Bill Text: NJ A183 | 2020-2021 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Prohibits State's participation in multi-state cap-and-trade program to reduce carbon emissions from transportation sector.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 2-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-01-14 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Environment and Solid Waste Committee [A183 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2020-A183-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
219th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2020 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman HAROLD "HAL" J. WIRTHS
District 24 (Morris, Sussex and Warren)
Assemblyman PARKER SPACE
District 24 (Morris, Sussex and Warren)
SYNOPSIS
Prohibits State's participation in multi-state cap-and-trade program to reduce carbon emissions from transportation sector.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act prohibiting the State's participation in a multi-state cap-and-trade program to reduce carbon emissions from the transportation sector, and supplementing Title 26 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. Notwithstanding the provisions of any other law, rule, or regulation to the contrary, no State agency, or representative or employee thereof, shall:
(1) enter any agreement or arrangement with the appropriate representatives of other states, including the formation of a for-profit or non-profit corporation, any form of association, alliance, compact, or commission, or any other form of organization, in this or another state, established for the purpose of creating a cap and trade program for carbon emissions from combustion gas and diesel engines or any similar multi-state program that would cap and reduce the amount of allowable carbon emissions from the combustion of transportation fuels; or
(2) adopt any rules or regulations that would establish a multi-state cap and trade program to limit carbon emissions from combustion gas and diesel engines or any similar program that would cap and reduce the amount of allowable carbon emissions from the combustion of transportation fuels.
b. Any action taken by a State agency, or representative or employee thereof, prior to the date of enactment of this act that is inconsistent with the prohibition established pursuant to subsection a. of this section is hereby invalidated, and the State agency, or representative or employee thereof, as appropriate, shall take all necessary action to withdraw from the agreement or arrangement.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill would prohibit the State from participating in a multi-state initiative cap-and-trade program to reduce carbon emissions from the transportation sector. Specifically, the bill would prohibit any State agency, or representative or employee thereof, from: (1) entering any agreement or arrangement with the appropriate representatives of other states, including the formation of a for-profit or non-profit corporation, any form of association, alliance, compact, or commission, or any other form of organization, in this or another state, established for the purpose of creating a cap and trade program for carbon emissions from combustion gas and diesel engines or any similar multi-state program that would cap and reduce the amount of allowable carbon emissions from the combustion of transportation fuels; and (2) adopting any rules or regulations that would establish a multi-state cap and trade program to limit carbon emissions from combustion gas and diesel engines or any similar multi-state program that would cap and reduce the amount of allowable carbon emissions from the combustion of transportation fuels.
In December 2018, the Commissioner of Environmental Protection announced that New Jersey was joining with other Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states to design a new regional low-carbon transportation policy proposal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector, called the "Transportation and Climate Initiative." Other participants include Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. According to the announcement, the initiative includes a proposal to cap and reduce carbon emissions from the combustion of transportation fuels, and investing proceeds from the program into low-carbon and more resilient transportation infrastructure. While the reduction of carbon emissions is an important goal, it is also important to protect consumers from price increases that would likely result from a cap and trade program.
