Creates "Shark River Bridge Study Commission" and "Shark River Bridge Impacted Business Aid Program."

A1629

ASSEMBLY, No. 1629

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman SEAN T. KEAN

District 30 (Monmouth and Ocean)

SYNOPSIS

���� Creates "Shark River Bridge Study
Commission" and "Shark River Bridge Impacted Business Aid
Program."

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

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

��

An Act

establishing the Shark River Bridge Study
Commission and the Shark River Bridge Impacted Business Aid Program and
supplementing P.L.1974, c.80 (C.34:1B-1 et seq.)
.

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

���� 1.��� a. There is established
the "Shark River Bridge Study Commission."

���� b.��� The study commission
shall analyze and develop recommendations concerning the potential economic
impact caused by the closure of the Shark River Bridge by the Department of
Transportation. The study shall determine the number of businesses impacted by
the closure of the bridge, the appropriate size of potential future grant
issuances to businesses affected by the closure of the bridge, and the total
dollar amount that should be appropriated for any such future grant program.

���� c.���� The study shall consist
of eight members as follows:�

���� (1) a representative of the
General Assembly, who shall be appointed by the Speaker of the General
Assembly;

���� (2) a representative of the
Senate, who shall be appointed by the Senate President;

���� (3) the Chief Executive
Officer of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, ex officio, or a
designee;

���� (4) the Commissioner of
Transportation, ex officio, or a designee;

���� (5) a representative of the
local businesses in the Shark River Bridge area, who shall be appointed by the
Governor;

���� (6) a Borough of Belmar
business owner appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly;

���� (7) a Borough of
Avon-by-the-Sea business owner appointed by the Senate President; and

���� (8) a representative of the
Monmouth County Board of County Commissioners appointed by the Governor.�

���� d.��� The members of the study
commission shall be appointed within 60 days following the effective date of
P.L.��� , c.��� (C.������� ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).�
The study commission shall organize as soon as practicable after the appointment
of its members.� The presence of three members of the study commission shall
constitute a quorum.� The study commission may conduct business without a
quorum but shall only vote on the issuance of the report required to be
submitted to the Governor and the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.���
, c.��� (C.������� ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) when a
quorum is present.�

���� e.���� The members of the study
commission shall serve without compensation but may be reimbursed for necessary
expenses incurred in the performance of their duties to the extent that such
funds are made available for that purpose.�

���� f.���� The New Jersey Economic
Development Authority shall provide stenographic, clerical, and other
administrative assistance and professional staff as the study commission
requires to carry out its work.� The study commission also shall be entitled to
call to its assistance and avail itself of the services of the employees of any
State, county, or municipal department, board, bureau, commission, or agency as
it may require and as may be available for its purposes.

���� 2.��� The study commission
shall prepare and submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the
Governor and, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), the
Legislature no later than 18 months after the organizational meeting of the
study commission.�

���� 3.��� a.� No later than 18
months after the submission of the report required pursuant to section 2 of P.L. ,
c. (pending before the Legislature as this bill), the
New Jersey Economic Development Authority shall establish the �Shark River
Bridge Impacted Business Aid Program� to award grants to support businesses
impacted by the closure of the Shark River Bridge by the Department of
Transportation.

���� b.��� A business impacted by
the closure of the Shark River Bridge may use a program grant to cover
operational costs necessary to sustain the business during the closure of the
bridge.�

���� c.���� Businesses may submit
an application to the Chief Executive Officer of the New Jersey Economic
Development Authority for a program grant, provided that the application shall
be submitted in a form and manner prescribed by the chief executive officer.�
In addition to any other information that the chief executive officer may deem
appropriate, the application shall require the applicant to submit:

���� (1)�� the name and address of
the business;

���� (2)�� a description of the
impact the closure of the Shark River Bridge has had or will have on business
operations;

���� (3)�� a plan detailing how the
grant will be used to sustain the operations of the business; and

���� (4)�� any other information
the chief executive officer deems necessary.

