ASSEMBLY SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON INFRASTRUCTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 5018

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  JANUARY 27, 2021

      The Assembly Special Committee on Infrastructure and Natural Resources reports favorably and with committee amendments Assembly Bill No. 5018.

      This bill, as amended by the committee, would direct the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to provide additional priority points to certain applicants that seek funding for sewerage and drinking water infrastructure projects from the New Jersey Infrastructure Bank (I-Bank).

      Specifically, under the bill, project applicants with an established program to employ at the project facility, or at related offices or facilities, persons who reside in the municipality in which the project is located, the service area of the project, or in surrounding municipalities that meet the criteria for State aid pursuant to P.L.1978, c.14 (C.52:27D-178 et seq.) would receive additional priority points.  The DEP would factor these additional points into its calculations when establishing the "clean water project priority list" pursuant to section 20 of P.L.1985, c.334 (C.58:11B-20) and the "drinking water project priority list," pursuant to section 24 of P.L.1997, c.224 (C.58:11B-20.1).

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS

      The committee amendments to the bill:

      (1)  remove the substantive section of the bill that would have directed the I-Bank to establish incentives for entities that are approved to receive funds from the I-Bank and that employ local residents; and

      (2)  add two sections to the bill that amend existing law to direct the DEP to provide additional priority points to applicants for I-Bank funding that employ local residents or residents of nearby municipalities that meet the criteria for urban aid pursuant to P.L.1978, c.14 (C.52:27D-178 et seq).