This bill requires New Jersey's Department of Environmental Protection to conduct a five-year assessment of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly known as PFAS, that are currently unregulated by state or federal law. The assessment aims to determine whether new drinking water standards should be established for these chemicals and to evaluate if existing limits adequately protect children's health, considering their lower body weight and higher water intake relative to adults. The department must collaborate with the Drinking Water Quality Institute, submit written reports of its findings to the Governor and Legislature, and publish each report on its website.
This bill allows the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection to authorize a "reformation assessment" for certain water and wastewater treatment and conveyance systems that face serious risks due to aging infrastructure or damage beyond the system's capacity to repair. The assessment would be an independent evaluation to analyze the system's current condition and identify options for transferring ownership, governance, or management to a capable private or public entity with the resources to improve operations and maintenance. The bill defines a "capable entity" as one that owns a system serving a similar number of accounts and is not currently subject to significant enforcement actions for violations. This change aims to give public entities the option to reform, transfer, lease, or sell assets when emergent conditions threaten drinking water or the environment.
This bill allocates $100 million in federal funds to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection to distribute grants to local governments for drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure projects. The Department must establish a transparent grant application process with eligibility criteria published online within six months and set a maximum grant amount to ensure statewide distribution. At least 10 percent of the funds must be reserved for projects addressing harmful algal blooms in Lake Hopatcong and Greenwood Lake, while up to 3 percent may be used for program administration. The bill expires three years after enactment or upon submission of a final report detailing all funded projects, whichever occurs first.
This bill allows New Jersey's Department of Environmental Protection to approve "reformation assessments" for certain water and wastewater treatment and conveyance systems. These assessments are independent evaluations designed to analyze the current condition and performance of aging or damaged infrastructure and identify options for reforming ownership, management, and operations. The bill directly affects municipalities that own water or wastewater systems facing serious risks due to infrastructure deterioration or damage beyond their capacity to repair. If an assessment determines that transferring assets to a capable private or public entity could better protect drinking water and the environment, the municipality may have the option to lease, sell, or transfer those assets under specific conditions.
This bill requires public water system operators in New Jersey to pay for drinking water testing at residential properties when contamination levels exceed federal or state standards. The reimbursement is triggered only when a municipal request is made and the testing is conducted by a laboratory certified by the Department of Environmental Protection. Additionally, the bill prohibits water utilities from passing these testing costs on to their regular ratepayers. The Department of Environmental Protection will be tasked with creating rules to implement these requirements.
This bill requires owners of older residential buildings (constructed before 1987 with three or more units), schools, and child care centers to test drinking water for lead every three years. Testing must be done by a certified lab, with results posted online and provided to tenants, parents, or staff. If lead levels exceed EPA standards, owners must notify local health agencies, municipal leaders, and affected individuals in writing. The law applies immediately and exempts properties already covered by prior testing requirements.
This bill, now enacted as P.L.2025, c.202, prohibits the intentional addition of PFAS (forever chemicals) to most cosmetics sold in New Jersey starting two years after its effective date. It requires cookware manufacturers containing PFAS to notify consumers about their presence. The law directly affects cosmetics and cookware manufacturers, while protecting residents by reducing exposure to PFAS linked to health risks. Key mechanisms include specific product bans, disclosure requirements, and funding for PFAS research and remediation programs. The bill does not apply to trace PFAS from manufacturing impurities or products with PFAS only in internal components.
This bill amends the list of environmental infrastructure projects approved for long-term funding under New Jersey's FY2026 environmental infrastructure program. It updates which projects qualify for funding from existing state revolving funds (like the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds) and ensures unused balances from prior programs are reallocated to support clean water and drinking water projects. The bill directly affects the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), which administers these funds for eligible municipal and public infrastructure projects. Note: The bill was withdrawn on January 13, 2026, as the funding updates were already approved under P.L.2025, c.182.
This bill (A-764) would have amended the list of environmental infrastructure projects eligible for loans from New Jersey's Infrastructure Bank for fiscal year 2026. It would have directly affected local governments and public water utilities seeking funding to finance projects like wastewater treatment, stormwater management, or drinking water system upgrades. The key mechanism involved updating which specific projects qualified for the bank's financing under existing law, ensuring funds targeted approved environmental infrastructure needs. The bill was withdrawn on January 13, 2026, as it was superseded by the approved law P.L.2025, c.183.
This bill requires public community water systems (like municipal water utilities) to test water quality quarterly for secondary drinking water standards, including sampling from at least 10% of customer taps. It mandates that water system operators submit test results to the state environmental agency, local municipalities, and customers annually and quarterly. If tests exceed standards, operators must create a compliance plan within 30 days to fix issues within 30 days (or sooner if needed for health risks), followed by a maintenance plan to prevent future violations. These rules aim to ensure ongoing water quality for communities served by public water systems.
