Establishes New Jersey Wine and Grape Institute; appropriates $500,000.

A4753

ASSEMBLY, No. 4753

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED MARCH 19, 2026

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman� ALEX SAUICKIE

District 12 (Burlington, Middlesex, Monmouth and Ocean)

SYNOPSIS

���� Establishes New Jersey Wine and Grape Institute;
appropriates $500,000.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

An Act
establishing the New Jersey Wine and Grape Institute, 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.� a.� The Legislature finds
and declares that the wine and grape industry is a significant part of New
Jersey�s agricultural industry and the continued production of wine, juice, and
grapes are of significant importance to the State economy.

���� b.� The Legislature further
finds that an important step in strengthening the agricultural and economic
potential of New Jersey�s wine and grape industry is to encourage the long-term
operation of an organization, representative of all sectors of the grape
industry for the purpose of conducting promotional and applied research to
centralize the New Jersey wine and grape industry.

���� 2.� As used in this act:

���� �Enology� means the science of
wine and wine making.

���� �Fund� means the �New Jersey
Wine and Grape Fund� established pursuant to section 7 of this act.

���� �Institute� means the New
Jersey Wine and Grape Institute established pursuant to section 3 of this act.

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

���� �Viticulture� means the
cultivation or culture of grapes, especially for wine making.

���� 3.� a.� There is established
in the Department of Agriculture the �New Jersey Wine and Grape Institute.��

���� b.� The institute is created
to fulfill the public purpose of providing for research and marketing to
strengthen the New Jersey wine and grape industry's position in the
marketplace, making financing available to support the industry presence in
local, domestic, and national markets, and providing education to promote the
uses for grapes grown and processed within the State.

���� c.� The institute shall
consist of seven members.� The Secretary of Agriculture, or the Secretary�s
designee, shall serve as an ex-officio member.� The Governor shall appoint six
public members, of whom two shall be recommended by the President of the
Senate, two shall be recommended by the Speaker of the General Assembly, one shall
be recommended by the Minority Leader of the Senate and one shall be
recommended by the Minority Leader of the General Assembly.� In making the
appointments, consideration shall be given to ensure that all wine and grape
regions of the State are geographically represented.� Of the six appointed
members, one shall be a member of the existing New Jersey Wine Industry
Advisory Council, one shall be a farm winery license holder, one shall be a
person engaged in the manufacturing of grape products other than wine, one
shall be a person engaged in the wholesale or retail sale of wine, one shall be
an owner or operator of a licensed establishment engaged in the sale of wine on
premises, and one shall be on the staff of an educational institution which is
engaged in the study of viticulture and enology.� �Members of the institute
shall serve for terms of two years.�� Members shall continue until their
successors have been duly appointed.� A vacancy in the membership shall be
filled in the same manner as the original appointment was made.� A member may
be appointed for any number of successive terms.

���� d.� The members of the
institute shall be appointed and shall hold their first meeting within 60 days
after the effective date of this act.� A majority of all the authorized members
of the institute shall constitute a quorum. ��������

���� e.� The institute shall select
one of its members as chairman, one of its members as vice chairman, and may
select a secretary, who need not be a member of the institute.� The institute
may select other such offices and employees as it deems advisable. �The institute
shall meet twice annually, and at other times as determined necessary.

���� f.� Members of the institute shall
serve without compensation, but may be reimbursed for actual expenses
reasonably incurred in the performance of their duties within the limit of
funds provided.�

���� 4.� a.� The institute is
entitled to call to its assistance and avail itself of the services of such
employees of any State, county or municipal department, board, bureau,
commission, or agency as it may require and as may be available to it for these
purposes.

���� b.� The institute may employ,
prescribe the duties, and fix and pay the compensation of such persons it may
deem necessary to carry out the duties of the institute within the limits of
funds provided and subject to the approval of the Secretary of Agriculture.

���� c.� The institute shall
collaborate with the New Jersey Wine Industry Advisory Council, established
pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1985, c.283 (C.4:10-75) for assessments of the
condition of the State wine and grape industry, the conduct of research, development,
and promotion of the wine industry and for reviews of wine certifications made
by the Division of Taxation in the Department of the Treasury.�

���� 5.� a.� The institute shall
plan and provide for the implementation of programs to:

���� (1)� engage in research into
market development, new or improved methods of production, packaging, and
processing of wine, grapes, and grape products; production of by-products of
grape manufacturing processes and any other marketable products; improved methods
of grape breeding, virus resistance and control of pests and disease; vineyard
conversion; and overall improvement in the production and quality of wines,
grapes and grape products;

���� (2)� reduce agricultural
unemployment and increase State and local revenues by developing methods and
techniques to enhance the image and quality of New Jersey wine and grape
products so as to expand existing markets and develop new markets therefor;

���� �(3)� establish a wine
marketing program pursuant to section 5 of this act to advertise and promote
the sale of wine and other grape products in areas that will reach the greatest
number of potential consumers;

���� �(4)� publish and distribute
to producers, retailers and consumers information relating to the grape, wine,
and grape products industries;

���� �(5)� facilitate educational
and promotional activities to enhance the image of New Jersey wines and grape
products through coordination with other organizations; and

���� �(6)� implement the policies
of this act to promote wine and other grape products and the grape industry of
this State.

