Bill Text: NJ S4425 | 2026-2027 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Appropriates $64,787,327 from constitutionally dedicated CBT revenues and other farmland preservation funds to State Agriculture Development Committee for farmland preservation purposes.
Sponsorship: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Introduced) 2026-06-08 - Reported from Senate Committee with Amendments, 2nd Reading [S4425 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2026-S4425-Amended.html
Sponsored by:
Senator LINDA R. GREENSTEIN
District 14 (Mercer and Middlesex)
Senator PARKER SPACE
District 24 (Morris, Sussex and Warren)
SYNOPSIS
Appropriates $64,787,327 from constitutionally dedicated CBT revenues and other farmland preservation funds to State Agriculture Development Committee for farmland preservation purposes.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As reported by the Senate Environment and Energy Committee on June 8, 2026, with amendments.
An Act appropriating $64,787,327 from various farmland preservation funds to the State Agriculture Development Committee for farmland preservation purposes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. There is appropriated to the State Agriculture Development Committee the sum of $56,631,727 in the following subtotal amounts, listed in paragraphs (1) through (3) of this subsection, to pay the cost of acquisition by the committee of development easements on, or fee simple titles to, farmland, to provide grants to counties and municipalities for up to 80 percent of the cost of acquisition of fee simple titles to farmland, to provide grants to qualifying tax-exempt non-profit organizations for up to 50 percent of the cost of acquisition of fee simple titles to farmland, for farmland preservation purposes for projects approved as eligible for such funding pursuant to the "Agricultural Retention and Development Act," P.L.1983, c.32 (C.4:1C-11 et seq.), the "Green Acres, Farmland and Historic Preservation, and Blue Acres Bond Act of 1995," P.L.1995, c.204, the "Garden State Preservation Trust Act," P.L.1999, c.152 (C.13:8C-1 et seq.), the "Green Acres, Farmland, Blue Acres, and Historic Preservation Bond Act of 2007," P.L.2007, c.119, the "Green Acres, Water Supply and Floodplain Protection, and Farmland and Historic Preservation Bond Act of 2009," P.L.2009, c.117, and the "Preserve New Jersey Act," P.L.2016, c.12 (C.13:8C-43 et seq.):
(1) $46,717,185 from dedicated corporation business tax revenues pursuant to Article VIII, Section II, paragraph 6 of the State Constitution from the "Preserve New Jersey Farmland Preservation Fund," established pursuant to section 8 of the "Preserve New Jersey Act," P.L.2016, c.12 (C.13:8C-50), $1,961,817 of this amount made available due to the reallocation of previously appropriated monies;
(2) $9,240,552 from the "2009 Farmland Preservation Fund," established pursuant to section 18 of the "Green Acres, Water Supply and Floodplain Protection, and Farmland and Historic Preservation Bond Act of 2009," P.L.2009, c.117, made available due to the reallocation of previously appropriated monies; and
(3) $673,990 from the "Garden State Farmland Preservation Fund," established pursuant to section 20 of P.L.1999, c.152 (C.13:8C-20), made available due to the reallocation of previously appropriated monies.
b. Any farmland acquired in fee simple with monies appropriated pursuant to this section shall be offered for resale or lease with agricultural deed restrictions approved by the committee.
2. There is appropriated from the "Preserve New Jersey Farmland Preservation Fund," established pursuant to section 8 of the "Preserve New Jersey Act," P.L.2016, c.12 (C.13:8C-50), from the "2009 Farmland Preservation Fund," established pursuant to section 18 of the "Green Acres, Water Supply and Floodplain Protection, and Farmland and Historic Preservation Bond Act of 2009," P.L.2009, c.117, from the "2007 Farmland Preservation Fund," established pursuant to section 18 of the "Green Acres, Farmland, Blue Acres, and Historic Preservation Bond Act of 2007," P.L.2007, c.119, from the "Garden State Farmland Preservation Trust Fund," established pursuant to section 20 of P.L.1999, c.152 (C.13:8C-20), from the "1999 Open Space Fund," established pursuant to the "Open Space - Local Match Program of the Fiscal Year 1999 annual appropriations act," P.L.1998, c.45, from the "1995 Farmland Preservation Fund," established pursuant to section 25 of the "Green Acres, Farmland and Historic Preservation, and Blue Acres Bond Act of 1995," P.L.1995, c.204, from the "1992 Farmland Preservation Fund," established pursuant to section 24 of the "Green Acres, Clean Water, Farmland and Historic Preservation Bond Act of 1992," P.L.1992, c.88, from the "1989 Farmland Preservation Fund," established pursuant to section 22 of the "Open Space Preservation Bond Act of 1989," P.L.1989, c.183, and from the "Farmland Preservation Fund," established pursuant to section 5 of the "Farmland Preservation Bond Act of 1981," P.L.1981, c.276, to the State Agriculture Development Committee, such sums from any additional proceeds which may become available by the effective date of this act due to the lease or conveyance of land or development easements acquired or funded by the committee, for the purpose of providing for the cost of acquisition, by the committee, of development easements and fee simple titles to farmland for farmland preservation purposes pursuant to subsection a. of section 1 of this act.
Any farmland acquired in fee simple with monies appropriated pursuant to this section shall be offered for resale or lease with agricultural deed restrictions approved by the committee.
3. There is appropriated to
the State Agriculture Development Committee the sum of $2,655,600 from the
"Preserve New Jersey Farmland Preservation Fund," established pursuant to
section 8 of the "Preserve New Jersey Act," P.L.2016, c.12 (C.13:8C-50), for
the purpose of providing grants for stewardship activities as defined pursuant
to section 3 of P.L.2016, c.12 (C.13:8C-45), including but not limited to, soil
and water conservation project activities approved pursuant to section 17 of
P.L.1983, c.32 (C.4:1C-24) and deer-fencing activities approved pursuant to
section 5 of P.L.1983, c.32 (C.4:1C-5).
4. There is appropriated to the State Agriculture Development Committee the sum of $5,500,000 from the "Preserve New Jersey Farmland Preservation Fund," established pursuant to section 8 of the "Preserve New Jersey Act," P.L.2016, c.12 (C.13:8C-50), as follows:
a. $2,000,000 for the purpose of providing funding for costs associated with the acquisition of development easements on farmland by the committee, including, but not limited to, appraisal, survey, and title costs;
b. $500,000 for the purpose of providing funding for costs associated with legal advice and representation in connection with the committee's enforcement of development easements acquired for farmland preservation purposes pursuant to P.L.2016, c.12 (C.13:8C-43 et seq.); and
c. $3,000,000 for the purpose of reimbursing local government units and nonprofit organizations for 1the cost of acquisition of development easements on farmland and1 administrative expenses, as defined by section 37 of P.L.1999, c.152 (C.13:8C-37), associated with the acquisition of development easements and fee simple titles on farmland.
5. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the "Preserve New Jersey Farmland Preservation Fund," established pursuant to section 8 of the "Preserve New Jersey Act," P.L.2016, c.12 (C.13:8C-50), the sum of $54,872,785 to implement the provisions of this act.
6. The expenditure of the sums approved by this act is subject to the provisions and conditions of P.L.2016, c.12 (C.13:8C-43 et seq.), P.L.2009, c.117, P.L.2007, c.119, P.L.1999, c.152 (C.13:8C-1 et seq.), P.L.1998, c.45, P.L.1995, c.204, P.L.1992, c.88, P.L.1989, c.183, P.L.1983, c.32 (C.4:1C-11 et seq.), and P.L.1981, c.276, as appropriate.
7. This act shall take effect immediately.
