customers and local officials, require landlords to notify tenants of elevated PFAS levels in drinking water, and require the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), in conjunction with the Department of Health (DOH), to establish an educational program concerning the presence of PFAS in drinking water. Beginning 18 months after the bill's enactment, a public water system whose drinking water exceeds a PFAS maximum contaminant level (MCL) would be required to provide a written notice, via regular or electronic mail, or both, to all customers served by the public water system, including all residences, schools, daycare centers, and facilities serving young children, all public and private hospitals, medical clinics, and doctor's offices serving pregnant women and young children, all local health and welfare agencies in the public water system's service area, and the chief executive of each municipality in the public water system's service area. The written notice would be required to be sent as soon as practicable, but no later than 30 calendar days after the public water system confirms that there has been an exceedance of a PFAS MCL. This notification requirement would be in addition to existing notification requirements under the federal "Safe Drinking Water Act," 42 U.S.C. s.300 et al., or any other State or federal law. As defined in the bill, "PFAS" means any member of the class of fluorinated organic chemicals containing at least one fully fluorinated carbon atom and "PFAS maximum contaminant level" means the applicable maximum contaminant level for PFAS, or a category or type of PFAS, in drinking water established by the DEP pursuant to the "Safe Drinking Water Act," P.L.1977, c.224 (C.58:12A-1 et seq.). The written notice to be sent by a public water system would be required to: (1) clearly state that the public water system is in exceedance of a PFAS MCL; (2) explain what the PFAS MCL is and the measurement process that the public water system is required to perform to monitor drinking water for PFAS; (3) state that drinking water that contains elevated levels of a PFAS can cause negative health effects; (4) provide information to direct the consumer to the educational program developed by the DEP pursuant to section 4 of the bill, including a link to the DEP's Internet website where the educational resources are located; and (5) state, in easily legible type, the responsibility of a landlord to distribute the written notice to every tenant pursuant to section 3 the bill. The bill would also require public water systems to provide annual written notifications to all customers served by the public water system where an exceedance of a PFAS MCL has been found., until there is no longer an exceedance of the PFAS MCL. The annual written notifications would be required to include, at a minimum: (1) an update on the current status of the mitigation process along with an estimate of the time until the mitigation process will be completed; and (2) any information on what work, if any, has been done to mitigate the contamination or treat the contaminated drinking water supply. The bill would also require public water systems to provide a written notification informing customers when a PFAS exceedance has ended. A public water system that violates any of the notification requirements of the bill would be considered to be in violation of the "Safe Drinking Water Act," which could result in civil administrative penalties of up to $25,000. Beginning 18 months after the bill's enactment, the bill would require landlords, whenever they receive a notice or health and safety information from a public water system concerning the presence of PFAS in drinking water, to: (1) distribute the notice or information, by any means including by electronic mail, as soon as practicable, but no later than three business days after receipt, to every tenant who has entered into a lease agreement with the landlord and whose dwelling unit is served by the public water system; and (2) post the notice or information, as soon as practicable, but no later than three business days after receipt, in a prominent location at the entrance of each rental premises that is owned by the landlord and served by the public water system, except in single-family dwellings that do not have a common area. The bill would also require landlords to provide the most recent information about a PFAS exceedance they have received to any prospective tenant prior to signing a lease. A landlord who violates any of the notification requirements of the bill would first receive a written warning from the DEP, and, for subsequent violations, could face a civil administrative penalty of up to $500. Finally, the bill would require the DEP and the DOH, no later than one year after the bill's enactment, to establish and implement an educational program concerning PFAS in drinking water. The program would be required to: (1) educate the general public on the subject of PFAS and its environmental and health impacts; (2) provide informational resources specific to PFAS in drinking water; and (3) provide any other information and efforts that are determined by the DEP or the DOH to be beneficial in educating the public on the presence of PFAS in drinking water. The DEP would be required to publish the educational program to its Internet website and update it annually. | In Committee |
| S248 | Expands eligibility for "fishing buddy license" fee. | This bill amends current law regarding the "Fishing Buddy License," a reduced fishing license fee for both (1) the existing angler who purchases a license together with a new angler, and (2) the new angler who purchases a license together with an existing angler. This license is intended to increase fishing participation by rewarding existing anglers for introducing, or reintroducing, people to fishing. Under current law, the "Fishing Buddy License" is available to persons who have not acquired a fishing license after 2010. This bill would expand the scope of the reduced license fee to include returning anglers as well as new anglers, by allowing the "fishing buddy" license to be acquired by someone who has not acquired a license in the previous five years, on a rolling basis. The bill would take effect on the first December 1st occurring at least six months after the bill's enactment, and authorize the Department of Environmental Protection to take any necessary administrative actions prior to the effective date. | Dead |
| S238 | Establishes uptime requirement for electric vehicle charging station incentive programs. | This bill would direct the Board of Public Utilities (BPU), the Department of Environmental Protection, the Department of Transportation, and any other State agency that offers an incentive for the installation of electric vehicle service equipment (EVSE), pursuant to P.L.2019, c.362 (C.48:25-1 et seq.) or any other State law, to require compliance with a minimum EVSE uptime requirement as a condition of granting such incentive. EVSE is the equipment, including the cables, cords, conductors, connectors, couplers, enclosures, attachment plugs, power outlets, switches and controls, network interfaces, and point of sale equipment and associated apparatus, that is designed and used for the purpose of transferring energy from the electric supply system to a plug-in electric vehicle. Specifically, the bill would require the BPU or any other State agency, as a condition of issuing a State-level EVSE incentive payment, to require the EVSE for which the incentive is granted, together with all other incentivized EVSE installed at the same site, to remain operational at least 97 percent of the time, not including any period of exempted downtime, and except as otherwise provided by the bill, as measured on an annual and site-wide basis. "Site-wide basis" is defined to mean the average site-wide uptime status of all incentivized EVSE that has been installed, at the same site of operations, on or after the bill's effective date. The bill would not require the site-wide uptime calculation to consider the uptime status of EVSE that has been installed, at the site, prior to the bill's effective date, even if such EVSE was installed pursuant to a