ASSEMBLY SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON INFRASTRUCTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 1115

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  march 10, 2022

      The Assembly Special Committee on Infrastructure and Natural Resources reports favorably Assembly Bill No. 1115.

      This bill would direct the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to provide additional priority points to certain applicants that seek funding, from the New Jersey Infrastructure Bank (I-Bank), for sewerage and drinking water infrastructure projects.

      Specifically, under the bill, project applicants with an established program to employ at the project facility, or at related offices or facilities, persons who reside in the municipality in which the project is located, the service area of the project, or in surrounding municipalities that meet the criteria for State aid pursuant to P.L.1978, c.14 (C.52:27D-178 et seq.) would receive additional priority points.  The DEP would factor these additional points into its calculations when establishing the "clean water project priority list," pursuant to section 20 of P.L.1985, c.334 (C.58:11B-20), and the "drinking water project priority list," pursuant to section 24 of P.L.1997, c.224 (C.58:11B-20.1).

      This bill was pre-filed for introduction in the 2022-2023 session pending technical review.  As reported, the bill includes the changes required by technical review, which has been performed.