Bill Text: NJ A1981 | 2020-2021 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes "Plastic Pollution Task Force" to study ways to reduce and address plastic pollution.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 7-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-01-14 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Environment and Solid Waste Committee [A1981 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2020-A1981-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
219th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2020 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman NANCY J. PINKIN
District 18 (Middlesex)
Assemblywoman YVONNE LOPEZ
District 19 (Middlesex)
Assemblywoman VALERIE VAINIERI HUTTLE
District 37 (Bergen)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblymen Kennedy and Calabrese
SYNOPSIS
Establishes "Plastic Pollution Task Force" to study ways to reduce and address plastic pollution.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act establishing a "Plastic Pollution Task Force."
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. There is established in the Department of Environmental Protection the "Plastic Pollution Task Force." The purpose of the task force shall be to develop a comprehensive plastic pollution management report. The task force shall:
(1) study the most efficient means of reducing plastic pollution in the State and its waters;
(2) develop uniform policies for the State and local government units to address plastic pollution, and a for a coordinated response to the threat posed by plastic pollution to the State's ecological and environmental resources;
(3) prepare a comprehensive plastic pollution management report; and
(4) make recommendations for legislative, regulatory, and local government unit actions necessary to reduce plastic pollution in the State.
b. The task force shall be comprised of five members as follows:
(1) the Commissioner of Environmental Protection, who shall serve ex officio and who shall serve as chairperson of the task force, or the commissioner's designee;
(2) the Commissioner of Health, who shall serve ex officio, or the commissioner's designee;
(3) three members of the public appointed by the Governor as follows:
(a) one member of the State's business community with expertise, knowledge, or experience in plastic recycling and disposal;
(b) one member from the State's academic community with expertise, knowledge, and experience in environmental protection, ecology, or plastic pollution mitigation; and
(c) one member from a Statewide or national environmental organization with expertise, knowledge, or experience in environmental protection, ecology, or plastic pollution mitigation.
c. All appointments to the task force shall be made no later than 90 days after the effective date of this act. Each member shall serve for the duration of the task force, and vacancies shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointments. The members of the task force shall serve without compensation, but shall be eligible for reimbursement for necessary and reasonable expenses incurred in the performance of their official duties within the limits of funds appropriated or otherwise made available to the task force for its purposes.
d. A majority of the membership of the task force shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of task force business.
e. The Department of Environmental Protection shall provide staff support to the task force. The task force shall be entitled to call to its assistance and avail itself of the services of the employees of any State department, board, bureau, commission or agency, as it may require and as may be available for its purposes.
f. The task force shall dissolve on the 60th day after the date of submission of the plastic pollution management report to the Governor and the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of this act.
2. a. No later than one year after the task force organizes, the task force shall prepare and submit a comprehensive plastic pollution management report of its findings, plans, and recommendations. The task force shall submit the report to the Governor and, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), the Legislature. The report shall include, but need not be limited to, recommendations about how the State and its local units may:
(1) reduce the amount of plastic entering the waste stream;
(2) reduce and remove existing plastic pollution;
(3) address microplastic pollution in the State's waterways;
(4) restore ecosystems that have been damaged by plastic pollution to their natural condition;
(5) estimate the resources necessary for implementation of suggested policies.
b. The report shall also include specific legislative recommendations, suggested regulatory action, including suggested rules and regulations, and model ordinances that are necessary to implement the recommendations in the report.
c. In formulating recommendations, the task force shall consider existing State and local programs to mitigate plastic pollution, financial and market tools that may be employed to help reduce plastic pollution, educational programs, and any other tool or resource the task force deems effective to combat plastic pollution in the State.
3. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill would establish a "Plastic Pollution Task Force" in the Department of Environmental Protection responsible for creating a comprehensive plastic pollution management report.
The task force would be comprised of five members: the Commissioner of Environmental Protection, serving ex officio, the Commissioner of Health, serving ex officio, and three members of the public appointed by the Governor representing the business, academic, and nonprofit communities respectively. The task force would be responsible for creating a comprehensive plastic pollution management report which would include: recommendations about how the State and local government units may reduce the amount of plastic entering the waste stream, reduce and remove existing plastic pollution, address microplastic pollution in the State's waterways, restore ecosystems that have been damaged by plastic pollution to their natural condition, and estimate the resources necessary for implementation of suggested policies. The report would also include specific executive and legislative recommendations, and model ordinances for local government units, where applicable.
The task force would dissolve on the 60th day after the submission of the comprehensive plastic pollution management report.