State-level incentive. "Exempted downtime" is further defined to mean any EVSE downtime that results from factors outside the EVSE operator's control, including, but not limited to, any period of EVSE downtime resulting from an electricity utility or Internet service interruption or from a service outage or interruption caused by a vehicle. The bill would require State agencies to regularly review the site-wide uptime requirement being established by the bill, on at least a biennial basis, in order to ensure that it is consistent with the minimum uptime requirement that is applicable to recipients of federal funds under the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program, established pursuant to the federal "Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act," Pub.L.117-58. Whenever a State agency determines that the minimum uptime requirement established for recipients of State funding is inconsistent with the minimum uptime requirement being applied to recipients of federal funding, under the NEVI Formula Program, the agency would be required to take appropriate action to revise the State-level uptime requirement, established pursuant to the bill, as necessary to ensure that it comports with the comparable federal NEVI Formula Program requirement. Each State agency, which is subject to the bill, would be directed to develop and implement a process to monitor compliance with, and to enforce, the site-wide uptime requirement established and modified under the bill. The bill would further require each State agency, when reviewing or modifying the site-wide uptime requirement, or when developing and implementing the compliance monitoring and enforcement system required by the bill, to engage in a comprehensive and public stakeholder engagement process and to review and consider the most recent standards, guidelines, and requirements related to EVSE uptime, downtime, and exempted downtime, which are applicable to federal funding recipients under the NEVI Formula Program. | Dead |
| S231 | Exempts solar energy systems from building fees. | This bill would exempt the installation or alteration of certain solar energy systems from the payment of building fees and charges. The bill would, essentially, reactivate a 1985 statute to reinstate an expired fee exemption provision. Then and now, by reducing the soft costs associated with the installation of solar energy systems, this law will make these systems more affordable, encourage more New Jerseyans to install solar energy systems, and help reduce our State's reliance on fossil fuels. The Legislature first exempted the installation of solar energy systems from the payment of construction fees in 1985. However, the 1985 law, P.L.1985, c.85 (C.52:27D-130.2 et seq.), provides that only solar energy heating or cooling systems certified as eligible for exemption from property taxation by the Department of Community Affairs pursuant to P.L.1977, c.256 (C.54:4-3.113 et seq.) are exempt from the construction permit and associated fees. The property tax exemption statute referenced in the 1985 law, N.J.S.A.54:4-3.113 et seq., was of limited duration. It provided a property tax exemption for solar equipment from 1977 through 1987. In 2008, New Jersey again enacted legislation exempting solar energy systems from real property taxation. The current property tax exemption law, N.J.S.A.54:4-3.113a et seq., applies to certain renewable energy systems. Current law defines: "renewable energy system" as "any equipment that is part of, or added to, a residential, commercial, industrial, or mixed use building as an accessory use, and that produces renewable energy onsite to provide all or a portion of the electrical, heating, cooling, or general energy needs of that building." The definition of the term "renewable energy" includes "(1) electric energy produced from solar technologies, photovoltaic technologies, and (2) energy produced from solar thermal technologies." Although current New Jersey law exempts certain solar energy systems from property taxation, the statutory exemption from construction code fees is inactive because it cross-references an expired provision of law. By deleting the outdated reference, and replacing it with a reference to the current property tax exemption statute, enactment of this bill will reactivate New Jersey's building fee exemption for the installation of solar energy systems. | In Committee |
| S246 | Amends certain requirements for installation of electric vehicle supply equipment and Make-Ready parking spaces. | This bill would make various changes to the provisions of P.L.2021, c.171 (C.40:55D-66.18 et seq.), which establishes certain requirements for the installation of electric vehicle chargers and "Make-Ready parking spaces," which are parking spaces that are prewired for the installation of electric vehicle chargers, at certain multi-unit dwellings, parking lots, and garages. Specifically, the bill would clarify that certain provisions of P.L.2021, c.171 (C.40:55D-66.18 et seq.) apply only to applications for the construction or reconstruction of certain multi-unit dwellings, parking lots, and garages, rather than to any applications involving those structures. The bill would exempt multi-unit dwellings that are entirely restricted to occupancy as low- or moderate- income housing from the requirement to install a certain number of Make-Ready parking spaces. The bill would clarify that parking spaces that are restricted from installing electric vehicle chargers would not be counted in the total number of off-street parking spaces, for the purposes of subsection a. of section 3 of P.L.2021, c.171 (C.40:55D-66.20). The bill would also clarify that, in the case of the construction or reconstruction of a multi-unit dwelling, the number of Make-Ready off-street parking spaces required pursuant to subsection a. of section 3 of P.L.2021, c.171 (C.40:55D-66.20) would be in proportion to the new or reconstructed multi-unit dwelling and not the entire existing development. In addition, the bill would provide that a municipality would be required to use the total number of parking spaces that will actually be provided in a new or reconstructed parking lot or garage, regardless of whether those spaces are pre-existing, new, or reconstructed spaces and, in the event that an applicant for site plan approval has requested a parking variance as part of the application, regardless of the number of spaces required by ordinance, for the purposes of complying with section 3 of P.L.2021, c.171 (C.40:55D-66.20). The bill would remove provisions in current law that require certain amendments to the (1) Statewide site improvement standards for multifamily residential development, and (2) the State Uniform Construction Code, carried out by the Commissioner of Community Affairs (commissioner) pursuant to section 3 of P.L.2021, c.171 (C.40:55D-66.20), to be consistent with the model land use ordinance published by the commissioner pursuant to section 4 of P.L.2021, c.171 (C.40:55D-66.21). The bill would remove the authority of the commissioner to update the electric vehicle charger and Make-Ready parking space requirements established pursuant to subsections a. and b. of section 3 of P.L.2021, c.171 (C.40:55D-66.20). The bill would instead authorize the commissioner to update elements of the model land use ordinance discussed above, but would require the commissioner to do so in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.). | Dead |
