Authorizes Department of Agriculture to designate "School of Agriculture for Next Century," to support education, research, and workforce development in advanced agricultural technologies.

A4637

ASSEMBLY, No. 4637

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED MARCH 10, 2026

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman� ALEX SAUICKIE

District 12 (Burlington, Middlesex, Monmouth and Ocean)

Assemblywoman� HEATHER SIMMONS

District 3 (Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem)

SYNOPSIS

���� Authorizes Department of Agriculture to designate
�School of Agriculture for Next Century� to support education, research, and
workforce development in advanced agricultural technologies.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

An Act
authorizing the Department of Agriculture to designate
a �School of Agriculture for the Next Century� and supplementing Title 4 of the
Revised Statutes.

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

���� 1.��� As used in this act:

���� �Clustered Regularly
Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats� or �CRISPR� means a gene-editing
technology that allows the modification of genetic material or segments of deoxyribonucleic
acid (DNA), to alter genetic expression, for use in medicine, agriculture, and
other industries.

���� �Department� means the
Department of Agriculture.

���� �Drones� or �unmanned aerial
systems� means autonomous or remotely piloted electronic and electromechanical
systems, which allow for the operation of an airborne vehicle through a
remotely connected command system.

���� �Light detection and ranging
technology� or �LiDAR technology� means the remote-sensing technology used to
measure ranges, distances, and movements by targeting an object or surface with
a laser and measuring the time for the reflected light or wave of energy to
return to the receiver.

���� �Nanotechnology
applications� means the manipulation of matter with at least one dimension
sized from one to 100 nanometers, or the manipulation of atoms and molecules
for fabricating or altering macroscale products.

���� �Satellite school� means a
public institution of higher education within the State system of higher
education, a community college, or an academic program, research center, or
extension facility affiliated with an institution of higher education.

���� 2. a. �The Department of
Agriculture, in consultation with the Secretary of Higher Education, shall designate
one public or nonpublic institution of higher education, or a school or
academic unit within that institution, as �The School of Agriculture for the
Next Century.�

���� b. �In making a designation
pursuant to this section, the department shall consider whether the school
demonstrates expertise, instructional capacity, or research activity in
emerging and advanced agricultural technologies, including, but not limited to:

���� (1) unmanned aerial systems,
including drones;

���� (2) artificial intelligence
and machine learning applications in agriculture;

���� (3) light detection and
ranging (LiDAR) technology;

���� (4) global positioning systems
(GPS) and geospatial technologies;

���� (5) smart irrigation systems
and precision water management techniques;

���� (6) hydroponic, aquaponic, and
controlled-environment agriculture systems;

���� (7) organic and regenerative
agricultural practices;

���� (8) genetic and genomic
breeding techniques;

���� (9) CRISPR and other
gene-editing technologies, consistent with applicable law;

���� (10) agricultural robotics,
including both hardware and software systems; and

���� (11) nanotechnology
applications in agriculture, food systems, or environmental management.

���� c. �A designation pursuant to
this section shall not create a new public institution or require additional
State appropriations unless otherwise provided by law.

���� 3.��� a. �The Department of
Agriculture may designate one or more satellite schools for a period of three
years to support the mission of the �School of Agriculture for the Next
Century.�

���� b. �Satellite schools may
provide instruction, research, workforce development, or applied training in
areas consistent with the focus of the �School of Agriculture for the Next
Century.�

���� 4.��� a. �The Department of
Agriculture, in consultation with the Secretary of Higher Education, shall
encourage participating institutions to establish academic pathways that allow
coursework completed at multiple community colleges to be applied toward a
degree program offered by the �School of Agriculture for the Next Century.�

���� b. �Nothing in this section
shall be construed to limit the authority of an institution of higher education
to determine degree requirements, academic standards, or credit transfer
policies.

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

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

STATEMENT

���� This bill authorizes the
Department of Agriculture to designate an institution of higher education, or a
school or academic unit within that institution, as �The School of Agriculture
for the Next Century.� The purpose of the designation is to promote advanced
education, research, and workforce development in emerging agricultural
technologies critical to the future competitiveness and sustainability of the
State�s agricultural sector.

���� In making a designation, the
Department of Agriculture is directed to consider a school�s expertise in areas
such as unmanned aerial vehicles, artificial intelligence, LiDAR, GPS and
geospatial technologies, smart irrigation, hydroponics, aquaponics, and
controlled-environment agricultural practices, organic and regenerative
farming, genetic and genomic breeding, CRISPR and other gene-editing
technologies, agricultural robotics, and nanotechnology applications in
agriculture.

���� The bill also authorizes the
department to designate satellite schools, which may include public
institutions of higher education, community colleges, or affiliated academic
programs or research centers, to support the mission of the �School of
Agriculture for the Next Century� and to expand access to agricultural instruction
and training Statewide.�

���� Additionally, the bill
encourages the development of academic pathways that allow coursework completed
at multiple community colleges to count toward a degree program offered by the
designated school, while preserving institutional authority over academic
standards and degree requirements.