SENATE COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR

SENATE, No. 2246

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

220th LEGISLATURE

ADOPTED FEBRUARY 16, 2023

Sponsored by:

Senator  JOSEPH PENNACCHIO

District 26 (Essex, Morris and Passaic)

Senator  VIN GOPAL

District 11 (Monmouth)

Senator  ANTHONY M. BUCCO

District 25 (Morris and Somerset)

Senator  STEVEN V. OROHO

District 24 (Morris, Sussex and Warren)

Co-Sponsored by:

Senator Durr

SYNOPSIS

     Makes FY2023 supplemental appropriation of $17 million to DEP for grants for certain lake management activities.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     Substitute as adopted by the Senate Environment and Energy Committee.

A Supplement to the annual appropriations act for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, P.L.2022, c.49.

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

     1.  In addition to the amounts appropriated under P.L.2022, c.49, the annual appropriations act for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, there is appropriated the following amount for the purpose specified:

42 DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION 40 Community Development and Environmental Management 43 Science and Technical Programs GRANTS-IN-AID
06-4850	Water Monitoring........................................................			$17,000,000
	Total Grants-In-Aid Appropriation,                                      Stormwater Management Grants			$17,000,000
Grants-In-Aid:
06		Stormwater Management Grants ..........................................	($17,000,000)

The amounts hereinabove appropriated shall be used for providing grants to assist qualified entities to pay for the management and maintenance of lakes for recreation and conservation purposes pursuant to section 2 of this act.

     2.  a.  The amounts appropriated in section 1 of this act shall be used for providing grants to assist qualified entities to pay for the management and maintenance of lakes for recreation and conservation purposes pursuant to the provisions of this section.

     b.  The department shall establish a program for the purpose of providing grants with the moneys allocated pursuant to section 1 of this act to assist qualified entities to pay certain costs associated with the management and maintenance of lakes for recreation and conservation purposes.

     c.  (1)  In establishing the program required pursuant to this section, the department shall develop criteria for the evaluation and ranking of applications to provide priority to projects:

     (a)  submitted by qualified entities responsible for a lake with public access; and

     (b)  to improve water quality and increase recreational access and use of lakes, including projects to control nutrient levels in lakes in order to prevent future harmful algal blooms.

     (2)  A grant issued pursuant to this section may be used for stormwater and nonpoint source pollution management activities that would, as determined by the department, directly enhance, improve, or protect the use of a lake for recreation and conservation purposes.

     (3)  The Commissioner of Environmental Protection shall develop an application by which a qualified entity may apply for a grant pursuant to this section, and criteria by which to rank the applications received by the department.  The commissioner shall provide notice of the availability of funding for this program and make the application available on the department's Internet website.

     d.  As used in this section:

     “Greenwood Lake Commission” means the commission created pursuant to section 3 of P.L.1999, c.402 (C.32:20A-3).

     “Lake Hopatcong Commission” means the commission created pursuant to section 3 of P.L.2000, c.175 (C.54:4B-3).

     “Qualified entity” means: the Greenwood Lake Commission; the Lake Hopatcong Commission; a local government unit; an entity established pursuant to law or an entity established pursuant to ordinance by the municipalities surrounding a publicly-accessible lake for the management of the lake, including, but not limited to, the Deal Lake Commission or the Lake Topanemus Park Commission; or a nonprofit organization that is exempt from federal taxation pursuant to 26 U.S.C. s.501 (c)(3) and whose mission is the management or maintenance of a publicly-accessible lake.

     “Recreation and conservation purposes” means the same as that term is defined in section 3 of P.L.1999, c.152 (C.13:8C-3).

     3.    This act shall take effect immediately.