ASSEMBLY APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 5976

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  DECEMBER 18, 2025

      The Assembly Appropriations Committee reports favorably Assembly Bill No. 5976.

      As reported, this bill would make changes to the authorization given to the New Jersey Infrastructure Bank (NJIB) to make loans for environmental infrastructure projects for State fiscal year 2026.

      In August 2025, P.L.2025, c.125 was enacted into law, which authorized the NJIB to expend up to $2.4 billion, and any unexpended balances from previous authorizations, to provide low-interest and market-rate loans to project sponsors (primarily local governments, public authorities, and public water utilities) for a portion of the total costs of 220 eligible environmental infrastructure projects for fiscal year 2026.  This bill would amend the lists of environmental infrastructure projects for which the NJIB is authorized to make loans pursuant to P.L.2025, c.125 to include new projects, remove projects, modify the priority of certain projects, and modify the trust loan amounts for certain projects.  The bill would authorize the NJIB to expend up to $2.69 billion, and any unexpended balances from previous authorizations, to provide loans to project sponsors for a total of 225 eligible environmental infrastructure projects for fiscal year 2026.  This would include 142 projects on the “Storm Sandy and State Fiscal Year 2026 Clean Water Project Eligibility List” and 76 projects on the “Storm Sandy and State Fiscal Year 2026 Drinking Water Project Eligibility List.”

FISCAL IMPACT:

      This bill is not certified as requiring a fiscal note.