New Jersey-2020-A1581-Introduced

An Act establishing an "Invasive Species Task Force."

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. a. There is established the "Invasive Species Task Force." The task force shall be comprised of five members as follows:

(1) The Commissioner of Environmental Protection, or the commissioner's designee, who shall serve ex officio and who shall serve as a co-chairperson of the task force;

(2) The Secretary of Agriculture, or the Secretary's designee, who shall serve ex officio and who shall serve as a co-chairperson of the task force;

(3) The Commissioner of Health, or the commissioner's designee, who shall serve ex officio;

(4) The State Forester, or the State Forester's designee, who shall serve ex officio; and

(5) The Executive Director of the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station at Rutgers, the State University, or the Executive Director's designee, who shall serve ex officio.

b. The task force shall organize no more than 30 days following the effective date of this act. The task force shall meet at the call of the co-chairpersons. The task force shall dissolve on the 60th day after the date of submission of the report to the Governor and the Legislature pursuant to subsection b. of section 2 of this act.

c. The members shall serve without compensation, but may be reimbursed for necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties and within the limits of funds available to the task force.

d. The task force shall make recommendations by a majority vote of its members.

e. The Department of Environmental Protection and the Department of Agriculture shall provide staff support to the task force. The task force shall, however, be entitled to call to its assistance and avail itself of the services of the employees of any State department, board, bureau, commission or agency, as it may require and as may be available for its purposes.

2. a. The Invasive Species Task Force shall:

(1) study the most efficient means of controlling invasive species;

(2) develop uniform policies and a coordinated response to the threat posed by invasive species to the State's native and agricultural vegetation, and ecological, cultural, historical, or infrastructure resources;

(3) develop a plan to prevent new invasive species from entering the State, and limit the continuing spread of invasive species that are already present;

(4) develop a plan to control infestations that currently exist;

(5) develop a plan to restore ecosystems to their natural condition, and to repair damage caused by invasive species;

(6) identify regulatory and statutory obstacles and inefficiencies at the federal, State, and local levels impeding the development or implementation of prevention, control, and restoration efforts;

(7) evaluate the 2009 New Jersey Strategic Management Plan for Invasive Species, prepared by the New Jersey Invasive Species Council pursuant to Executive Order No. 97 of 2004;

(8) explore and develop alternatives in addition to those discussed in the 2009 New Jersey Strategic Management Plan for Invasive Species, to control the entry and spread of new invasive species into the State;

(9) prepare a comprehensive invasive species management plan for the State that shall include an estimate of the resources necessary for its implementation; and

(10) prepare recommendations for legislative action necessary to implement the report.

b. No later than one year after the task force organizes, the task force shall prepare and submit a report of its findings, plans, and recommendations to the Governor and, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), to the Legislature.

3. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

This bill establishes an "Invasive Species Task Force" which would be comprised of five ex officio members or their designees, including: (1) the Commissioner of Environmental Protection, (2) the Secretary of Agriculture; (3) the Commissioner of Health; (4) the State Forester; and (5) the Executive Director of the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station at Rutgers, the State University. This bill would make the Commissioner of Environmental Protection and the Secretary of Agriculture, or their respective designees, co-chairpersons of the Invasive Species Task Force.

The Invasive Species Task Force would: