A1872 • 2026

Exempts community gardens operating on-site composting systems or other systems of managing organic waste from certain DEP permits under certain conditions.

Energy

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor: Kennedy, James J.
Last action: 2026-05-04
Official status: Received in the Senate, Referred to Senate Environment and Energy 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.

Exempts community gardens operating on-site composting systems or other systems of managing organic waste from certain DEP permits under certain conditions.

What This Bill Does

Exempts community gardens operating on-site composting systems or other systems of managing organic waste from certain DEP permits under certain conditions.
Topic: Environment and Energy 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

2026-05-04 New Jersey Legislature
Received in the Senate, Referred to Senate Environment and Energy Committee
2026-03-23 New Jersey Legislature
Passed by the Assembly (71-0-0)
2026-02-19 New Jersey Legislature
Reported out of Assembly Comm. with Amendments, 2nd Reading
2026-01-13 New Jersey Legislature
Introduced, Referred to Assembly Environment and Solid Waste Committee

Official Summary Text

Exempts community gardens operating on-site composting systems or other systems of managing organic waste from certain DEP permits under certain conditions.
Topic:
Environment and Energy
Fiscal note:
This bill has not been certified by OLS for a fiscal note.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

A1872 AEN Statement 2/19/26

ASSEMBLY ENVIRONMENT AND SOLID WASTE COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY,
No. 1872

with
committee amendments

STATE
OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:
�FEBRUARY
19, 2026

����� The Assembly Environment and Solid Waste Committee
reports favorably and with committee amendments Assembly Bill No. 1872.

����� As amended, this bill would exempt a community garden
that operates an on-site composting system, or other on-site system of managing
organic waste in accordance with the Department of Environmental Protection�s
(DEP) standards for recycling, from any permits required by the DEP pursuant to
the "Solid Waste Management Act," P.L.1970, c.39 (C.13:1E-1 et seq.),
the "New Jersey Statewide Mandatory Source Separation and Recycling
Act," P.L.1987, c.102 (C.13:1E-99.11 et al.), the "Air Pollution Control
Act (1954)," P.L.1954, c.212 (C.26:2C-1 et seq.), or the "Water
Pollution Control Act," P.L.1977, c.74 (C.58:10A-1 et seq.), or any rules
or regulations adopted pursuant thereto.�

����� To be eligible for the exemption provided by the
bill:� (1) the system may not accept more than 200 gallons per week of organic
waste, except that a community garden located on property that is 5,000 square
feet or larger in size may accept organic waste in an amount equal to 200
gallons per week per 5,000 square feet of property; and (2) the compost
generated from the system is to be used on-site for the community garden or be
given away or offered for sale in accordance with the requirements of the DEP
providing for the disposition of processed Class C recyclable materials.

����� As defined in the bill, �community garden� means any
publicly or privately owned piece of land maintained and cultivated as a garden
by members of the surrounding community.

����� This bill was prefiled for introduction in the
2026-2027 session pending technical review.� As reported, the bill includes the
changes required by technical review, which has been performed.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS
:

����� The committee amended the bill to:

����� (1) remove the definitions for the terms �food waste�
and �source separated�; and

����� (2) add a definition for the term �organic waste� and replace
references to food waste in the bill with references to organic waste.