S 2751 New Jersey Senate · 2024-2025 Regular Session

Directs DEP to develop guidelines concerning State and local government purchase of goods made from recycled material.

This bill requires New Jersey's Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to create and update guidelines within 90 days of enactment, recommending specific percentages of recycled content for goods purchased by state and local governments. The guidelines, which may reference existing U.S. Environmental Protection Agency standards, must be published in the New Jersey Register. State agencies (including Treasury's purchasing divisions) and local governments must then incorporate these guidelines into new procurement specifications for goods, where practical and feasible. The law does not apply to existing contracts or new purchases where following the guidelines would cause unreasonable delays or cost increases.

Issues: ✓ Environment

Sub-Topics: Recycling

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2024

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Feb 15, 2024 Last action Jun 12, 2025

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What changed between versions

Introduced Version → Reprint SEN 6/12/25 1R · 6 edits

MODERATE

The Senate Environment and Energy Committee made several amendments to this bill on recycled materials procurement guidelines. The deadline for DEP to develop guidelines was shortened from 90 to 80 days, compost was added as a covered material, publication moved from the New Jersey Register to DEP's website, and the trigger date for compliance shifted from the bill's effective date to the actual publication of the guidelines. References to 'services' were removed, narrowing the scope to goods only.

TIMELINE

The deadline for DEP to develop recovered material content guidelines was shortened from 90 days after enactment to 80 days after enactment.

The compliance trigger date changed from the effective date of the pending legislation to the date DEP actually publishes the guidelines under subsection b. This means agencies are not required to follow the guidelines until they are formally published, rather than being bound immediately upon enactment.

SCOPE

Compost was explicitly added as a type of recovered material that the guidelines should encourage agencies to purchase, expanding the bill's coverage beyond just recycled goods.

References to 'services' were removed throughout the bill, narrowing the scope so that the procurement guidelines apply only to the purchase of goods, not services.

REQUIREMENT

The method for publishing the guidelines changed from a public notice in the New Jersey Register to posting on DEP's Internet website.

TECHNICAL

The exemptions section was reorganized into a new formal subsection d with numbered items (1) through (4), improving structure and clarity of the existing exceptions.

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Full legislative history

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Key actions

Committee

Jun 12, 2025

Upper · Passed

Reported out of Senate Committee with Amendments, 2nd Reading

upper

Feb 15, 2024

Introduced

Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Environment and Energy Committee

upper

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors