LEGISLATIVE FISCAL ESTIMATE
[First Reprint]
SENATE, No. 1441
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
DATED: DECEMBER 23, 2025
SUMMARY
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Synopsis: |
Establishes School Plastics Upcycling Grant Program in DEP to provide proportional awards to eligible schools based on pro rata share of plastics collected, by each school, for upcycling purposes. |
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Type of Impact: |
Three-year State expenditure increase; three-year school district revenue and expenditure increases. |
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Agencies Affected: |
Department of Environmental Protection; school districts. |
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Office of Legislative Services Estimate |
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Fiscal Impact Three-Year Duration of the Pilot Program |
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State Expenditure Increase |
Indeterminate |
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School District Revenue Increase |
Indeterminate |
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School District Expenditure Increase |
Indeterminate |
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· The Office of Legislative Services (OLS) finds that the bill would result in an indeterminate three-year State expenditure increase for the Department of Environmental Protection to establish and operate a three-year School Plastics Upcycling Grant Program. Public schools selected for grants would experience a related revenue and expenditure increase.
· The magnitude of this grant program will depend on school participation in the program, decisions made by the department, and any funding made available for the program through future appropriations made by the Legislature, which the OLS cannot predict.
· The OLS also cannot predict whether the program will be continued beyond the three-year pilot period, but estimates the department may incur additional staffing costs in each year of the program.
BILL DESCRIPTION
This bill would require the Department of Environmental Protection, commencing at the end of the school year next following the bill’s effective date, to establish and operate a School Plastics Upcycling Grant Program. The purpose of the program would be to annually provide proportional grant funding to each eligible applicant school in the State, in proportion to each school’s annual share of school-collected plastics. Grant funding would enable each school to purchase and acquire a proportional share of school-appropriate furnishings produced by authorized upcyclers through the upcycling of school-collected plastics. Under the bill, “upcycling” is defined as “the process that is used, by an authorized upcycler, to transform and reconstitute used, useless, or unwanted plastic bags and other plastic products and materials into new and repurposed materials or products of higher value and greater quality.
The School Plastics Upcycling Grant Program is to be operated by the department for an initial pilot period lasting for three years. Upon the conclusion of the pilot period, the Commissioner of Environmental Protection is to submit a report to the Governor and Legislature making a recommendation on the potential continuation of the program. The department would be authorized to continue the program, within the limits of funds appropriated or otherwise made available for the program’s purposes.
The bill also includes numerous other provisions, including on eligibility criteria schools must meet to receive grants under the program and requirements concerning the funding formula to be developed by the department.
FISCAL ANALYSIS
EXECUTIVE BRANCH
None received.
OFFICE OF LEGISLATIVE SERVICES
The OLS finds that the bill would result in an indeterminate three-year State expenditure increase for the Department of Environmental Protection to establish and operate a three-year School Plastics Upcycling Grant Program. Public schools selected for grants would experience a related revenue and expenditure increase.
The OLS determines that this program will involve additional administrative responsibilities by the department for at least three years, with the establishment and maintenance of the pilot program. The department will be responsible for administering the new grant program, reporting annually on the program to the Governor and Legislature, advising on the program’s continuance, establishing procedures for regular reporting on upcycling grant fund expenditures by eligible recipient schools, publishing on its Internet Site a list of authorized upcyclers in the State, and submitting appropriation requests to the State. The OLS estimates that department may require at least one additional full-time staff member to operate and administer the program.
The magnitude of this grant program will depend on school participation in the program, decisions made by the department, and any funding made available for the program through future appropriations made by the Legislature, which the OLS cannot predict.
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Section: |
Environment, Agriculture, Energy, and Natural Resources |
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Analyst: |
Anna Heckler Assistant Fiscal Analyst |
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Approved: |
Thomas Koenig Legislative Budget and Finance Officer |
This legislative fiscal estimate has been produced by the Office of Legislative Services due to the failure of the Executive Branch to respond to our request for a fiscal note.
This fiscal estimate has been prepared pursuant to P.L.1980, c.67 (C.52:13B-6 et seq.).