Bills in the 2016–2017 Session, Senate.
Bob Smith
Sponsored
Became law9
Revises "Electronic Waste Management Act."
Establishes position of State Oceanographer.
Revises State's open space, farmland, and historic preservation programs; implements 2014 constitutional dedication of CBT revenues for certain environmental purposes.
Appropriates $59,532,000 from constitutionally dedicated CBT revenues for State acquisition of lands for recreation and conservation purposes, including Blue Acres projects, and capital and park development projects.
Clarifies and expands liability protections for food donations and gleaning activities.
Establishes State food waste reduction goal of 50 percent by 2030.
Permits solar electric power generation facility projects not having commenced commercial operation to retain designation through May 31, 2018 as connected to distribution system.
Appropriates funds to DEP for environmental infrastructure projects for FY2018.
Authorizes NJ Environmental Infrastructure Trust to expend additional sums to make loans for environmental infrastructure projects for FY2018; allocates funds from Local Aid Infrastructure Fund for operating and administrative expenses for transportation
Vetoed4
Implements 2014 constitutional dedication of CBT revenues for certain environmental purposes; revises State's open space, farmland, and historic preservation programs.
Permits BPU to approve qualified wind energy project; requires BPU to provide application periods for those projects.
Modifies State's solar renewable energy portfolio standards.*
Requires NJ to join U.S. Climate Alliance to uphold Paris Climate Accord.
Passed the Senate5
Establishes "Solar Roof Installation Warranty Program" in EDA and transfers $2 million from societal benefits charge to initially fund program.
Establishes requirements for provision of energy from Class I renewable energy sources.
Establishes standards for food date labeling; requires Commissioner of Health to establish public education program and promulgate guidelines related to food safety.
Establishes "Volkswagen Settlement Utilization Fund for Motor Vehicle Emissions Reduction and Air Pollution Control"; directs DEP to use moneys in fund to establish and implement certain air pollution control programs.
Provides gross income tax credit for costs to purchase and install smart thermostats.
Out of committee13
Permits certain deer control activities; prohibits deer feeding; and establishes check-off donation on hunting license applications to support venison donation program.
Authorizes creation of stormwater utilities for certain local government entities.
Requires, after study, DEP to adopt total maximum daily loads for Barnegat Bay ecosystem, and requires DEP to adopt nutrient standards for NJ marine waters.
Creates Office of Clean Energy in BPU.
Requires environmental sustainability plan for State House Complex.
Requires large food waste generators to separate and recycle food waste and amends definition of "Class I renewable energy."
Concerns low emission and zero emission vehicles; establishes Clean Vehicle Task Force.
Authorizes municipalities to establish program for public or private financing of certain and energy, water and storm resiliency projects under Pace program through use of voluntary special assessments for certain property owners.*
Establishes notification standards regarding automatic renewal of service contracts.
Provides for protection of public's rights under public trust doctrine.
Requires municipal land use plan element of master plan to address smart growth, storm resiliency, and environmental sustainability issues.
Requires municipalities, public utilities, and State to use LED technology in certain street lights.
Requires BPU and electric public utilities to conduct energy storage analysis.*
In committee51
Establishes temperature control guidelines and standards for school facilities.
Requires development and implementation of mitigation plans for radon contamination in certain child care centers; requires DOE to develop such plans for child care centers operating in public schools, request funding, and implement plans when funded.
Concerns combined sewer overflows; exempts improvements thereto from 2% property tax cap; requires certain permit holders address such overflows in capital improvement plans; and appropriates $5 million.
Requires Site Improvement Advisory Board to offer recommendations to encourage sustainable development.
Requires, after assessment, DEP to adopt total maximum daily loads for Barnegat Bay ecosystem.
Prohibits development over 35 feet in height in Hudson River Palisades viewshed.
Establishes forest stewardship program for State-owned lands.
Establishes appraisal method for taxation of watershed lands.
Requires electric public utilities to enter into long-term contracts for certain forms of Class I renewable energy.
Permits construction of electric transmission and distribution lines on certain areas of preserved farmland under certain circumstances.
Removes cap on tax on transfers of hazardous substances to fund emergency preparedness and response to certain spills.
Repeals law providing CAFRA permit exemption for certain grading or excavation of a dune.
Prohibits issuance of DEP permits and approvals for development related to drilling for oil and natural gas off NJ coast.
"New Jersey Traffic Management Act"; requires certain employers to plan and implement traffic reduction programs for employees.
Requires water purveyors to develop and implement a drought interconnection system.
Authorizes sale of certain property interests in public roads by local governments to connect certain electric generating facilities with customers; provides for net metering, virtual net metering and connections by public utility.
Clarifies application of business personal property tax on local exchange telephone companies that were subject to tax as of April 1, 1997.
Establishes notification, signage, and monitoring requirements related to combined sewer overflows.
Concerns installation and maintenance of solar panels in common interest communities.
Establishes governance structure for county administrative school districts.
Expands net metering aggregation to all customers and provides credit for excess electric generation at full retail electricity rate to net metering aggregation customers.
Establishes "Neighborhood Solar Energy Investment Program."
Expands One-Call Damage Prevention System to include underground contamination with engineering or institutional controls.
Revises "Franchise Practices Act."
Requires each board of education to adopt policy establishing temperature control standards and guidelines for school district facilities.
Allows 50 percent credit against societal benefits charge to electric or gas public utility customers who install and maintain publicly available zero emission vehicle charging stations.
Increases electric power net metering capacity threshold to 5.8 percent of total annual kilowatt-hours sold in State.
