Bill Text: NJ S390 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Requires DEP to provide public access for boats to certain State-owned lakes; appropriates $1 million.

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-09 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Environment and Energy Committee [S390 Detail]

Download: New_Jersey-2024-S390-Introduced.html

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SENATE, No. 390

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

221st LEGISLATURE

 

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION

 

 

Sponsored by:

Senator  JOSEPH PENNACCHIO

District 26 (Morris and Passaic)

 

Co-Sponsored by:

Senators Lagana, A.M.Bucco and Cruz-Perez

 

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS

     Requires DEP to provide public access for boats to certain State-owned lakes; appropriates $1 million.

 

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.

  

An Act concerning public boating access to certain State-owned lakes, supplementing P.L.1983, c.324 (C.13:1L-1 et seq.), and making an appropriation.

 

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

 

     1.  a.  Within two years after the date of enactment of this act, the Department of Environmental Protection shall construct, cause to be constructed, or enter into long-term contracts pursuant to a public bidding process with the owners of private marinas to provide for, public boat access to any State-owned lake at which boats with or without onboard motors are allowed.

     b. If the department is unable to construct, or cause to be constructed, public boat access to any State-owned lake at which boats with or without onboard motors are allowed, the commissioner shall submit a report to the Governor and, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), to the Legislature identifying the lakes at which public boat access is unable to be provided and the reasons therefor.  If the reason is due to a lack of sufficient funds for the purpose, the report shall detail the necessary funding required.

 

     2.    There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Environmental Protection the sum of $1 million for the purposes of subsection a. of section 1 of this act.

 

     3.    This act shall take effect immediately.

 

 

STATEMENT

 

     This bill would require the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to construct, cause to be constructed, or enter into long-term contracts with the owners of private marinas to provide for, public boat access to any State-owned lake at which boats with or without onboard motors are allowed.  Any contract entered into with an owner of a private marina would be subject to a public bidding process.  If the DEP is unable to construct, or cause to be constructed, public boat access to any State-owned lake at which boats with or without onboard motors are allowed, the commissioner would be required to submit a report to the Governor and the Legislature identifying the lakes at which public boat access is unable to be provided and the reasons therefor. If the reason is due to a lack of sufficient funds for the purpose, the report would be required to detail the necessary funding required.

     The bill would appropriate $1 million from the General Fund to the DEP in order to provide for the public boat access required by the bill.