A 2762 New Jersey General Assembly · 2026-2027 Regular Session

Directs Department of Agriculture to advertise and promote New Jersey liquors, beers, and wines.*

This bill (A 2762) expands New Jersey's Jersey Fresh Program to officially include marketing and promotion of locally produced liquor, beer, and wine. It directs the Department of Agriculture to develop a quality grading system for these products - similar to its existing system for fruits and vegetables - and appropriates $100,000 annually from the General Fund to fund this promotion. The program will specifically target alcoholic products made from agricultural commodities grown in New Jersey, such as grapes for wine or grains for beer. This change formally adds alcohol products to the Jersey Fresh branding and marketing efforts, which previously focused on non-alcoholic agricultural goods.

Issues: ✓ Budget & Taxes

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2026

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Jan 13, 2026 Last action May 4, 2026

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What changed between versions

Introduced → Reprint · 4 edits

MODERATE

The committee removed both appropriations (a one-time $100,000 and an annual $100,000) that would have provided dedicated General Fund money for promoting New Jersey liquors, beers, and wines under the Jersey Fresh Program. In their place, a new limitation was added requiring that all advertising and promotion be conducted 'within the limits of monies appropriated or allocated to the Jersey Fresh Program,' meaning the department must use only existing program funds rather than receiving new dedicated funding.

Scope change

The bill's scope narrowed from creating a dedicated $100,000 annual funding stream plus a one-time $100,000 appropriation for promoting New Jersey alcoholic beverages to merely directing the department to use existing Jersey Fresh Program funds for that purpose. No new money is appropriated.

FISCAL

The annual appropriation of $100,000 from the General Fund for promoting liquor, beer, and wine products under the Jersey Fresh Program (former section 1(c)) was deleted.

The one-time appropriation of $100,000 from the General Fund for promotion of State-produced liquor, beer, and wine products (former section 2) was deleted.

REQUIREMENT

Section 1(b) now requires that the department advertise and promote liquor, beer, and wine products only 'within the limits of monies appropriated or allocated to the Jersey Fresh Program,' imposing a funding cap that did not exist in the introduced version.

SCOPE

The short title was amended to strike the phrase 'and making an appropriation,' reflecting that the bill no longer appropriates new funds.

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Full legislative history

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Committee

Jan 13, 2026

Introduced

Introduced, Referred to Assembly Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee

lower

3 primary · 5 co-sponsors