Bill Text: NJ A2844 | 2016-2017 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Amends Fiscal Year 2016 budget to provide one-half of certain environmental damage amounts recovered are appropriated for costs of remediation, restoration, and clean up.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-06-20 - Reported out of Assembly Committee, 2nd Reading [A2844 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2016-A2844-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman JOHN F. MCKEON
District 27 (Essex and Morris)
SYNOPSIS
Amends Fiscal Year 2016 budget to provide one-half of certain environmental damage amounts recovered are appropriated for costs of remediation, restoration, and clean up.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act amending "An Act making appropriations for the support of the State Government and the several public purposes for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2016 and regulating the disbursement thereof," approved June 26, 2015 (P.L.2015, c.63).
Be It Enacted by the Senate and the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. The following language provision in section 1 of P.L.2015, c.63, the annual appropriation act for fiscal year 2016, is amended as follows:
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42 DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION 40 Community Development and Environmental Management 44 Site Remediation and Waste Management CAPITAL CONSTRUCTION |
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29-4815 Environmental Management |
Except as otherwise provided in this act and notwithstanding the provisions of any other law or regulation to the contrary, the first $50,000,000 and one-half of any additional amounts in natural resource, cost recoveries and other associated damages recovered by the State, along with such additional amounts as may be determined by the Director of the Division of Budget and Accounting, in consultation with the Attorney General, to be necessary to pay for the costs of legal services related to such recoveries, shall be deposited into the Hazardous Discharge Site Cleanup Fund established pursuant to section 1 of P.L.1985, c.247 (C.58:10-23.34), and are appropriated for: direct and indirect costs of remediation, restoration, and clean up; costs for consulting, expert, and legal services incurred in pursuing claims for damages; and grants to local governments and nonprofit organizations to further implement restoration activities of the Office of Natural Resource Restoration. Recoveries in excess of the amounts appropriated pursuant to this paragraph, consistent with the terms and conditions of applicable settlement agreements or court rulings, shall be deposited in the General Fund as general State revenue.
(cf :P.L.2015, c.63, s.1)
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill amends the Fiscal Year 2016 annual appropriation act to ensure that one-half of all amounts of natural resource recoveries and associated damages recovered by the State, in excess of $50 million, are deposited into the Hazardous Discharge Site Cleanup Fund and are appropriated for: direct and indirect costs of remediation, restoration, and clean up. These appropriated funds are also to be available for costs for consulting, expert, and legal services incurred in pursuing claims for damages; and grants to local governments and nonprofit organizations to further implement restoration activities of the Office of Natural Resource Restoration in the Department of Environmental Protection. Without the enactment of this bill, all amounts of natural resource recoveries and associated damages recovered by the State in excess of $50 million during this fiscal year, will be deposited in the State General Fund as general State revenue.