���� d.��� The chief executive
officer shall approve applications for the program on a competitive basis,
subject to the availability of funds.� The chief executive officer may award
grants to approved applicants in such amounts as the chief executive officer deems
appropriate, consistent with the findings of the report submitted by the �Shark
River Bridge Study Commission� pursuant to section 2 of P.L.��� , c.��� �(pending
before the Legislature as this bill).�

���� e.���� Within one year of the establishment
of the �Shark River Bridge Impacted Business Aid Program,� the authority shall
submit a written report to the Governor and to Legislature, pursuant to section
2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), detailing the operations of the program.�
At a minimum, the report shall describe each business for which a program grant
was awarded, specify the amount of each grant award, and assess the performance
of the program.

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

STATEMENT

���� This bill creates the
"Shark River Bridge Study Commission."� The study commission is
required to analyze and develop recommendations concerning the potential
economic impact caused by the closure of Shark River Bridge by the Department
of Transportation.� The study is to determine the number of businesses impacted
by the closure of the bridge, the appropriate size of potential future grant
issuances to businesses affected by the closure of the bridge, and the total
dollar amount that should be appropriated for any such future grant program.

���� The study commission is to
consist of eight members: (1) a representative of the General Assembly,
appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly; (2) a representative of the
Senate, appointed by the Senate President; (3) the Chief Executive Officer of
the New Jersey Economic Development Authority or a designee; (4) the
Commissioner of Transportation or a designee; (5) a representative of the local
businesses in the Shark River Bridge area, appointed by the Governor; (6) a
Borough of Belmar business owner appointed by the Speaker of the General
Assembly; (7) a Borough of Avon-by-the-Sea business owner appointed by the
Senate President; and (8) a representative of the Monmouth County Board of
County Commissioners appointed by the Governor.�

���� The members of the study
commission are required to be appointed within 60 days following the effective
date of the bill, and the study commission is further required to organize as
soon as practicable after the appointment of its members.� The presence of
three members of the study commission constitutes a quorum, and the study
commission may conduct business without a quorum; however, the members may only
vote on the issuance of the report required to be submitted to the Governor and
the Legislature when a quorum is present.�

���� �The members of the study
commission are to serve without compensation but may be reimbursed for
necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties to the extent
that such funds are made available for that purpose.� The New Jersey Economic
Development Authority (EDA) is to provide professional staff and stenographic,
clerical, and administrative assistance to the study commission.

���� The study commission is
required to prepare and submit a report of its findings and recommendations to
the Governor and to the Legislature no later than 18 months after the
organizational meeting of the study commission.�

���� Additionally, the bill
requires the EDA, no later than 18 months after the submission of the study
commission�s report to establish the �Shark River Bridge Impacted Business Aid
Program� in order to award grants to support businesses impacted by the closure
of the Shark River Bridge by the Department of Transportation. Businesses
impacted by the closure are permitted to use grants from the program to cover
operational costs necessary to sustain the business during the closure of the
bridge and are required to submit an application to the Chief Executive Officer
of the EDA for a program grant in a form and manner prescribed by the chief executive
officer.� In addition to any other information that the chief executive officer
may deem necessary, the bill requires applicants to submit: (1) the name and
address of the business; (2) a description of the impact the closure of the
Shark River Bridge has had or will have on business operations; and (3) a plan
detailing how the grant will be used to sustain operations.

���� Applications are to be
approved by the chief executive officer on a competitive basis, subject to the
availability of funds and the chief executive officer may award grants to
approved applicants in such amounts as the chief executive officer deems
appropriate, consistent with the findings of the report submitted by the �Shark
River Bridge Study Commission.�� Within one year of the establishment of the
�Shark River Bridge Impacted Business Aid Program,� the EDA is required to submit
a written report to the Governor and to Legislature detailing the operations of
the program.� At a minimum, the report is required to describe each business
for which a program grant was awarded, specify the amount of each grant award,
and assess the performance of the program.