| S219 | Establishes limits on zoning restrictions for certain electric battery storage equipment installation. | This bill would amend and supplement the "Municipal Land Use Law," ("MLUL") P.L.1975, c.291 (C.40:55D-1 et seq.) to establish limits on how local zoning codes may restrict the installation of small electric battery storage equipment. The bill defines "small electric battery storage equipment" as the equipment, of up to 25 kilowatts in capacity, including the cables, cords, conductors, connectors, couplers, enclosures, attachment plugs, power outlets, power electronics, transformer, switchgear, switches and controls, network interfaces, and point of sale equipment and associated apparatus designed and used for the purpose of transferring energy from the grid or wind, solar or photovoltaic energy facility or structure to the residential, commercial, or industrial end use. At a residential property, the bill would require small electric battery storage equipment to be considered a permitted accessory use and permitted accessory structure in all zoning or use districts of a municipality. Under the bill, the small electric battery storage equipment installation component of an application for development at a residential property would not require a use variance, also known as a "d." variance. Additionally, the bill adjusts the "inherently beneficial use" definition in the MLUL to include small electric battery storage equipment, thereby enhancing the ease of obtaining a variance when needed for certain development. The bill defines "residential property" as any building being used, or to be used or held for use, entirely or partially as a home or residence, together with the land upon which it is situated, including, but not limited to, a single family dwelling, or a multiple dwelling as defined under subsection (k) of section 3 of the "Hotel and Multiple Dwelling Law," P.L.1967, c.76 (C.55:13A-3). Under the bill, an application for development submitted solely for the installation of small electric battery storage equipment at a commercial or industrial property would not be subject to site plan or other land use board review, and would not require variance relief. These development applications would be approved through the issuance of a zoning permit, provided: (1) the proposed installation would not violate bulk requirements of the property, or conditions of the original final approval of the site plan or subsequent approvals for the property; (2) all other conditions of prior approvals for the property continue to be met; and (3) the proposed installation complies with the "State Uniform Construction Code Act," P.L.1975, c.217 (C.52:27D-119 et seq.), any safety standards concerning the installation, and any State rule or regulation concerning small electric battery storage equipment. The bill also expressly establishes standards for when an application for development solely for the installation of small electric battery storage equipment at a commercial or industrial property would be deemed complete. Specifically, the application would be deemed complete if: (1) the application, including the permit fee and all necessary documentation, is determined to be complete; (2) a notice of incompleteness is not provided within 20 days after the filing of the application; or (3) a one-time written correction notice is not issued by the jurisdiction within 20 days after filing of the application detailing all deficiencies and identifying any additional information necessary. The bill also directs a power company when connecting certain small electric battery storage equipment, to collaborate with developers and owners, with consultation from the Board of Public Utilities, in implementing the requirements of the bill. The bill directs the Commissioner of Community Affairs, within 30 days of the bill's enactment, to publish a model land use ordinance to address installation, sightline, and setback requirements and other health- and safety-related specifications for small electric battery storage equipment. The model land use ordinance would not require the rulemaking process pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act." The bill authorizes the commissioner to periodically update the model land use ordinance through the "Administrative Procedure Act" process. The model land use ordinance would be effective in all municipalities., however, the bill authorizes By ordinance, a municipality would be authorized to adopt an ordinance deviating from the model land use ordinance through adoption of if it sets forth reasonable standards to address installation, sightline, and setback requirements or other health- and safety-related specifications for small electric battery storage equipment. However, the bill would not authorize a municipality to require site plan review by a municipal agency solely for the installation of small electric battery storage equipment. The bill would take effect on the first day of the fifth month next following enactment, except that the Commissioner of Community Affairs is directed may to take any necessary anticipatory actions necessary prior to that date for implementation. | In Committee |
| S252 | Requires owner or operator of certain trains to have discharge response, cleanup, and contingency plans to transport certain hazardous materials by rail; requires DEP to request bridge inspection reports from US DOT. | Requires owner or operator of certain trains to have discharge response, cleanup, and contingency plans to transport certain hazardous materials by rail; requires DEP to request bridge inspection reports from US DOT. | In Committee |
| S207 | Revises "Franchise Practices Act." | This bill revises the "Franchise Practices Act" (the "Act") to increase protections for franchisees. Specifically, the bill removes a provision from the act that limits the act's application to a franchise where gross sales of products or services between the franchisor and franchisee covered by the franchise exceed $35,000 in the 12 months preceding a suit instituted under the act. Therefore, under the bill, the act would now apply to more franchise arrangements including "business format" or "package" franchises where the franchisor provides the franchisee with the business system, trade names, trademarks and advertising, but no sales occur between the franchisor and franchisee. Additionally, the bill provides certain rights and protections to franchisees that terminate or do not renew a franchise. Specifically, the bill provides that it is a violation of the act for any franchisor to restrict or prohibit a franchisee from terminating, cancelling, or not renewing a franchise provided the franchisee provides the franchisor with at least 60 days notice of such termination, cancellation, or failure to renew. In addition, the bill provides that it is a violation of the act for a franchisor, after termination, cancellation or non-renewal of a franchise, to: (1) require a franchisee to pay excessive damages; (2) require the franchisee to personally guarantee the debts of the franchise to the franchisor; and (3) impose any employment restriction on the owner or employees of the franchisee that exceeds six months duration and restricts employment outside the county in which the franchise is located. The bill also places a restriction on the ability of a franchisor to impose unreasonable facilities, financial, operating or other requirements upon a franchisee. A franchisor is also prohibited from requiring a franchisee to relocate his franchise or to implement any facility or operational modification more than once every five years, unless the franchisor can demonstrate that the franchisee will be able, in the ordinary course of business as conducted by such franchisee, to earn a reasonable return on the total investment in such facility or from such operational modification, and the full return of the total investment in such facility or from such operational modifications within 10 years. In some cases franchisors create relationships with third-party vendors that benefit the franchisor at the expense of the franchisee. The bill addresses this by restricting a franchisor from: (1) receiving a commission or any other payment from any vendor that sells goods or services to franchisees of the franchisor; and (2) requiring any franchisee to purchase goods or services from a vendor if the franchisor has not taken reasonable steps to secure the best possible price for the goods and services from the vendor. The bill also prohibits a franchisor from requiring a franchisee, as a condition for the approval of a renewal or transfer of a franchise, to assent to a general release from liability for the franchisor. In addition, the bill provides that if the franchise agreement provides that the franchisee has an exclusive territory, the franchisor is prohibited from competing with the franchisee in the exclusive territory or granting competitive franchises in the exclusive territory area previously granted to another franchisee. With respect to court claims regarding disputes arising with respect to the franchise, the bill prohibits a franchisor from requiring a franchisee to agree to a term or condition in a franchise, or in any lease or agreement ancillary or collateral to a franchise, which specifies the court in which a claim may be brought or otherwise prohibits a franchisee from bringing an action in a particular court otherwise available under the law of this State. Finally, the bill places a fiduciary duty on a franchisor to their franchisees concerning any funds collected by the franchisor from the franchisee to be used for advertising. The bill also requires franchisors to provide a report to the franchisee annually detailing how the advertising funds were used. | In Committee |
