Requires electric public utilities to develop vegetation management plan.

A4503

ASSEMBLY, No. 4503

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED MARCH 9, 2026

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman� ALEX SAUICKIE

District 12 (Burlington, Middlesex, Monmouth and Ocean)

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman Fantasia

SYNOPSIS

���� Requires electric public utilities to develop
vegetation management plan.�

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

An Act
concerning vegetation management and supplementing
Title 48 of the Revised Statutes.

����
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):

���� �Board� means the Board of
Public Utilities or any successor agency.

���� �Distribution line� means a
wire, line, pole, and other structure and facility which carries electricity
from an electric public utility substation to customers, but does not include a
service line to an individual customer.

���� �Electric public utility� or
�utility� means a public utility, as that term is defined in R.S.48:2-13, that
transmits and distributes electricity to end users within this State.

���� �Vegetation management� means
the clearing, moving, cutting, or destroying to remove, replace as reasonable
and necessary, or maintain dangerous vegetation.

���� 2.��� a.� No later than six
months after the effective date of
P.L. , c. (C. )
(pending before the Legislature as this bill), an electric public utility shall
develop and submit to the board a vegetation management plan, which shall, at a
minimum:

���� (1)�� identify on a map those
areas in need of vegetation management and display the map and identified areas
on the utility�s Internet website;

���� (2)�� describe the type of
vegetation management required to address dangerous vegetation at each of the
areas identified on the map pursuant to paragraph (1) of this subsection; and

���� (3)�� provide a timeframe for
when vegetation management action will be taken at each of the areas identified
on the map pursuant to paragraph (1) of this subsection.

���� b.��� An electric public
utility shall annually maintain and submit the plan required pursuant to
subsection a. of this section to the board.

���� c.���� The board shall:

���� (1)�� determine criteria for
dangerous vegetation that at a minimum shall include a tree, shrub, plant, or
any other vegetation growing in, near, or adjacent to an electric public
utility�s right of way, and the electric distribution and transmission system,
but not including a service line to an individual customer, which may include
an electric distribution line, as determined by the electric public utility or
local government entity that controls the right of way;

���� (2)�� establish criteria for a
vegetation management plan as required pursuant to subsection a. of this
section;

���� (3)�� review an electric
public utility�s vegetation management plan and approve or reject the plan
within 60 days of the plan�s submission to the board; and

���� (4)�� establish an appeal
process for electric public utilities whose vegetation management plans have
been rejected by the board.

���� 3.��� The board shall adopt,
pursuant to the �Administrative Procedure Act,� P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et
seq.), rules and regulations as may be necessary to implement the provisions of
P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending
before the Legislature as this bill).�

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

STATEMENT

���� This bill requires electric
public utilities to develop and submit to the Board of Public Utilities (board)
a vegetation management plan within six months of the bill�s enactment.� The
plan is required to, at a minimum: (1) identify on a map those areas in need of
vegetation management; (2) describe the type of vegetation management required
at each of the identified areas; and (3) provide a timeframe for when
vegetation management action will be taken at each of the identified areas.� In
addition, the bill requires an electric public utility to annually maintain and
submit its vegetation management plan to the board.�

���� Under the bill, the board is
required determine criteria for �dangerous vegetation,� which is required to,
at a minimum, include a tree, shrub, plant, or any other vegetation growing in,
near, or adjacent to an electric public utility�s right of way, and the
electric distribution and transmission system, but not including a service line
to an individual customer, which may include an electric distribution line, as
determined by the electric public utility or local government entity that
controls the right of way.� The board is also required to establish criteria
for a vegetation management plan, approve or reject a plan within 60 days of
its submission to the board, and establish an appeal process for electric
public utilities whose plans have been rejected by the board. Additionally, the
bill defines �vegetation management� as the clearing, moving, cutting, or
destroying to remove, replace as reasonable and necessary, or maintain
dangerous vegetation.��