Establishes bee-friendly habitat pilot program in Department of Agriculture; appropriates $1 million.

S3852

SENATE, No. 3852

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED MARCH 10, 2026

Sponsored by:

Senator� ANTHONY M. BUCCO

District 25 (Morris and Passaic)

Co-Sponsored by:

Senator Henry

SYNOPSIS

���� Establishes bee-friendly habitat pilot program in
Department of Agriculture; appropriates $1 million.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

An Act

establishing a pilot program for bee-friendly
habitats, and making an appropriation.

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

���� 1.��� a.� The Department of
Agriculture shall establish a bee-friendly habitat pilot program to encourage
homeowners and businesses to convert their lawns into

bee-friendly habitats in order to support and protect the population of bees in
the State.� The department shall administer the pilot program for one year
following the
effective date of this section.� The program shall provide
a reimbursement of up to $250 for a homeowner and a reimbursement of up to $500
for a business.
�Reimbursement awards totaling an
amount not to exceed $1 million shall be awarded during the pilot program.�

���� b.��� In establishing the
pilot program pursuant to this section, the department shall:

���� (1)�� develop guidelines and
procedures for the submission of applications by homeowners and businesses to
receive a reimbursement from the program;

���� (2)�� establish criteria for a
homeowner or business to qualify for a reimbursement from the program;

���� (3)�� develop and maintain an
Internet website or webpage providing information on how to start and manage a
bee-friendly habitat and information about the pilot program; and

���� (4)�� create
a list of approved native plants, other
plants, forbs, or legumes that would qualify for reimbursement.�

���� c.� No later than six months
after the completion of the pilot program, submit a written report to the
Governor and, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), to the
Legislature summarizing:

���� (1)�� the number of homeowners
and business who received reimbursement under the pilot program and the amount
of money distributed to homeowners and businesses;

���� (2)�� the effectiveness of the
pilot program in assisting with the development of bee-friendly habitat;

���� (3)��
any
recommendations concerning the need for a program or additional funding to
encourage the establishment of bee-friendly habitats
; and

���� (4)�� any other information
that the department considers relevant in assessing the pilot program.

���� d.��� As used in this section:

���� "Bee-friendly habitat"
means a lawn that has been converted to provide a sufficient proportion of
plants, forbs, or legumes to provide a steady supply of food to pollinating
bees.

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

���� 2.��� There is appropriated
from the General Fund to the Department of Agriculture the sum of $1 million to
be used for the purposes of providing reimbursements to homeowners and
businesses pursuant to section 1 of this act.

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

STATEMENT

���� This bill would establish a
bee-friendly habitat pilot program within the Department of Agriculture
(department) to encourage homeowners and businesses to convert their lawns into
bee-friendly habitats in order to support and protect the
population of bees in the State.

����
The
bill
appropriates $1 million to the fund for the pilot
program.� Under the program, a homeowner would be eligible for a reimbursement
for eligible costs in an amount up to $250 and businesses would be eligible for
up to $500.

���� Under
the bill, the department would be required to:

���� (1)�� develop guidelines and
procedures for the submission of applications by homeowners and businesses to
receive a reimbursement from the program;

���� (2)�� establish criteria for a
homeowner or business to qualify for a reimbursement from the program;

���� (3)�� develop and maintain an
Internet website or webpage providing information on how to start and manage a
bee-friendly habitat and information about the pilot program; and

���� (4)�� create
a list of approved plants, forbs, or
legumes that would qualify for reimbursement.�

����
No later than six months after the completion of
the pilot program, the department would be required to submit a written report
to the Governor and to the Legislature summarizing: the number of homeowners
and business who received reimbursement under the pilot program and the amount
of money distributed to homeowners and businesses; the effectiveness of the
pilot program in assisting with the development of bee-friendly habitats;
any recommendations concerning the need for a program or
additional funding to encourage the establishment of bee-friendly habitats
;
and any other information that the department considers relevant in assessing
the pilot program.