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A2292
ASSEMBLY, No. 2292
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
222nd LEGISLATURE
�
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman MARGIE DONLON, M.D.
District 11 (Monmouth)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman Haider
SYNOPSIS
���� Requires hospitals to adopt and develop environmental
sustainability plan.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative
Counsel.
��
An Act
concerning hospitals and sustainability and
supplementing Title 26 of the Revised Statutes.
����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:
���� 1.� The Legislature finds and
declares that:
���� a.� There is a need to address
sustainability in our State�s health care infrastructure as climate change is a
significant driver of health and the social determinants of health.
���� b.� Health Care Without Harm,
an international organization working to make health care ecologically
sustainable, has identified that the United States is the world�s highest
emitter of healthcare greenhouse gases, accounting for 27 percent of the global
healthcare footprint.
���� c.�
Sustainability initiatives can add value, reduce
negative health and environmental impacts, and save critical healthcare
dollars.
���� d.� Health care institutions have launched environmental
initiatives from emergency conservation to green lab programs. �For example, the
Kaiser Permanente health system is the first in the country to reach carbon
neutrality by taking sequential steps on the road to sustainability. They
improved energy use efficiency by 8 percent since 2013, saving $19.6 million
annually, and decreased water use intensity by 15.3 percent, saving $2.8
million annually.
���� e.� Therefore, New Jersey�s health care facilities must
not be left behind and must begin a change to sustainability and healthcare
resiliency for the benefit of our patients and our health systems.
���� 2.� a.� As used in this
section, �hospital� means
an
acute care general hospital licensed pursuant to P.L.1971, c.136 (C.26:2H-1 et
seq.).
���� b.� Every four years, each hospital shall adopt,
develop, and submit to the Department of Health an environmental sustainability
plan, which plan shall set goals to transition the hospital to high performance
and sustainable operations, procurement, and buildings, provide for the
efficient use of natural resources, and consider the impact of the hospital on
the local and regional environment.� A hospital newly licensed by the
Department of Health shall be required to submit an environmental
sustainability plan within six months of the date of licensure.� The environmental
sustainability plan required pursuant to this subsection may include, but not
be limited to, the following areas of focus:���������
���� (1)�� development of Green Teams and a Sustainability
Officer within the executive suite of the hospital to ensure successful
integration of sustainability into decision-making and day-to day-operations;
���� (2)�� identifying the financial implications, including
potential savings, of implementing the environmental sustainability plan and
potential funding sources for any expenditure increases;
���� (3)�� development of a sustainable purchasing strategy
that prioritizes community and environmental health and safety through the acquisition
of sustainable supplies, electronics, and other materials, and the
prioritization of contracts with vendors focused on environmental
sustainability;
���� (4)�� evaluation of hospital procurement with consideration
of end-of-life disposition in order to reduce the volume and toxicity of
materials and wastes;
���� (5)�� water use reduction and conservation;
���� (6)�� revising the design of operating rooms, from
lighting, anesthesia, and reusables, to create less waste;
���� (7)�� identifying methods to utilize electricity
produced from renewable energy sources, like wind and solar;
���� (8)�� provision of educational materials and programs
for employees and the community to model and change the culture of
sustainability at the hospital;
���� (9)�� identifying opportunities to purchase food through
local and regional sources and purchase products with third-party
certifications for quality and sustainability practices;
���� (10)� promotion of less toxic chemical usage from
substances used to deliver health care, cleaning supplies, and effective management
of disposal;
���� (11)� implementation of a policy or commitment to design
and construct all new buildings and major renovations to LEED, or another green
building design standard;
���� (12)� identifying methods to lower the level of carbon
emissions and reduce the carbon footprint of the hospital, including a plan to
transition to electric or hybrid vehicles and other alternatives, such as
planting trees and purchasing carbon credits to offset emissions; and
���� (13)� fostering health system resilience and recognizing
interdependencies and linkages of supply and demand and their contextual
factors.
���� b.� Each hospital shall issue an annual progress report
on the implementation of the environmental sustainability plan required
pursuant to subsection a. of this section to the Commissioner of Health on
January 15 of each year, which plan shall be published on the Department�s Internet
website.
���� c.� The Commissioner of Health may establish a
Sustainability in Health Care Facilities Advisory Committee within the
Department of Health to support the department in the review of environmental sustainability
plans submitted pursuant to subsection a. of this section.
���� 3.� The Commissioner of Health may adopt rules and
regulations, pursuant to the �Administrative Procedure Act,� P.L.1968, c.410
(C.52:14B-1 et seq.), as necessary to implement the provisions of this act.
���� 4.� This act shall take effect
immediately.
STATEMENT
���� This bill requires
each hospital to adopt, develop, and
submit to the Department of Health an environmental sustainability plan every
four years.� The environmental sustainability plan will set goals for the
hospital to transition to high performance and sustainable operations,
procurement, and buildings, provide for the efficient use of natural resources,
and consider the impact of the hospital on the local and regional environment.�
Any hospital newly licensed by the Department of Health will be required to
submit an environmental sustainability plan within six months of the date of
licensure.
���� The environmental sustainability plan required pursuant
to the bill may include, but not be limited to, the following areas of focus:�������
���� (1)�� development of Green Teams and a Sustainability
Officer within the executive suite of the hospital to ensure successful
integration of sustainability into decision-making and day-to day-operations;
���� (2)�� identifying the financial implications, including
potential savings, of implementing the environmental sustainability plan and
potential funding sources for any expenditure increases;
���� (3)�� development of a sustainable purchasing strategy
that prioritizes community and environmental health and safety through the acquisition
of sustainable supplies, electronics, and other materials, and the
prioritization of contracts with vendors focused on environmental
sustainability;
���� (4)�� evaluation of hospital procurement with consideration
of end-of-life disposition in order to reduce the volume and toxicity of
materials and wastes;
���� (5)�� water use reduction and conservation;
���� (6)�� revising the design of operating rooms, from
lighting, anesthesia, and reusables, to create less waste;
���� (7)�� identifying methods to utilize electricity
produced from renewable energy sources, like wind and solar;
���� (8)�� provision of educational materials and programs
for employees and the community to model and change the culture of
sustainability at the hospital;
���� (9)�� identifying opportunities to purchase food through
local and regional sources and purchase products with third-party
certifications for quality and sustainability practices;
���� (10)� promotion of less toxic chemical usage from
substances used to deliver health care, cleaning supplies, and effective management
of disposal;
���� (11)� implementation of a policy or commitment to design
and construct all new buildings and major renovations to LEED, or another green
building design standard;
���� (12)� identifying methods to lower the level of carbon
emissions and reduce the carbon footprint of the hospital, including a plan to
transition to electric or hybrid vehicles and other alternatives, such as
planting trees and purchasing carbon credits to offset emissions; and
���� (13)� fostering health system resilience and recognizing
interdependencies and linkages of supply and demand and their contextual
factors.
���� Each hospital will issue an annual progress report on
the implementation of the environmental sustainability plan to the Commissioner
of Health on January 15 of each year, which plan will be published on the
Department�s Internet website.� The Commissioner of Health may establish a
Sustainability in Health Care Facilities Advisory Committee within the
Department of Health to support the department in the review of environmental sustainability
plans submitted pursuant to the bill.