In the final hours of his expiring term as governor, Chris Christie signed these environment and energy bills into law:

S848 /A5339 (Stack, Oroho / Mukherji, Chaparro) – Requires certain State oversight of budgets of regional sewerage authorities


S2076 /A3398 (Bateman, Smith / Caride, Space, Taliaferro, Dancer, Houghtaling) – Requires pesticide applicator to notify beekeeper when applying pesticide within three miles of registered honey or native beehive or beeyard

S2078 / A3400 (Bateman, Smith / Caride, Dancer, Taliaferro, Space, McKeon, Houghtaling) – Requires training for pesticide applicators and operators concerning pollinating bees

S2180 (Oroho) – “New Jersey Rural Electric Cooperative Act”


S2389 /A4097 (A.R. Bucco, Oroho, Pennacchio / A.M. Bucco, Space, Phoebus, DeCroce, Webber, McKeon) – Establishes Lake Hopatcong Fund and dedicates $500,000 annually from certain power vessel operator license fees to the fund

S2400 / ACS for A1616 (Cruz-Perez, Allen / Burzichelli, Dancer, Taliaferro, A.M. Bucco) – Authorizes use of tracking dog to search for and recover wild deer during prescribed hunting season


S3026 /A4634 (Smith, Thompson / Lampitt, Eustace, Zwicker) – Clarifies and expands liability protections for food donations and gleaning activities


S3521 / A5194 (Gordon, Oroho / Eustace, Rooney, Holley, Wisniewski) – Allows expanded use of recycled asphalt pavement


S3568 / 5320 (Codey, Turner / Andrzejczak, Zwicker, Houghtaling) – Appropriates $19,266,145 to State Agriculture Development Committee for farmland preservation purposes


S3570 / A5318 (Van Drew, Oroho / Houghtaling, Downey, Taliaferro, Andrzejczak) – Appropriates $1,737,902 from constitutionally dedicated CBT revenues to State Agriculture Development Committee for grants to certain nonprofit organizations for farmland preservation purposes

S3573 / A5317 (Bell, Bateman / Mazzeo, Singleton, Andrzejczak, Zwicker, Houghtaling) – Appropriates $7.5 million from constitutionally dedicated CBT revenues to State Agriculture Development Committee for county planning incentive grants for farmland preservation purposes

S3575 / A5321 (Ruiz, Allen / Muoio, Land, McKeon, Jones, Zwicker) – Appropriates $4,990,934 from constitutionally dedicated CBT revenues to NJ Historic Trust for grants for certain historic preservation projects

S3595 / A5319 (Sweeney / Taliaferro, Burzichelli, Houghtaling) – Appropriates $500,000 from constitutionally dedicated CBT revenues to State Agriculture Development Committee for municipal planning incentive grant for farmland preservation purposes

S3616 / A3931 (Sarlo / Singleton, Holley) – Provides exception to weight limits for natural gas vehicles consistent with federal law


A1954 / S1237 (Coughlin, Benson, Mukherji, Pintor Marin / Vitale) – Makes changes to funding provisions for financial assistance and grants from Hazardous Discharge Site Remediation Fund


A2204 / S3355 (Eustace, Benson, Zwicker, Wimberly / Gordon, Cruz-Perez) – Authorizes virtual net metering for certain electric public utility customers connected to certain hydropower facilities and resource recovery facilities


A3055 / S2444 (Space, Houghtaling, Dancer, Phoebus / Addiego, Oroho) – Authorizes counties to issue promotional labeling for county agricultural products


A4787 / S3285 (Andrzejczak, Houghtaling, Taliaferro, Mazzeo, Space / Van Drew, Cruz-Perez) – Authorizes alternate members for farmers on State Agriculture Development Committee

A4868 / S3259 (Moriarty, Eustace, Kennedy / Greenstein, Thompson) – Extends warranty for partial zero emission vehicles




POCKET VETOES


The governor took no action on other bills. At the end of a
two-year session, this constitutes a ‘pocket veto.’ The bills included:


A-3732 — Directs Dept. of Agriculture to authorize and
advise food hubs.  Related Bill: S-2822


A-4439 — Prohibits sale and distribution of mercury relays
and switches under certain circumstances.


S-3317 — Requires NJ to join U.S. Climate Alliance to uphold
Paris Climate Accord.  Related Bill: A-5040


S-3012 — Allows NJ gross income tax deduction for charitable contributions of food made from business inventory.  Related Bill: A-2753  


S-2872 — Provides certain incentives to qualified businesses in Garden State Growth Zones; creates Garden State Growth
Zone at Atlantic City International Airport and surrounding
area. Related Bill: A-4510


S-2276 — Modifies State’s solar renewable energy portfolio
standards. Related Bill: A-3918


A-3295 — Concerns low emission and zero emission
vehicles; establishes Clean Vehicle Task Force.
Related Bill: S-985