SENATE BUDGET AND APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

[First Reprint]

SENATE, No. 216

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  JUNE 9, 2025

      The Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Senate Bill No. 216 (1R).

      As amended by the committee, this bill requires the Department of Agriculture to advertise and promote aquaculture products as part of the Jersey Fresh Program.  The Jersey Fresh Program is the marketing and quality grading program that is currently used, by the department, to advertise and promote the availability of fruit and vegetable agricultural commodities that have been produced in the State and graded for quality.  This bill would expand the Jersey Fresh Program to additionally include marketing for fish and shellfish that are produced in the State, or in State waters, through means of aquaculture, and the quality of which complies with standards adopted by the department and is verified thereby through the use of an appropriate quality grading system.  The bill would require the department to develop and implement a quality grading system that is specific to the grading of aquaculture products, as distinguished from wild-caught seafood products, which system is to be consistent with, and similar to, the quality grading system that is used, by the department, to grade the quality of other agricultural commodities for the purposes of the Jersey Fresh Program. 

      The bill provides an annual appropriation of $25,000 to be made in each fiscal year after the bill’s effective date, in order to facilitate the ongoing marketing and promotion of aquaculture products under the Jersey Fresh Program.  The monies made available under the bill would be in addition to any other monies that may be appropriated or allocated to the Jersey Fresh Program.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS:

      The committee amendments would remove the $100,000 initial appropriation and reduce the amount of the annual appropriation from $100,000 to $25,000.

FISCAL IMPACT:

      The Office of Legislative Services determines that this bill will result in an annual increase to State expenditures of up to $25,000 due to the annual appropriation to facilitate the ongoing marketing and promotion of aquaculture products under the Jersey Fresh Program.