| SJR11 | Designates first week of May of each year as "Composting Awareness Week" in New Jersey. | This joint resolution designates the first week of May of each year as "Composting Awareness Week" in the State of New Jersey.This joint resolution also respectfully requests the Governor to annually issue a proclamation calling upon public officials and citizens of this State to observe "Composting Awareness Week" with appropriate activities and programs. Compost is a mixture made of organic materials that is added to the soil in gardens and farms to increase soil fertility and nourish plants and crops. Compost is rich in nutrients and organisms beneficial for plant health and growth, and naturally retains a lot of moisture. The nutrients and benefits provided by compost minimizes the need for chemical fertilizers and pesticides, which can significantly reduce soil and water pollution. The moisture retained by compost is transferred through the soil to the plant. As a result, composting reduces the need for irrigation, can reduce water usage by up to 30 percent, conserves water during droughts, and prevents flooding by retaining water that would otherwise enter drains and sewers. In addition, composting reduces waste by reusing and recycling organic materials, which make up approximately 30 percent of all materials sent to landfills, and can help communities that implement composting programs to efficiently divert waste from landfills and become more sustainable. Composting can help mitigate climate change. The beneficial organisms and microbes in compost sequester and retain carbon in the soil, and prevent carbon dioxide, methane, and other greenhouse gases from being released into the atmosphere. Greenhouse gases are produced in large amounts by decomposing waste in landfills that could otherwise be recycled into compost. In addition, using compost in certain public works projects, such as the construction and improvement of parks, trails, highways, and green spaces, can lead to large-scale reductions in pollution, help prevent climate change, and lead to the creation of green jobs. The threat of climate change was recognized by Governor Murphy through Executive Order No. 100, which recognizes that New Jersey is especially vulnerable to climate change caused by greenhouse gases. The importance of taking action to mitigate climate change was also recognized by Governor Murphy in Executive Order No. 221, which establishes the Office of Climate Action and Green Economy to coordinate policymaking processes with respect to climate change and green economy issues. The Department of Environmental Protection released strategies, including strategies involving composting, in "New Jersey's Global Warming Response Act, 80x50 Report" to reduce and remove carbon dioxide emissions from the atmosphere. In addition, P.L.2020, c.24 encourages composting by requiring large food generators producing more than 52 tons of food waste per year to recycle food waste through various methods, including composting. The first week of May is internationally recognized as "Composting Awareness Week". The State of New Jersey can recognize the importance of composting and further encourage composting by businesses and individuals by designating the first week of May as "Composting Awareness Week" in New Jersey. | In Committee |
| S987 | Specifies minimum 20-year planning duration for NJ Statewide Water Supply Plan and adds new requirements for plan. | This bill would specify a minimum 20-year planning duration for the New Jersey Statewide Water Supply Plan ("plan") and add new requirements for the plan. Under current law, the plan is only required to have projections of Statewide and regional water supply demands for the "duration of the plan." However, the law does not specify what that duration is. Water supply planning requires a long-term planning duration because efforts to plan and construct new water supply projects and implement conservation measures can take many years. This bill would require the plan to include projections of Statewide and regional water supply demands for a planning duration of at least 20 years, and require those projections to be based upon the latest available population projections from authoritative sources. It would also require projections of net water availability for each major water supply source in the State for a planning duration of at least 20 years, reflecting the projected demands and total water availability. To provide a better blueprint for water supply planning, the bill would require the plan to also include: (1) measures for the protection of ecologically sensitive water supply sources, including waters in the pinelands area and the Highlands Region and other waters designated by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) for antidegradation protection; (2) an assessment of the potential impacts of sea level rise, changes in rainfall patterns, temperature increases, and other threats to water supply sources for a planning duration of at least 40 years, and a plan to address these impacts; (3) a plan to address all existing and projected water supply deficits in the State; and (4) an evaluation of water use efficiency and water loss in the State, and a plan for increasing water use efficiency and reducing water loss. The bill would require the DEP to focus its legislative and administrative recommendations for the protection of watershed areas on water supply watersheds and aquifer recharge areas. Finally, current law requires that the plan be revised and updated at least once every five years. The most recent revisions to the plan were adopted by the DEP on October 5, 2017. However, prior to that revision, the plan had not seen a significant revision since 1996. This bill would provide that, beginning October 5, 2022, the DEP is prohibited from allocating any funding from the "Water Supply Bond Act of 1981" for any purpose unless and until it has adopted appropriate revisions and updates to the plan. | In Committee |
| S230 | Requires HMFA to establish "Sustainable Tiny Home Pilot Program" in three regions of State; appropriates $5 million. | This bill creates the "Sustainable Tiny Home Pilot Program" (pilot program) as a three-year pilot program to combat climate change and reduce the State's carbon footprint through the construction of small environmentally friendly homes. This bill requires the Executive Director of the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency (executive director) in the Department of Community Affairs to select municipalities in three regions of the State to participate in the pilot program. The executive director also is to manage the pilot program to award grants to builders for the construction of housing developments consisting of homes having no greater than 300 square feet of interior floor space. The executive director, in consultation with the Commissioner of Community Affairs and the Commissioner of Environmental Protection, is to be required to adopt green building standards for tiny home dwelling units for the purposes of determining eligibility for a grant under the pilot program. Under the bill, any tiny home dwelling unit constructed in accordance with this pilot program is to be considered a permitted use in all residential districts of a pilot municipality. This bill appropriates $5 million from the general fund, of which the executive director would distribute $1.65 million during each of the three years the pilot program is in operation to qualified builders for the construction of housing developments consisting of tiny homes. The executive director is to be required to submit an annual report to the Governor and Legislature detailing the pilot program's progress in decreasing the State's carbon footprint and combating global warming. | In Committee |