���� b.��� Between 25 percent and 50
percent of the moneys made available to the institute annually, shall be used
for purposes of paragraph (1) of subsection a. of this section.

���� 6.� The New Jersey Wine and
Grape Institute shall, within the limits of funds available, establish and
operate the New Jersey wine marketing program. �The New Jersey wine marketing
program shall promote New Jersey State labeled wine both within and outside of the
State with the goal of more broadly marketing New Jersey State wines. �The
promotional initiative may include a membership structure for businesses
affiliated with the wine industry designed to help businesses expand industry
research, industry representation at conferences, webinars, and seminars.� The
promotional initiative may also involve a general membership program to allow
the public to support institute activities.� Through the marketing program, the
institute may organize seminars and educational opportunities to publicize
State wine and grape products, encourage public awareness for the industry, and
disseminate news of institute involvements.

���� 7.� a.� There is established
in the Department of Agriculture a special nonlapsing fund to be known as the �New
Jersey Wine and Grape Fund� hereinafter referred to as the �fund.�� The monies
in the fund are dedicated and shall be used by the institute for the purposes
enumerated in subsection b. of this section.� The fund shall be credited with
all monies appropriated for the purposes of the institute, all interest and
other income received from the investment of monies in the fund, and any monies
which, from time to time may otherwise become available for the purposes of the
fund from State, or non-State public or private sources.� The monies deposited
in the fund shall be held in interest-bearing accounts in public depositories,
as defined pursuant to section 1 of P.L.1970, c.236 (C.17:9-41), and may be
invested or reinvested in such securities as are approved by the State
Treasurer.� Interest or other income earned on monies deposited into the fund
shall be credited to the fund for use as set forth in subsection b. of this
section for other monies in the fund.

���� b.� Monies deposited in the �New
Jersey Wine and Grape Fund.� shall be used only for:

���� (1)� research, planning,
marketing, and education initiatives pursuant to sections 5 and� 6 of this act;
and

���� (2)� administrative costs of
the institute, except that not more than five percent of moneys made available
to the institute annually shall be used for administrative purposes of the
institute.��

���� 8.� The institute shall submit
to the Governor and, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1),
the Legislature, annually, within 90 days after the end of the State fiscal
year, a report setting forth its operations, accomplishments, assets, liabilities,
receipts, and expenditures during such fiscal year.� The institute shall also
enumerate a list of consultants and outside contracts with the associated
purposes and costs of each. �The report shall include information on the amount
of money designated for applied research, the types of research conducted, the
amount of money designated for promotion programs, the geographic distribution
of promotion funds, and an analysis of the effectiveness of each program.

���� 9.� a.� There is appropriated
from the General Fund to the Department of Agriculture the sum of $500,000 to
fund the New Jersey Wine and Grape Institute and the research and promotional
initiatives of the institute.

���� b.� The secretary shall
include with the annual budget request for the department, a request for funds
for the institute, sufficient to carry out the purposes and intent of this act.

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

STATEMENT

���� This bill establishes the New
Jersey Wine and Grape Institute (institute) to advance promotion and research
of the State winemaking industry.� The bill appropriates $500,000 for the
purposes of the institute.

���� The institute would be
directed to conduct research, promote businesses, and organize a campaign in
order to strengthen the New Jersey wine and grape industry's position in the
marketplace, local, domestic, and national markets, and to disseminate
information on the use of grapes and wine.

���� Through a marketing campaign,
the institute would conduct advertising efforts, attend conferences,
participate in seminars, and develop other educational and promotional
opportunities to centralize the industry.� The bill also establishes the New
Jersey Wine and Grape Fund to receive State appropriations from the General
Fund and disburse financial support for the institute.

���� Under the provisions of this
bill, the institute would be funded by both State appropriations and
partnerships with private donors.� The seven public members of the institute,
appointed by the Governor, would deliberate, decide upon, and initiate all
research, marketing, education, and community organizing efforts by the
institute.� The bill appropriates $500,000 to the New Jersey Wine and Grape
Fund, for distribution to the institute, and requires the Secretary of
Agriculture to include with the annual budget request for the department, a
request for funds for the institute, sufficient to carry out the purposes and
intent of the bill.� The institute would be required to prepare and submit an
annual report on its activities to the Governor and the Legislature.