SENATE BUDGET AND APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

[First Reprint]

ASSEMBLY, No. 5537

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  DECEMBER 15, 2025

      The Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee reports favorably Assembly Bill No. 5537 (1R).

      As reported, this bill would prohibit, beginning January 1, 2027, the use of any class B firefighting foam containing intentionally added perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) by fire departments in the State.

      As reported by the committee, Assembly Bill No. 5537 (1R) is identical to Senate Bill No. 4346 (1R), which was also reported by the committee on this date.

FISCAL IMPACT:

      The Office of Legislative Services finds that this bill could potentially shift the timing of certain expenditures made by the State by up to one year because the bill would delay the prohibition on the use of firefighting foams containing perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), with limited exceptions, to January 1, 2027.

      Current law requires the Department of Environmental Protection to establish a program to collect and dispose of the prohibited firefighting foam at the State’s expense.  Currently, there is $16.6 million allocated for the program.

      As part of this program, participating fire departments are responsible for the cost of replacing the prohibited firefighting foams with compliant ones.  The Department of Environmental Protection is to provide grants to fully reimburse municipalities for these costs under certain circumstances.  Because the bill permits municipalities to continue to use Class B firefighting foam containing certain PFAS for up to an additional year, their replacement costs and any State reimbursements could also be pushed out to January 2027.