| S256 | Requires electric public utilities to submit new tariffs for commercial customers for BPU approval; regulates non-volumetric electricity fees charged to operators of fast charging electric vehicle chargers. | This bill would require each electric utility in the State to submit a tariff for commercial customers to the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) for approval. The bill would require the tariffs to be submitted no later than 180 days after the bill's enactment, and to be designed to: (1) utilize alternatives to both traditional demand-based rate structures and capacity demand charges; (2) establish cost equity between commercial electric vehicle tariffs and residential tariffs; (3) remain neutral with respect to the various types of electric vehicle charging technology; (4) accelerate third-party investment in electric vehicle charging infrastructure for light-, medium-, and heavy-duty vehicles; and (5) promote electric vehicle adoption in the State. The tariffs would also be required to include an alternative rate structure, which does not utilize demand charges, for commercial customers who own or operate electric vehicle charging systems, and to satisfy other requirements enumerated in the bill. The BPU would be required to expeditiously review and approve each tariff submitted under the bill, in accordance with the provisions of the "Energy Discount and Energy Competition Act," P.L.1999, c.23 (C.48:3-49 et al.). The bill would also prohibit an electric utility from charging certain fees to the operators of certain electric vehicle charging stations until the utility receives approval of its tariff from the BPU, pursuant to the bill's provisions. Specifically, beginning 60 days after the bill's enactment, the bill would prohibit an electric utility from imposing a demand charge, subscription charge, or other non-volumetric tariff structure on a direct current fast charging facility, unless the BPU has approved the utility's tariff application under the bill, and only to the extent that the approved tariff utilizes such a rate structure. A "direct current fast charging facility" is defined, by the bill, as a location that provides commercial access to a type of electric vehicle charging station known as a "direct current fast charger," a "DCFC," or "Level 3 charger," which provides at least 50 kilowatts of direct electrical current to a vehicle's battery. | In Committee |
| S247 | Establishes new position of Clean Energy Advocate in BPU to facilitate coordination and cooperation among various State agencies in association with implementation of interagency clean energy projects. | This bill would require the President of the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) to establish the new position of Clean Energy Advocate, and appoint a person to serve as Clean Energy Advocate, within the BPU's existing Division of State Energy Services. The purpose and duties of the Clean Energy Advocate would be to serve as a central point of contact for, proactively reach out to, engage in interagency communications with, and act as a liaison between and among, the heads and appropriate staff of State agencies that are, in any way, involved in the development or implementation of an interagency clean energy project in the State, in order to identify and resolve interagency disputes, facilitate more effective and efficient interagency interactions and planning, and otherwise promote and facilitate improved interagency cooperation and coordination, as necessary to ensure the timely and successful interagency implementation and completion of the project. The bill would require the President of the BPU to assign additional administrative and clerical staff to the Division of State Energy Services, as may be necessary to support the Clean Energy Advocate in the performance of the advocate's duties. The Clean Energy Advocate would serve, on a full-time basis, at the pleasure of the president, would be entitled to receive a salary commensurate with the duties, responsibilities, and functions of the position, and would need to be qualified by appropriate education, training, and prior work experience, as determined by the president, to perform the duties and functions and fulfill the responsibilities of the position. At a minimum, the person appointed to the position would be required to have a sufficient combination of education, training, and prior work experience to demonstrate, to the president's satisfaction, that the person has an in-depth understanding and awareness of: (1) the foundational sciences relevant to the clean energy sector; (2) the history and evolution of the clean energy sector in this State and nation, including, but not limited to, the nature and progression of scientific and technological advancements and innovations in this area; (3) the nature, parameters, and purpose of the State's de-carbonization goals, clean energy programs and initiatives, and laws, rules, and regulations governing the clean energy sector in the State; and (4) the various means, methods, and tools, such as negotiation and mediation, that may be used to develop and maintain productive, cooperative, and coordinated relationships amongst the various State agencies involved in a multi-agency project. The bill would require the Clean Energy Advocate to annually submit, to the President of the BPU, a written report identifying: (1) the activities that have been undertaken, and the State agencies that have been contacted, by the Clean Energy Advocate in the prior year; (2) the interagency clean energy projects that were the subject of the advocate's activities and contacts in the prior year, and the current status of each such project; (3) any interagency issues that remain unresolved by the Clean Energy Advocate and that are, or may be, hindering the timely or successful completion of an interagency clean energy project; and (4) describing the means and methods that will be employed by the Clean Energy Advocate, in the upcoming year, to facilitate the effective resolution of each unresolved project-related issue, as necessary to ensure the prompt and successful completion of each relevant project. Not more than 30 days after receipt of the written report, the president would be required to post a copy of the report at a publicly accessible location on the BPU's Internet website. | In Committee |
| S251 | "Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Battery Management Act." | This bill would establish a framework for the proper end-of-life management of propulsion batteries, and would be known as the "Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Battery Act." The bill defines "propulsion battery" to mean an electrical energy storage device, consisting of one or more individual battery modules or battery cells, which are used to supply power to propel an electric or hybrid road vehicle. The term includes, but is not limited to, lithium-ion batteries and nickel-metal hydride batteries. "Propulsion battery" does not include a starter battery or a battery used for, or embedded in, products for industrial applications. The bill would require any propulsion battery sold in the State to contain a permanent label that provides information about the battery. Under current law, P.L.2003 c.266 (C.26:2C-8.15 et seq.), New Jersey participates in California's Low Emission Vehicle Program, and the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) adopts rules regarding low emissions vehicles that are functionally equivalent to California's. California recently adopted rules regarding vehicle battery labeling, at section 1962.6 of Title 13 of the California Code of Regulations. This bill would clarify that the same requirements regarding propulsion battery labeling would apply in New Jersey. The bill would