Concerning the use of glyphosate.

A4824

ASSEMBLY, No. 4824

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED MAY 4, 2026

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman� SHAMA A. HAIDER

District 37 (Bergen)

SYNOPSIS

���� Concerning the use of glyphosate.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

An Act
prohibiting the use of glyphosate on State- and county-owned
property.

����
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
Department of Environmental Protection.

���� �Glyphosate� means the broad-spectrum,
systemic herbicide, that is registered as a pesticide by the United States Environmental
Protection Agency, which controls broadleaf weeds and grasses, protects
domestically produced crops, and limits weeds around residential and commercial
properties.

���� �Certified pesticide
applicator� means any person certified and licensed as a pesticide applicator, to
use or supervise the use of pesticides, pursuant to �Pesticide Control Act of
1971,� P.L.1971, c.176 (C.13:1F-1 et seq.).

���� ��Pesticide operator� means
any person trained and licensed as a private or commercial pesticide operator
to use pesticides, pursuant to �Pesticide Control Act of 1971,� P.L.1971, c.176
(C.13:1F-1 et seq.).� �Pesticide operator� also means any person trained as a
commercial pesticide operator, who is under the constant supervision of a
certified pesticide applicator at the time and place of pesticide use.

���� 2.��� It shall be unlawful for
any certified pesticide applicator or pesticide operator to use glyphosate on
State- or county-owned property except for the following:

���� a.� Direct use of glyphosate in
circumstances in which there is no actual or significant threat of direct human
exposure and in which there is no effective, practicable, or viable
alternative; and

���� b.� Permitted uses established
pursuant to regulations promulgated by the department:

���� (i) to maintain critical public
infrastructure;

���� (ii) to ensure public safety;

���� (iii) for habitat management;

���� (iv) for the control of prohibited
invasive species, identified pursuant to P.L.2025, c.290 (C.23:2A-17 et seq.),
pests of significant public health importance, noxious weeds designated by the
department as injurious to system health, and the protection of critical native
plant species; and

���� (v) for research on sustainable
alternatives to glyphosate for agricultural and environmental uses, as well as
research regarding the environmental mobility of glyphosate.�

���� 3.��� a.� Any certified
pesticide applicator or pesticide operator must maintain records of any glyphosate
use that was exempted pursuant to section 2 of P.L.��� , c.���� (C.������� )
(pending before the Legislature as this bill), and must make those records
available, upon request, for inspection by the department.� The records shall
contain the following information:

���� (1) the date, time, and place(s)
glyphosate was used;

���� (2) the target pest(s);

���� (3) the amount of glyphosate
used;

���� (4) the entity on behalf of
which glyphosate is being used for, if applicable;

���� (5) the glyphosate use
determination; and

���� (6) the glyphosate
alternatives analysis.

���� b.� The department, upon
receiving the requested report, shall post this information, including details
of each certified pesticide applicator or pesticide operator who is approved
for exempted glyphosate use, on a dedicated page on its Internet website, by
February fifteenth of each year.� When possible, the department shall
incorporate and emphasize details of glyphosate application, as a severable reported
entity, in existing surveys of pesticide use across the State.

���� 4.��� The Commissioner of
Environmental Protection 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 this act.

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

STATEMENT

���� This bill prohibits the use of
glyphosate herbicide on State- or county-owned property, with certain
exceptions.

���� Pursuant to the bill, no certified
pesticide applicator, nor any pesticide operator, who are trained and licensed,
pursuant to the "Pesticide Control Act of 1971," P.L.1971, c.176
(C.13:1F-1 et seq.), or trained and under the constant supervision of a
certified pesticide applicator at the time and place of pesticide use, may
apply glyphosate on State- or county-owned property, except in limited
circumstances.

���� The bill exempts, from its
provisions, the use of glyphosate in circumstances in which there is no actual
or significant threat of direct human exposure and in which there is no
effective or practicable alternative.� Glyphosate use may also be permitted if applied
in order to maintain critical public infrastructure, to manage roadside
vegetation, or to ensure public safety.� In certain circumstances, glyphosate
may be used for the purposes of habitat management, for the control of
prohibited invasive species, as identified pursuant to P.L.2025, c.290
(C.23:2A-17 et seq.), to deter pests of significant public health importance,
to eliminate noxious weeds designated by the department as injurious to system
health, or to protect critical native plant species.� Glyphosate may also be used
for the purpose of research on sustainable alternatives to glyphosate for
agricultural and environmental use, or for research regarding the environmental
mobility of glyphosate.

���� Any certified pesticide applicator
or pesticide operator, who uses glyphosate, who was exempted from the
prohibitions of the bill, must make records of that glyphosate use available
upon request to the Department of Environmental Protection.� These records are
to contain information on date, time, and place of glyphosate use, the target
pests, the amount of glyphosate used, the entity on behalf of which the
glyphosate is being applied, the glyphosate use determination, and the
glyphosate alternatives analysis. �Once this information is reported to the
department, the department is required to post the information on a dedicated
page on its Internet website, including information on certified pesticide applicators
and pesticide operators exempted under the bill, by February fifteenth of each
year.� When possible, the department shall incorporate and emphasize details of
glyphosate application, as a severable reported entity, in existing surveys of
pesticide use across the State.