Creates Office of Sustainability.

S3836

SENATE, No. 3836

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED MARCH 10, 2026

Sponsored by:

Senator� LINDA R. GREENSTEIN

District 14 (Mercer and Middlesex)

SYNOPSIS

���� Creates Office of Sustainability.�

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

An Act
concerning environmental sustainability and
supplementing Title 52 of the Revised Statutes.

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

���� 1.��� a.� There is established
in the Department of the Treasury the Office of Sustainability.� The office
shall be under the immediate supervision of a director, who shall be appointed
by the Governor, with the advice and consent of the Senate, and shall report to
the State Treasurer.� The director of the office and all employees necessary to
implement the provisions of this act, as determined by the State Treasurer, may
be members of the unclassified service of the State.�

���� b.��� The office, in coordination
with the Division of Purchase and Property in the Department of the Treasury,
shall be responsible for developing and implementing environmental
sustainability measures for all State buildings, and shall coordinate with all
owners of real property in which State agencies are located in an effort to
implement environmental sustainability practices in those buildings.� These
environmental sustainability measures and practices shall include, but need not
be limited to, using resources efficiently and minimizing raw material resource
consumption, maximizing resource reuse, creating healthy working environments,
and protecting and restoring the natural environment.

���� c.���� (1)� The office shall develop
and implement initiatives to:

���� (a)�� improve energy
efficiency, reduce energy usage, and improve the procurement of energy in State
buildings;

���� (b)�� increase water
conservation in State buildings;

���� (c)�� reduce the carbon
footprint of State buildings; and

���� (d)�� implement any applicable
principles set forth in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green
Building Rating System established by the United States Green Building Council,
the Green Globes Program as adopted by the Green Building Initiative, or any
other comparable system that sets forth environmentally sustainable principles,
in State buildings.

���� (2)�� The office shall oversee
standardized energy audits to be conducted, at least every three years, at all
State buildings and the subsequent implementation of recommendations contained
in the audits in the most cost-effective manner practicable.�

���� (3)�� The office shall
coordinate with the Division of Purchase and Property in the Department of the
Treasury for the procurement, by every State agency, of energy, energy
efficient products and equipment, renewable energy products, recycled products,
low toxicity products and alternatives to products that contain mercury, lead,
or other persistent bioaccumulative toxics, and other products manufactured
through environmentally sustainable methods.� The office, in conjunction with
the Division of Purchase and Property, shall assist State agencies to
transition to these products as soon as possible, but in a manner that avoids
wasting of existing inventories and allows the phase-out of products that do
not promote environmental sustainability.

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

STATEMENT

���� This bill would create the
Office of Sustainability in the Department of the Treasury.�

���� The office would be
responsible for developing and implementing environmental sustainability
measures in all State buildings and coordinating with all owners of real
property in which State agencies are located in an effort to implement
environmental sustainability practices in those buildings.� These measures and
practices would include using resources efficiently and minimizing raw material
resource consumption, maximizing resource reuse, creating healthy working
environments, and protecting and restoring the natural environment.

���� Specifically, the office
would:� (1) develop and implement initiatives to improve energy efficiency,
increase water conservation, reduce carbon footprints, and implement applicable
principles set forth in various green building rating systems, in State buildings;
(2) oversee standardized energy audits at least once every three years at all
State buildings, and oversee the implementation of the recommendations
contained in those audits; and (3) coordinate with the Division of Purchase and
Property for the procurement by every State agency of various energy efficient
and environmentally sustainable products.