explicitly prohibit persons from disposing of propulsion batteries, and their subcomponents, as solid waste. The bill would also authorize solid waste collectors to refuse to collect a solid waste container containing a propulsion battery or component, and it would authorize solid waste disposal facilities to refuse to accept propulsion batteries or truckloads and roll-off containers containing an propulsion battery or component. No later than 180 days after the effective date of the bill, each producer of propulsion batteries would be required to develop and submit a battery management plan to the DEP for review and approval. Under the bill, "producer" is defined to mean a propulsion battery manufacturer, remanufacturer, or importer, a person who repurposes propulsion batteries, or a propulsion manufacturer, brand or trademark licensee, or importer, who manufactures, sells, offers for sale, or imports a propulsion battery in or into New Jersey. Subsection b. of section 5 of the bill would establish provisions regarding which producer is to assume responsibility for a given propulsion battery. Subsection d. of section 5 of the bill would establish certain minimum requirements for the contents of a battery management plan, including the methods that will be used to collect and store the used propulsion batteries that are returned to the producer. The bill would also establish provisions regarding the DEP's process for reviewing and approving battery management plans. Under the bill, a consumer in possession of an unwanted propulsion battery would be authorized to return the battery (or the vehicle containing the battery) to a location designated by the producer of the battery, as specified in the producer's battery management plan, or to any Class D recycling center that is authorized by the DEP to recycle electric batteries. The bill would require the producer to accept the battery and to provide for its proper reuse, remanufacturing, repurposing, or recycling. The bill would require the propulsion battery producers to provide consumers with educational materials related to the producer's approved battery management plan and the collection services that are available, including information identifying the end-of-life management options that are available for propulsion batteries through the battery management plan, and a notice that, in New Jersey, the costs of the services will be covered by the producer. The bill would also require the DEP to establish a means of addressing consumer complaints and a public education program to assure the widespread dissemination of information concerning the bill's provisions. The bill would give the DEP authority to enter, at any time during normal business hours and upon presentation of appropriate credentials, a recycling center, vehicle recycler, or propulsion battery producer in order to determine compliance with the bill's provisions. Finally, the bill would provide that a violation of the bill's provisions would be considered a violation of the "Solid Waste Management Act," P.L.1970, c.39 (C.13:1E-1 et seq.). A person who violates the "Solid Waste Management Act" may be assessed a civil administrative penalty of up to $50,000 for each violation. | Dead |
| S1641 | Reaffirms continuation of Rutgers Institute of Management and Labor Relations; appropriates $750,000. | This bill reaffirms the importance of the continuation of the Rutgers University Institute of Management and Labor Relations on its 75th anniversary. As the United States is in the midst of major shifts in the labor force, it is a pivotal time to continue to expand educational resources on labor and management practices. The changing New Jersey economy will be built upon a skilled and educated workforce; therefore, this bill invests in the future wellbeing of New Jersey. The funds that this bill appropriates allows the Institute of Management and Labor Relations to continue its educational programs, such as classes, lectures, conferences and forums. The tuition for the educational programs is to be affordable to all, with the goal of the programs being free for New Jersey residents. The Institute is to continue to conduct applied research on labor-management relations issues. An advisory council is to manage the advisement of the programs and research that the Institute administers. Rutgers University is to appoint the members of the advisory council and it will consist of representatives from the labor, management and public communities. This bill appropriates $750,000 annually for the Rutgers University Institute of Management and Labor Relations to fund the requirements of this act. The funds granted for the Institute of Management and Labor Relations shall be in addition to the existing portion of State funds for the Institute of Management and Labor Relations. | In Committee |
| S3465 | Repeals "Water Infrastructure Protection Act." | Repeals "Water Infrastructure Protection Act." | Introduced |
| S4722 | Creates Joint Blue Ribbon Task Force on Impacts of Climate Change on Property Insurance. | Creates Joint Blue Ribbon Task Force on Impacts of Climate Change on Property Insurance. | Introduced |
| Bill | Bill Name | Motion | Vote Date | Vote |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S1636 | Changes MVC voter registration procedures. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S2167 | Requires public and certain nonpublic schools to comply with breakfast and lunch standards adopted by USDA. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S317 | Revises "Athletic Training Licensure Act." | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S2019 | Authorizes pharmacists to dispense HIV prophylaxis without individual prescription under certain circumstances; mandates prescription benefits coverage. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S862 | Requires DOT to provide additional information in annual report on pavement condition; makes report available to public. | Senate Floor: Concur in Assembly Amendments | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S2051 | Requires law enforcement officer to conduct risk assessment of and provide assistance to domestic violence victims. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S1403 | Requires employer or contractor engaged in work for public body to submit payroll records to DOLWD. | Senate Floor: Concur in Assembly Amendments | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S1320 | Requires certain information be included in certain contracts with licensed public adjusters. | Senate Floor: Concur Governor Recommendations | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S1067 | Directs DHS to conduct landscape analysis of available mental health services. | Senate Floor: Concur Governor Recommendations | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A2929 | Requires disclosure of lead drinking water hazards to tenants of residential units; prohibits landlords from obstructing replacement of lead service lines; concerns testing of certain property for lead drinking water hazards. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A3323 | Requires pay for extracurricular activities to be included in compensation for TPAF purposes. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A3361 | Establishes limit on rent increase for certain dwelling sites for modular or industrialized buildings or manufactured homes. | Senate Floor: Concur Governor Recommendations | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A3128 | Authorizes HMFA to use certain tax credits; directs HMFA to conduct tax credit auctions to provide financial assistance for certain housing purposes. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A1948 | Requires VCCO to issue annual report to Governor and Legislature. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A1682 | Requires State Board of Education to adopt New Jersey Student Learning Standards pertaining to labor movement; requires school districts to provide instruction on labor movement. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S2346 | Creates Code Red alert pilot program to shelter at-risk individuals during certain hot weather and air quality events; appropriates $5 million. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S2373 | Provides employment protections for paid first responders diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder under certain conditions. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A3424 | Establishes certain program requirements for school counselor certification; outlines role and duties of school counselor; requires professional development for school counselors; establishes position of School Counselor Liaison in DOE. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A3518 | Requires MVC to create digital driver's licenses and digital non-driver identification cards. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Abstain |
