S3477

A Supplement to the Fiscal Year 2024 appropriations act, P.L. , c. .

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

1. In addition to the amounts appropriated under P.L. , c. , the annual appropriations act for Fiscal Year 2024, there is appropriated the following sum for the purposes 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.

STATEMENT

This bill makes a one-time supplemental appropriation of $17 million for Fiscal Year 2024 to the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) from the General Fund. The bill directs the DEP to establish a program to use these funds for grants to assist qualified entities to pay certain costs associated with the management and maintenance of lakes for recreation and conservation purposes.

The bill requires the DEP to develop criteria for the evaluation and ranking of applications to provide priority to projects submitted by qualified entities responsible for a lake with public access; and projects 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. The bill provides that a grant issued pursuant to the bill may be used for stormwater and nonpoint source pollution management activities, if the DEP determines that those activities would directly enhance, improve, or protect the use of a lake for recreation and conservation purposes.

The bill defines “qualified entity” to mean: 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.

In the 2020-2021 legislative session $10 million was appropriated to the DEP for the same purpose.