[Second Reprint]

ASSEMBLY, No. 2762

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman ANDREA KATZ

District 8 (Atlantic and Burlington)

Assemblywoman  HEATHER SIMMONS

District 3 (Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem)

Assemblywoman  MARISA SWEENEY

District 25 (Morris and Passaic)

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman Morales, Assemblyman Freiman, Assemblywomen Brennan, Drulis and Assemblyman Sauickie

SYNOPSIS

     Directs Department of Agriculture to advertise and promote New Jersey liquors, beers, and wines.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     As amended by the General Assembly on October 29, 2026.

An Act concerning funding for New Jersey liquors, beers, and wines, ¹and¹ supplementing Title 4 of the Revised Statutes ¹[, and making an appropriation]¹.

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

     1.  a.  As used in this section:

     “Beer product” means an alcoholic beverage produced by brewing and fermenting grain starches.

     “Department” means the Department of Agriculture. 

     “Jersey Fresh Program” means the agricultural commodity marketing and quality grading program established by the department pursuant to P.L.1971, c.308 (C.4:10-43 et seq.), and the rules and regulations adopted pursuant thereto.

     “Liquor product” means any distilled alcoholic spirit produced by the distillation of grains, fruits, vegetables, or sugar which have gone through alcoholic fermentation.

     “Wine product” means an alcoholic fermented beverage made ²[from] through the fermentation of the natural sugar content of² fresh grapes ²or other fruits².

     b.  The department, as part of the Jersey Fresh Program¹[,]¹ shall ¹, within the limits of monies appropriated or allocated to the Jersey Fresh Program,¹ advertise and promote liquor, beer, and wine products, the quality of which complies with standards adopted by the department and is verified thereby through the use of an appropriate quality grading and rating system.  The department ², in consultation with members of the wine, beer, and liquor production industries,² shall develop and implement an appropriate quality grading and rating system specific to the quality of alcohol products, which system shall be consistent with, and similar to, the quality grading and rating systems that are used, by the department, to measure the quality of other agricultural commodities for the purposes of the Jersey Fresh Program.

¹[c.  In addition to the monies appropriated pursuant to section 2 of this act and otherwise appropriated or allocated to the Jersey Fresh Program, there shall be appropriated, from the General Fund to the Department of Agriculture, the annual sum of $100,000, for the purpose of facilitating the department’s advertisement and promotion of liquor, beer, and wine products under the Jersey Fresh Program, as required pursuant to subsection b. of this section.]¹

¹[2.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Agriculture the sum of $100,000 for the purpose of the promotion of liquor, beer, and wine products produced in the State as part of the Jersey Fresh Program.]¹

¹[3.] 2.¹  This act shall take effect immediately.