| S2783 | "Travel Insurance Act." | Senate Floor: Concur in Assembly Amendments | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A3802 | Differentiates certain legal services from traditional insurance products. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| SJR96 | Permanently designates August 17th as "Nonprofit Day" in NJ. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S2951 | Authorizes provision of monetary awards to whistleblowers who report State tax law violations committed by employers in construction industry. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S2961 | Establishes minimum qualifications for persons employed on public works contract. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S2961 | Establishes minimum qualifications for persons employed on public works contract. | Senate Floor: Concur in Assembly Amendments | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| SJR100 | Designates July of each year as "Cleft and Craniofacial Awareness and Prevention Month" in NJ. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A4085 | Allows for natural organic reduction and controlled supervised decomposition of human remains. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S3041 | Prohibits cooperative from receiving public works contract when cooperative-approved vendor fails to pay prevailing wage; concerns cooperative purchasing agreements with other states; and permits contracting units to award certain indefinite contracts. | Senate Floor: Concur in Assembly Amendments | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A4178 | Authorizes State Treasurer to grant temporary deed of easement in Borough of Sea Girt in Monmouth County. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S3132 | Imposes certain requirements on secondhand dealers of cellular telephones and wireless communication devices. | Senate Floor: Concur in Assembly Amendments | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S3189 | Makes various changes to "New Jersey Angel Investor Tax Credit Act" and Technology Business Tax Certificate Transfer Program; repeals "New Jersey Ignite Act." | Senate Floor: Concur in Assembly Amendments | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A4331 | Establishes licensure for cosmetic retail services. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A4429 | Expands prohibitions on employers concerning requirements for employees to attend or listen to communications related to political matters. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S3287 | Provides gross income tax deduction for amounts paid to taxpayers for sale of certain real property interests for conservation purposes. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S3309 | Establishes "Motor Vehicle Open Recall Notice and Fair Compensation Act"; revises motor vehicle franchise agreements. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S3309 | Establishes "Motor Vehicle Open Recall Notice and Fair Compensation Act"; revises motor vehicle franchise agreements. | Senate Floor: Concur in Assembly Amendments | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A4455 | Allows exemption from New Jersey gross income of certain capital gains from sale or exchange of qualified small business stock. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S3418 | Authorizes certain types of permanent structures, recently constructed or erected on preserved farmland, to be used, in certain cases, for purposes of holding special occasion events thereon. | Senate Floor: Concur Governor Recommendations | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A4603 | Allows commercial farmer to be awarded reasonable costs and attorney fees for defending against bad faith complaints under "Right to Farm Act". | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A4712 | Establishes Office of Veteran Advocate and ombudsman for DMVA; appropriates funds. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A4765 | Requires driver education and testing on responsibilities when approaching and passing pedestrians and persons operating bicycles and personal conveyances; requires driver's manual to include information on sharing roadway with motorists for certain road users. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S3618 | Directs DEP and DOT to establish "Wildlife Corridor Action Plan." | Senate Floor: Concur in Assembly Amendments | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A4897 | Revises law requiring certain student identification cards to contain telephone number for suicide prevention hotline. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S3711 | Makes annual allocation of $500,000 from Clean Communities Program Fund for public outreach concerning single-use plastics reduction program permanent. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S3776 | Establishes Chronic Absenteeism Task Force. | Senate Floor: Concur in Assembly Amendments | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A4937 | Concerns satellite cannabis dispensaries, Cannabis Regulatory Commission membership, and post-employment restrictions on State employees. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A4937 | Concerns satellite cannabis dispensaries, Cannabis Regulatory Commission membership, and post-employment restrictions on State employees. | Senate Floor: Amend | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A4954 | Requires members of historic preservation commissions to complete historic preservation planning course. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A4971 | Requires EDA to provide grants to certain small businesses affected by State infrastructure and construction projects. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A4969 | Ensures boards of elections have discretion to make initial determination of validity of cast ballots; requires Secretary of State to establish uniform guidelines for assessing validity of ballots. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S3858 | Requires school bus personnel members to call 911 emergency line in potential life-threatening emergencies; requires certain school buses transportating students with disabilities to be equipped with certain safety features; makes appropriation. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S3887 | Requires DEP to provide public access for boats to certain State-and county-owned lakes and reservoirs. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A5049 | Removes certain limitations on receipt of retirement or death benefits under PFRS under certain circumstances. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S3910 | Makes various changes to provision of preschool aid and facilities requirements; establishes Universal Preschool Implementation Steering Committee; requires full-day kindergarten in all school districts. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S3917 | Makes various changes to school funding law and Educational Adequacy Report; establishes Special Education Funding Review Task Force. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S3931 | Updates requirements for licensure in occupational therapy. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S3933 | Establishes School Supervisor Mentorship Pilot Program; appropriates $500,000. