Increases amount of certain grant funds available to local governments and non-profit organizations for recreation and conservation purposes.

S4226

SENATE, No. 4226

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED MAY 14, 2026

Sponsored by:

Senator� ANDREW ZWICKER

District 16 (Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex and Somerset)

SYNOPSIS

���� Increases amount of certain grant funds available to
local governments and non-profit organizations for recreation and conservation
purposes.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

An Act
concerning
certain grants to local governments
and nonprofits for recreation and conservation purposes
and amending P.L.1999, c.152.

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

���� 1.��� Section 27 of P.L.1999,
c.152 (C.13:8C-27) is amended to read as follows:

���� 27.� a.� (1) Any grant awarded
by the State to a local government unit to acquire lands for recreation and
conservation purposes shall be for
[
25%
]

50 percent

of the cost of acquisition
[
,
except that the trust may authorize an increase in the State's share of the
cost to a maximum of 50% upon a demonstration of special need or exceptional
circumstances
]
.

���� (2) Notwithstanding the
provisions of paragraph (1) of this subsection to the contrary:

���� (a) a grant by the State for
lands acquired for recreation and conservation purposes by a qualifying open
space referendum county or a qualifying open space referendum municipality
shall be for
[
50%
]

80 percent

of the cost of acquisition of the lands by that county or municipality
[
, except that
the trust may authorize an increase in the State's share of the cost to a
maximum of 75% upon a demonstration of special need or exceptional
circumstances
]
;
and

���� (b) a grant by the State for
lands acquired or developed for recreation and conservation purposes by a local
government unit in a municipality eligible to receive State aid pursuant to
P.L.1978, c.14 (C.52:27D-178 et seq.) shall be for
[
50%
]

80 percent
of the cost of
acquisition or development of the lands by the local government unit
[
, except that
the trust may authorize an increase in the State's share of the cost to a
maximum of 75% upon a demonstration of special need or exceptional
circumstances
]
.

���� b.��� A loan by the State for
lands to be acquired or developed by a local government unit for recreation and
conservation purposes may include up to 100% of the cost of acquisition or
development of the lands by the local government unit, shall bear interest of
not more than 2% per year, and shall be for a term of not more than 30 years
for an acquisition project and not more than 20 years for a development
project.

���� c.� (1) A grant by the State
for lands to be acquired or developed by a qualifying tax exempt nonprofit
organization for recreation and conservation purposes may include
[
up to 50%
]

80 percent

of the cost of acquisition or development of the lands by the qualifying tax
exempt nonprofit organization.

���� (2) (a) No grant shall be made
to a qualifying tax exempt nonprofit organization for a development project for
recreation and conservation purposes on lands owned by a local government unit
unless the local government unit is a co-applicant with the qualifying tax
exempt nonprofit organization or has otherwise indicated its approval in
writing of the proposed development project.

���� (b) A qualifying tax exempt
nonprofit organization shall not use as its matching share of the cost of
acquisition or development of lands for recreation and conservation purposes
any constitutionally dedicated grant moneys or any grant moneys obtained from a
Green Acres bond act.

���� (3) To qualify to receive a
grant pursuant to this subsection, the board of directors or governing body of
the applying tax exempt nonprofit organization shall:

���� (a) demonstrate to the
commissioner that the organization qualifies as a charitable conservancy for
the purposes of P.L.1979, c.378 (C.13:8B-1 et seq.);

���� (b) demonstrate that the
organization has the resources to match the grant requested;

���� (c) agree to make and keep the
lands accessible to the public, unless the commissioner determines that public
accessibility would be detrimental to the lands or any natural resources
associated therewith;

���� (d) agree not to convey the
lands except to the federal government, the State, a local government unit, or
another qualifying tax exempt nonprofit organization, for recreation and
conservation purposes; and

���� (e) agree to execute and
donate to the State at no charge a conservation restriction pursuant to
P.L.1979, c.378 (C.13:8B-1 et seq.) on the lands to be acquired with the grant.

���� d.��� The local government
unit or qualifying tax exempt nonprofit organization share of the cost of an
acquisition of lands, if any, may be reduced (1) by the fair market value, as
determined by the commissioner, of any portion of the lands to be acquired that
have been donated to, or otherwise received without cost by, the local
government unit or qualifying tax exempt nonprofit organization; or (2) in the
case of a conveyance of the lands, or any portion thereof, to the local
government unit or qualifying tax exempt nonprofit organization at less than
fair market value, by the difference between the fair market value at the time
of the conveyance and the conveyance price to the local government unit or
qualifying tax exempt nonprofit organization.

���� e.���� Whenever a local
government unit or qualifying tax exempt nonprofit organization acquires land
for recreation and conservation purposes using constitutionally dedicated
moneys in whole or in part, the local government unit or qualifying tax exempt
nonprofit organization, shall, within six months after the date of acquisition,
inspect the land for the presence of any buildings or structures thereon which
are or may be historic properties and, within 60 days after completion of the
inspection, provide to the New Jersey Historic Preservation Office in the
Department of Environmental Protection (1) a written notice of its findings,
and (2) for any buildings or structures which are or may be historic properties
discovered on the land, a request for determination of potential eligibility
for inclusion of the historic building or structure in the New Jersey Register
of Historic Places.� Whenever such a building or structure is discovered, a
copy of the written notice provided to the New Jersey Historic Preservation
Office shall also be sent to the New Jersey Historic Trust and to the county
historical commission or advisory committee, the county historical society, the
local historic preservation commission or advisory committee, and the local
historical society if any of those entities exist in the county or municipality
wherein the land is located.

(cf:� P.L.1999, c.152, s.27)

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

STATEMENT

���� This bill would modify the
amount of grant funds awarded by the State from the Garden State Green Acres
Preservation Trust Fund to a local government unit or qualifying non-profit
organization for the acquisition of lands for recreation and conservation
purposes.� Under current law, a grant award by the State for lands acquired for
recreation and conservation purposes to a qualifying open space referendum
county or municipality, or a municipality eligible to receive State aid
pursuant to P.L.1978, c.14 (C.52:27D-178 et seq.) is 50 percent of the cost of
acquiring the land or up to 75 percent upon a demonstration of special need or
exceptional circumstances.� Additionally, current law provides that a
qualifying non-profit organization may receive a grant award of up to 50
percent of the costs to acquire or develop land for recreation and conservation
purposes.� This bill would increase the grant awards available for local
governments units to 50 percent or 80 percent, as detailed in the bill, and
qualifying non-profit organizations to 80 percent.