S 3906 New Jersey Senate · 2024-2025 Regular Session

Revises "Tree Experts and Tree Care Operators Licensing Act" to provide enforcement and penalty provisions.

Bill S 3906 revises New Jersey's Tree Experts and Tree Care Operators Licensing Act to add clear enforcement tools and penalty provisions. It allows the Board of Tree Experts or the Department of Environmental Protection to issue compliance orders, pursue civil actions for damages, and impose fines of $1,000 for a first violation or $2,500 for repeat violations (with each day of violation counting as a separate offense). Before levying fines, agencies must provide written notice detailing the violation and penalty, and give violators 20 days to request a hearing. This directly affects licensed tree care professionals by increasing accountability for non-compliance while giving enforcement agencies stronger authority to address violations.

Issues: ✓ Environment

Bill status passed both 4 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Dec 2024

Committee Review

Jan 2026

Senate Passage

Jan 2026

General Assembly Passage

Jan 2026

Governor

Introduced Dec 5, 2024 Last action Jan 12, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons

What changed between versions

Reprint ACE 1/5/26 2R → Reprint AAP 1/8/26 3R · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill moved from the Assembly Commerce, Economic Development and Agriculture Committee to the Assembly Appropriations Committee, where it received a key amendment restoring per-day penalty language for continuing violations. Three new Assembly sponsors were added. The restoration of the 'each day constitutes a separate offense' provision significantly strengthens enforcement by allowing penalties to accumulate daily for ongoing violations rather than being capped at a single assessment.

ENFORCEMENT

The Appropriations Committee restored the provision that each day a violation continues constitutes an additional, separate, and distinct offense. This language had been struck by the Commerce Committee but was reinstated in both subsection d (civil administrative penalties) and subsection e (court-ordered civil penalties). This means a violator facing a $1,000 or $2,500 penalty could see that amount multiply for every day the violation persists.

SCOPE

Three new Assembly sponsors were added: Alex Sauickie (District 38), Clinton Calabrese (District 12), and Gerry Scharfenberger (District 36).

TECHNICAL

The bill's reporting committee changed from the Assembly Commerce, Economic Development and Agriculture Committee to the Assembly Appropriations Committee, reflecting its progression through the legislative process.

Floor votes · Senate Jun 2, 2025

How they voted

38–0

Passed · 2 other

Total votes 40

Jun 2, 2025

D Democratic25

23 Yea 2

92% Yea

R Republican15

15 Yea

100% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Jan 12, 2026

Upper · Passed

Passed Senate (Passed Both Houses) (39-0)

upper

Jan 12, 2026

Lower · Passed

Passed Assembly (73-1-0)

lower

Jan 8, 2026

Lower · Passed

Reported out of Assembly Committee with Amendments, 2nd Reading

lower

Jan 5, 2026

Committee

Reported out of Assembly Committee with Amendments and Referred to Assembly Appropriations Committee

lower

Jan 5, 2026

Committee

Transferred to Assembly Commerce, Economic Development and Agriculture Committee

lower

Jun 12, 2025

Committee

Received in the Assembly, Referred to Assembly Regulated Professions Committee

lower

Jun 2, 2025

Upper · Passed

Passed Senate (38-0)

upper

Mar 17, 2025

Upper · Passed

Reported out of Senate Committee, 2nd Reading

upper

Feb 10, 2025

Committee

Referred to Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee

upper

Feb 10, 2025

Upper · Passed

Reported out of Senate Committee with Amendments, 2nd Reading

upper

Dec 5, 2024

Introduced

Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Commerce Committee

upper

5 primary · 1 co-sponsor