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S3944 | Provides that certain non-profit corporation alcoholic beverage theater licensees include disregarded entities of such corporations; allows certain community theaters to sell alcoholic beverages. | Senate Floor: Concur in Assembly Amendments | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A5100 | Re-appropriates unexpended balance of FY2024 appropriation for Town of West New York to support recreation center; appropriates $3 million for Town of West New York - Recreation Center to restore lapsed FY2024 funding. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A5130 | Requires enforcing agency to conduct inspection of construction in specified time window. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S3982 | Requires certain information be provided to parent at least two business days prior to annual Individualized Education Program (IEP) team meeting; establishes IEP Improvement Working Group in DOE. | Senate Floor: Concur in Assembly Amendments | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A5170 | Requires State to purchase certain unused tax credits issued under New Jersey Economic Recovery Act of 2020. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S4028 | Limits amount of payment that State agency as property owner may withhold from certain contractors on State construction contracts to two percent of amount due. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A5199 | Requires resident and fellow physicians employed by Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, who are eligible for coverage in SHBP, to be eligible to enroll and receive health insurance on first day of employment. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A5267 | Requires BPU to procure and incentivize transmission-scale energy storage. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A5267 | Requires BPU to procure and incentivize transmission-scale energy storage. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A5267 | Requires BPU to procure and incentivize transmission-scale energy storage. | Senate Floor: Reconsidered Vote | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A5267 | Requires BPU to procure and incentivize transmission-scale energy storage. | Senate Floor: Amend | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A5264 | Requires establishment of automated platform to expedite construction code approval of applications to install residential solar energy systems. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S4122 | Revises apportionment of State lottery contributions. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S4135 | Provides allowance for certain redevelopment projects undertaken by institutions of higher education under New Jersey Aspire program. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A5309 | Permits up to three credits of continuing medical education on menopause to be used by advanced practice nurses and physicians for license renewal. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A5378 | Modifies provisions of Cultural Arts Incentives Program, New Jersey Aspire Program, and Grow New Jersey Program; eliminates Community-Anchored Development Program. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A5381 | Provides medical documentation requirement for certain members of PERS, PFRS, and SPRS to receive accidental disability retirement allowance for participation in 9/11 World Trade Center rescue, recovery, or cleanup operations; removes filing deadline. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S4263 | Revises certain provisions concerning, and establishes certain education and data reporting requirements related to, involuntary commitment. | Senate Floor: Concur in Assembly Amendments | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A5447 | Prohibits sweepstakes model of wagering; establishes new penalties for unlawful gambling operations and practices; directs Division of Consumer Affairs and Division of Gaming Enforcement to enforce penalties. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A5463 | Requires electric public utilities to submit annual report on voting to BPU. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S4293 | Requires owner or operator of data center to submit water and energy usage report to BPU. | Senate Floor: Reconsidered Vote | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S4293 | Requires owner or operator of data center to submit water and energy usage report to BPU. | Senate Floor: Concur in House Amendments | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S4293 | Requires owner or operator of data center to submit water and energy usage report to BPU. | Senate Floor: Concur in Assembly Amendments | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A5563 | Establishes "Summer Termination Program" for certain utility customers. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A5563 | Establishes "Summer Termination Program" for certain utility customers. | Senate Floor: Amend | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A5546 | Concerns financial powers and responsibilities of Capital City Redevelopment Corporation. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S4376 | Establishes Department of Veterans Affairs. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A5687 | Establishes Next New Jersey Manufacturing Program to incentivize in-State manufacturing investments and job creation. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A5688 | Imposes surcharge on hotel occupancies in certain municipalities to fund fire services; provides for appropriation. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S4426 | Appropriates funds to DEP for environmental infrastructure projects in FY2026. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S4426 | Appropriates funds to DEP for environmental infrastructure projects in FY2026. | Senate Floor: Concur in Assembly Amendments | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S4467 | Authorizes NJ Infrastructure Bank to expend certain sums to make loans for environmental infrastructure projects for FY2026. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S4467 | Authorizes NJ Infrastructure Bank to expend certain sums to make loans for environmental infrastructure projects for FY2026. | Senate Floor: Concur in Assembly Amendments | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S4451 | Clarifies requirements for land use plan element and housing plan element of municipal master plan. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| SCR131 | Approves FY2026 Financial Plan of NJ Infrastructure Bank. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S4400 | Extends hours that minor employed by national sports association, league, or team may work under certain circumstances. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S4387 | Requires establishment of tracking system in Division of Consumer Affairs to determine compliance with continuing education requirements. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S4423 | Authorizes BPU to provide site approval for small modular reactors; authorizes operators of small modular reactors to store spent nuclear fuel on-site. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S4476 | Permits awarding of contracts for certain preschool education services by resolution of board of education; extends maximum length of preschool education services contracts to three years. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S4472 | Eliminates five percent down payment requirement for local bond ordinances involving hazard mitigation and resilience projects. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S4506 | Exempts minor league baseball players from certain State wage laws under certain circumstances. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S4530 | Requires BPU to revise community solar program targets. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S4530 | Requires BPU to revise community solar program targets. | Senate Floor: Concur in Assembly Amendments | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| State | District | Chamber | Party | Status | Start Date | End Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NJ | District 17 | Senate | Democrat | In Office | 01/08/2002 | |
| NJ | District 17 | House | Democrat | Out of Office | 01/14/1986 | 01/23/2024 |