ASSEMBLY ENVIRONMENT AND SOLID WASTE COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 4908

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  SEPTEMBER 17, 2026

      The Assembly Environment and Solid Waste Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Assembly Bill No. 4908.

      As amended, this bill would prohibit a grant or loan award made after the effective date of the bill and funded, in whole or in part, by moneys deposited in the “Preserve New Jersey Green Acres Fund,” or any other Green Acres fund, to be used for the purchase, use, installation, or replacement of artificial turf.  Synthetic turf contains a myriad of chemicals known to be harmful to humans, including carcinogens, neurotoxicants, and endocrine-disrupting chemicals, as well as microplastics, nanoplastics, and perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances.  Natural grass is free of the health and environmental hazards associated with synthetic turf.  While synthetic turf is often touted as cost-effective, low-maintenance, and water-saving, the environmental, health, and safety risks greatly outweigh the intended benefits.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS:

      The committee amendments to the bill clarify that Green Acres funds for project awards after the bill’s effective date cannot be used for the purchase, use, installation, or replacement of artificial turf.