Establishes invasive species control grant program in Department of Agriculture; appropriates $3 million.

A4049

ASSEMBLY, No. 4049

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED FEBRUARY 12, 2026

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman� WILLIAM W. SPEARMAN

District 5 (Camden and Gloucester)

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblyman Kearney

SYNOPSIS

���� Establishes invasive species control grant program in
Department of Agriculture; appropriates $3 million.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

An Act
concerning the management of invasive species,
supplementing Title 4 of the Revised Statutes, and making an appropriation.

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

���� 1.��� As used in P.L.��� ,
c.���� (C.������� ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill):

���� �Department� means the New
Jersey Department of Agriculture.

���� �Division� means the Division
of Plant Industry in the Department of Agriculture.

���� �Non-native species� means,
with respect to a particular ecosystem, an organism, including its seeds, eggs,
spores, or other biological material capable of propagating that species, that
occurs outside of its natural range.

���� �Prohibited invasive species�
means an invasive species whose introduction causes, or may cause, substantial
economic or� environmental harm or harm to human health, or substantially�
threatens, or may threaten, natural resources or the use of natural resources
in the State, which species has been listed in section 4 of this act or the
rules and regulations adopted by the department to implement this act.

���� �Local government� means a
municipality, county, or other political subdivision of the State.

���� �Non-native organism� means
with respect to a particular ecosystem, an organism, including its seeds, eggs,
spores, or other biological material capable of propagating that species, that
occurs outside of its natural range.

���� �Secretary� means the
Secretary of Agriculture.

���� 2.��� a.� The Division of
Plant Industry, under the direction of the Secretary, shall establish a grant
program to provide grants, on an annual basis, to local governments for
invasive and prohibited invasive species control and management.

���� b.� In establishing a grant
program pursuant to this section, the division shall:

���� (1) develop guidelines and
procedures for the submission of applications by local governments to receive a
grant from the program;

���� (2) establish criteria for a
local government to qualify for a grant from the program;

���� (3) establish a system to
prioritize grants to local governments in greatest need, that have:

���� (a) incurred damages caused by
invasive or prohibited invasive species;

���� (b) demonstrated widespread
invasive or prohibited invasive species infestations among public
infrastructure;

���� (c) managed incipient
infestations of invasive or prohibited invasive species with the potential for
eradication; or

���� (d) experienced native
vegetation that is threatened by invasive or prohibited invasive species; and

���� (4) designate acceptable uses
for the grants, including, but not limited to:

���� (a) inspecting buildings
located within the jurisdiction for infestations;

���� (b) providing early detection
and response to invasive and prohibited invasive species, prioritizing species
of greatest concern and regions with high biodiversity value or susceptibility;

���� (c) using extermination
services;

���� (d) conducting aerial and
ground surveys;

���� (e) contracting with reputable
vendors to conduct invasive and prohibited invasive species control treatment;

���� (f) maintaining or monitoring
treatment activities; and

���� (g) soliciting requests for
funding from the United States Department of Agriculture for reimbursement of
treatment costs.�

���� c.� To apply for a grant
pursuant to this section, a local government shall apply in writing to the
division, in a form and manner prescribed by the division.� In addition to any
other information that the division may deem appropriate, the application shall
require the local government to submit information:

���� (1) demonstrating the local
government meets the eligibility requirements established by the division;

���� (2) outlining the anticipated
uses of the grant, including an invasive and prohibited invasive species
management plan that outlines the local government�s efforts to eradicate,
control, or minimize the effect an invasive and prohibited invasive species has
on the ecosystem under consideration; and

���� (3) estimating the amount of
funding that would be required to implement the local government�s anticipated
plan.

���� d.� The division may approve
applications for the grant program on a rolling basis, subject to the
availability of funding for the grant program.� In a given year, the sum of
grants awarded under the grant program shall not exceed $3 million.

���� e.� Upon approval of an
application, the division shall provide a grant, in an amount to be determined
by the division, to the local government.� Grants shall reimburse local
governments for up to 50� percent of the project costs estimated in the application.

���� f.� The division shall
develop, and publish on the department�s Internet website, a clearinghouse of
information with: a list of known invasive and prohibited invasive species in
the State, best practices to prevent the spread of those species, and best practices
regarding the means and methods that are used to find, control, and destroy
those species.

���� g.� The department, as part of
its annual budget request to the Legislature, shall request monies sufficient
to provide grants to local governments in accordance with the provisions of
this section.

���� h.� The department and
division shall coordinate with the Department of Environmental Protection, the
United States Department of Agriculture, the National Park Service, the
National Invasive Species Council, and any other State or federal agency to
pursue any federal, State, local, or private funding sources that may be
available to support invasive and prohibited invasive species management.

����

���� 3.��� The Secretary of
Agriculture shall, in accordance with the �Administrative Procedure Act,�
P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.) adopt rules and regulations as necessary
to implement the provision of this act.

���� 4.��� There is appropriated
from the General Fund to the Department of Agriculture the sum of $3 million,
to be used by the department and division for use as set forth in section 2 of
P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending
before the Legislature as this bill), and to be used for the purposes of
establishing and implementing the programs required through this bill.�

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

STATEMENT

���� This bill requires the
Division of Plant Industry (division) in the Department of Agriculture
(department) to establish a grant program for invasive and prohibited invasive
species control.�

���� Under the bill, the division
is required to use appropriated funds to distribute invasive and prohibited
invasive species management grants to local governments to support local
governments� invasive and prohibited invasive species management efforts.� The
bill outlines several requirements for the grant program, as administered
through the bill.� These requirements would include guidelines and procedures
for the submission of applications by local governments to receive a grant from
the program, criteria for a local government to qualify for a grant from the
program, a system to prioritize grants to local governments in greatest need, acceptable
uses of the grants, and the contents of grant applications.� Grants distributed
through the program are to reimburse participating local governments for up to
50 percent of costs of invasive and prohibited invasive species treatment and
management.�

���� In addition to the grant
program, the division is required to develop, for publication to the
department�s Internet site, a central clearinghouse of information on invasive and
prohibited invasive species management, to include: a list of known invasive and
prohibited invasive species in the State, best practices to prevent the spread
of those species, alternative native species to use in lieu of horticulturally
and commercially used invasive or prohibited invasive species, and best
practices regarding the means and methods that are used to find, control, and
destroy those species.� The department and division are authorized to
coordinate with the United States Department of Agriculture and any other State
or federal agency to pursue federal, State, local, or private funding sources
that may be available to support invasive or prohibited invasive species management.

���� Finally, the bill appropriates
to the department $3 million from the General Fund, to be used for the grant
program and other purposes enumerated in the bill.

���� In 2009, the economic impact
of invasive species on New Jersey agriculture was estimated at $290 million per
year, or the equivalent of $446 million in 2025.