S4150

An Act appropriating $4,500,000 from constitutionally dedicated corporation business tax revenues to the State Agriculture Development Committee for municipal planning incentive grants for farmland preservation purposes.

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

1. a. There is appropriated to the State Agriculture Development Committee the sum of $4,500,000 from dedicated corporation business tax revenues pursuant to Article VIII, Section II, paragraph 6 of the State Constitution in the “Preserve New Jersey Farmland Preservation Fund,” established pursuant to section 8 of the “Preserve New Jersey Act,” P.L.2016, c.12 (C.13:8C-50), for the purpose of providing municipal planning incentive grants pursuant to section 1 of P.L.1999, c.180 (C.4:1C-43.1) and approved as eligible for such funding pursuant to this section.

b. The following municipalities are eligible for funding, in accordance with the rules and regulations of the State Agriculture Development Committee providing for a municipal planning incentive grant program, with the monies appropriated pursuant to subsection a. of this section:

Municipality Franklin Twp	County Gloucester	Amount of Grant $500,000
Colts Neck Twp	Monmouth	$1,000,000

Pilesgrove Twp	Salem	$1,000,000

Pittsgrove Twp	Salem	$1,000,000

Upper Pittsgrove Twp	Salem	$1,000,000
TOTAL		$4,500,000

2. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the “Preserve New Jersey Farmland Preservation Fund,” established pursuant to section 8 of the “Preserve New Jersey Act,” P.L.2016, c.12 (C.13:8C-50), the sum of $4,500,000 to implement the provisions of this act.

3. The expenditure of the sums appropriated by this act is subject to the provisions and conditions of P.L.2016, c.12 (C.13:8C-43 et seq.), P.L.1999, c.180 (C.4:1C-43.1), P.L.1999, c.152 (C.13:8C-1 et seq.), and P.L.1983, c.32 (C.4:1C-11 et seq.), as appropriate.

4. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

This bill would appropriate $4.5 million to the State Agriculture Development Committee (SADC) for municipal planning incentive grants pursuant to a program established by P.L.1999, c.180 (C.4:1C-43.1) for farmland preservation purposes.

The funding in this bill is provided from constitutionally dedicated corporation business tax (CBT) revenues pursuant to Article VIII, Section II, paragraph 6 of the State Constitution, approved by the voters of the State in November 2014. The “Preserve New Jersey Act,” P.L.2016, c.12 (C.13:8C-43 et seq.), implements the constitutional dedication of CBT revenues for open space, farmland, and historic preservation. The “Preserve New Jersey Farmland Preservation Fund” was established pursuant to section 8 of the “Preserve New Jersey Act.”

Under the bill, five municipalities will each receive a “base grant” of either $500,000 or $1 million, as specified in the bill.

The bill appropriates to the “Preserve New Jersey Farmland Preservation Fund” moneys from the General Fund already constitutionally dedicated to the “Preserve New Jersey Farmland Preservation Fund” for the purpose of making the appropriations required by this bill.

The allocations and projects listed in the bill have been approved by the SADC and the Garden State Preservation Trust.