Requires electric efficiency portfolio standard.
Encourages development of public electric vehicle charging infrastructure in redevelopment projects.
Requires electric public utilities operating or providing service to certain LED street lights to charge customers only for actual costs.
Provides corporation business tax and gross income tax credits for certain solar energy system expenditures.
Requires BPU to establish demand response programs for electric public utility customers.
Permits municipalities to require that new construction be solar ready.
Requires end-of-life recycling of solar and photovoltaic energy generation facilities and structures.
Concerns high performance green building standards for certain State buildings.
Requires electric public utilities to install smart meters at customers' premises upon customer approval; makes meter data available to certain electric-related service entities.
Provides that electric power supplier license issued by BPU may be renewed without expiring if certain conditions are met.
Provides that natural gas supplier license issued by BPU may be renewed without expiring if certain conditions are met.
Encourages local units to plan for electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
Promotes installation and operation of electric vehicle charging stations.
Exempts solar energy systems from building fees.
Restricts compensation of external managers authorized to invest assets of State pension or annuity funds and requires disclosure thereof.
Requires community associations to allow installation of electric vehicle charging stations.
Provides for BPU incentives for district energy collaboratives and certain combined heat and power facilities.
Concerns New Jersey estate tax; increases State exclusion amount to match federal exclusion amount for resident decedents dying on or after January 1, 2018.
Requires DCA to adopt Statewide solar installation subcode.
Requires DCA to authorize municipalities to impose highly-enhanced energy conservation construction requirements.
Requires new photovoltaic installations to comply with most recent National Electric Code standards for rapid shutdown of photovoltaic arrays.
Requires certain State projects to be designed and managed to include sustainable landscapes.
Provides sales and use tax exemption for sales of machinery and equipment and sales of natural gas used to generate electricity in certain fuel cell facilities.
Requires that, by 2025, at least 30 percent of all energy consumed by State entities be from renewable energy sources.
Carried from the General Assembly
Became law1
Requires municipal land use plan element of master plan to address smart growth, storm resiliency, and environmental sustainability issues.
Vetoed1
Concerns low emission and zero emission vehicles; establishes Clean Vehicle Task Force.
Passed the General Assembly1
Authorizes municipalities to establish program for public or private financing of certain energy, water and storm resiliency projects under PACE program through use of voluntary special assessments for certain property owners.*
Co-sponsored
Became law · 6
Requires health insurance coverage for treatment of substance use disorders; places certain restrictions on the prescription of opioid and certain other drugs; concerns continuing education related thereto.
Prohibits use of smokeless tobacco in public schools.
Prohibits investment of pension and annuity funds by State in companies that boycott Israel or Israeli businesses.
Authorizes additional $90 million worth of Economic Redevelopment and Growth Grant program tax credits.*
Requires pesticide applicator to notify beekeeper when applying pesticide within three miles of registered honey or native beehive or beeyard.
Requires training for pesticide applicators and operators concerning pollinating bees.
Passed the Senate · 2
Authorizes installation of automatic standby generators in certain residences without zoning or planning board approval.
Requires installation of smart thermostats in all new residential construction.
Out of committee · 12
Prohibits firearm possession by persons convicted of certain offenses.*
Expands definition of "acquisition," for purposes of county and municipal open space trust funds, to include demolition, removal of debris, and restoration of lands being acquired.
Increases amount annually credited to Shore Protection Fund to $50 million.
Revises requirements and training standards for first responders under New Jersey Highway Traffic Safety Act of 1987.
Establishes veterans' preference for affordable housing in certain housing projects.
Requires paint producers to implement or participate in paint stewardship program.
Changes submission and notice requirements for short-term and long-term financing for environmental infrastructure projects.
Requires Department of Agriculture to develop voluntary guidelines to encourage school districts and institutions of higher education to donate excess food; extends "Food Bank Good Samaritan Act" protections to school districts.
Directs DEP to adopt standards for drinking water contaminants based upon recommendations of Drinking Water Quality Institute.*
Requires State's full participation in Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.
Provides for priority consideration, by DCA, DEP, DOT, and municipalities, of permit applications for green building projects.
Establishes Nuclear Diversity Certificate program.
In committee · 14
Authorizes wiretaps for investigation of certain crimes.
Authorizes use of juvenile records for prosecution of gang criminality.
Eliminates transfer inheritance tax and increases filing threshold and applicable exclusion amounts under New Jersey estate tax in accordance with provisions of federal tax law.
Establishes "The Democracy Act" to modify various voter registration and voting procedures.
Provides matching grant program for local governments to facilitate energy efficiency and conservation of resources in public buildings; appropriates $50 million.
Authorizes the State, with prior approval by the State House Commission, to use eminent domain power to acquire lands for recreation and conservation purposes provided lands are protective of drinking water sources.
Directs DEP to classify neonicotinoid pesticides as restricted use pesticides.
Adds two student representatives to board of governors of Rutgers University.
Prohibits treatment, discharge, disposal, application to roadway, or storage of wastewater, wastewater solids, sludge, drill cuttings or other byproducts from natural gas exploration or production using hydraulic fracturing.
Increases civil penalties for certain natural gas or hazardous liquid facility safety violations.
Requires DEP to establish voluntary guidelines for K-12 schools and institutions of higher education to reduce, recover, and recycle food waste.
Requires water purveyors to develop and implement leak detection programs.
Requires BPU to conduct study concerning zero emission credits.
Allows 50 percent credit against societal benefits charge to local governments that utilize traffic signals that use light emitting diode technology.