KLS Keeping Law Simple Legislation in plain English

Straight-ahead summaries built from the official bill text. We keep the source links front and center and leave the decision up to you.

Back to New Jersey

A1438 • 2026

Allows use of fish pumps to remove menhaden from purse seines in certain circumstances.

Allows use of fish pumps to remove menhaden from purse seines in certain circumstances.

Agriculture
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Simonsen, Erik K.
Last action
2026-01-13
Official status
Introduced, Referred to Assembly Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Allows use of fish pumps to remove menhaden from purse seines in certain circumstances.

Allows use of fish pumps to remove menhaden from purse seines in certain circumstances.

What This Bill Does

  • Allows use of fish pumps to remove menhaden from purse seines in certain circumstances.
  • Topic: Agriculture and Natural Resources Fiscal note: This bill has not been certified by OLS for a fiscal note.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2026-01-13 New Jersey Legislature

    Introduced, Referred to Assembly Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee

Official Summary Text

Allows use of fish pumps to remove menhaden from purse seines in certain circumstances.
Topic:
Agriculture and Natural Resources
Fiscal note:
This bill has not been certified by OLS for a fiscal note.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
A1438

ASSEMBLY, No. 1438

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman ERIK K. SIMONSEN

District 1 (Atlantic, Cape May and Cumberland)

Assemblyman JOHN DIMAIO

District 23 (Hunterdon, Somerset and Warren)

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblyman McClellan

SYNOPSIS

���� Allows use of fish pumps to remove menhaden from
purse seines in certain circumstances.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative
Counsel.

��

An Act

concerning the taking of menhaden and amending P.L.2013, c.74.

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

���� 1.� Section 11 of P.L.2013,
c.74 (C.23:3-51.9) is amended to read as follows:

���� 11.� Removal, from a purse
seine, of fish harvested from the waters of the State shall be by
fish pump,

brailing
,
or dip net
[
only
]
.�
[
No
]

A
fish
pump
[
shall
]

may
be
on board any vessel operating under a license, for the purpose of taking
menhaden for bait or human food purposes,
[
unless
the pump is completely covered and securely fastened with a brightly colored
tarp or other material, and the pump intake or hose is disconnected from the
pump and is securely stowed away from the pump so that it is not readily
available for use when the vessel is fishing in State waters
]

provided
that the fish pump is a wet pump, of either capsule or centrifugal design, and
the pump discharge hose is placed at or below the vessel�s water line in order
to minimize the potential for excess aeration of surface waters in proximity to
the fishing operation
.

(cf:� P.L.2013, c.74, s.11)

���� 2.� This act shall take effect
immediately.

STATEMENT

���� This bill would revise the law
concerning the use of fish pumps to remove menhaden from purse seines in
certain circumstances.

���� This bill would allow a wet
pump to be used to remove menhaden from a purse seine, provided that the fish
pump is a wet pump, of either capsule or centrifugal design, and the pump
discharge hose is placed at or below the vessel�s water line in order to
minimize the potential for excess aeration of surface waters in proximity to
the fishing operation.

���� Current law requires that the
removal, from a purse seine, of fish harvested from the waters of the State be
by brailing or dip net only and further provides that a fish pump may not be on
board any vessel operating under a license for the purpose of taking menhaden
for bait or human food purposes, unless the pump is completely covered and
securely fastened with a brightly colored tarp or other material, and the pump
intake or hose is disconnected from the pump and is securely stowed away from
the pump so that it is not readily available for use when the vessel is fishing
in State waters.