SENATE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 1610

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  FEBRUARY 10, 2025

      The Senate Environment and Energy Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Senate Bill No. 1610.

      This bill, as amended, would require outdoor lighting fixtures installed or replaced by, or on behalf of, a State agency, or at projects receiving public moneys from a State agency, to meet certain criteria in order to reduce light pollution.

      The bill would require outdoor lighting fixtures installed or replaced by, or on behalf of, a State agency, or as part of a project that receives funds from a State agency, to comply with the following: (1) the luminaire is a fully shielded luminaire and a full cutoff fixture with a backlight, uplight, and glare (BUG) rating of U0, as those terms are defined by the bill; (2) the outdoor lighting fixture emits only as much light as necessary for the intended purpose and does not exceed the minimum illuminance level recommended for that purpose by the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America or the Federal Highway Administration; (3) an outdoor lighting fixture used to illuminate sports fields are turned off when not in use; (4) full consideration has been given to energy conservation, reducing glare, minimizing light trespass and light pollution, and preserving the natural night environment and public health; (5) the correlated color temperature of the outdoor lighting fixture is no more than 2,700 Kelvin, with certain exceptions; and (6) the outdoor lighting fixture has a motion sensor device that turns on, dims, and turns off the light as appropriate.

      The bill would not apply if: the outdoor lighting fixture is used on a temporary basis because emergency personnel require additional illumination for emergency procedures; the outdoor lighting fixture is used on a temporary basis for nighttime work; a compelling safety interest exists that cannot be addressed by another method; or the outdoor lighting fixture is located in a high-security area.

      In addition, in the case of outdoor lighting fixtures installed along roadways, the bill requires the Department of Transportation to assess whether the purpose of the outdoor lighting fixture can be achieved by the installation of reflective road markers, lines, warning or informational signs, or other effective passive methods in lieu of the installation of outdoor lighting fixtures.  The provisions of the bill would take effect on the first day of the third month after the bill is enacted.

      As amended and reported by the committee, Senate Bill No. 1610 is identical to Assembly Bill No. 2196 (1R), which was also amended and reported by the committee on this date.

      This bill was pre-filed for introduction in the 2024-2025 session pending technical review.  As reported, the bill includes the changes required by technical review, which has been performed.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS:

      The committee amendments to the bill:

      (1)  add a definition for "backlight, uplight, and glare rating";

      (2)  revise definitions of "energy conservation" and "full cutoff fixture";

      (3)  require that outdoor lighting fixtures covered under the bill have luminaires that are fully shielded and full cutoff, and have a BUG rating of U0;

      (4)  require that outdoor lighting fixtures that are used to illuminate sports fields are turned off when not in use;

      (5)  require that outdoor lighting fixtures have been installed with full consideration given to public health;

      (6)  require that outdoor lighting fixtures covered under the bill have a correlated color temperature of no more than 2,700 Kelvin, with certain exceptions;

      (7)  require outdoor lighting fixtures covered under the bill to include a motion sensor device that automatically turns on, dims, and turns off the light;

      (8)  exempt lighting fixtures in high-security areas, as determined by the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness and the New Jersey State Police, from the bill; and

      (9)  provide that the Division of Property Management and Construction is required to collaborate with the Board of Public Utilities to ensure uniformity in lighting specifications for State-owned buildings and in any funding and rebates through the State Facilities Initiative.