Bill Text: NJ S349 | 2014-2015 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Prohibits State departments and agencies from considering or requiring compliance by Highlands planning area municipalities with Highlands regional master plan in certain circumstances.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 3-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-01-14 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Environment and Energy Committee [S349 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2014-S349-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
216th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2014 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Senator STEVEN V. OROHO
District 24 (Morris, Sussex and Warren)
Senator ANTHONY R. BUCCO
District 25 (Morris and Somerset)
Co-Sponsored by:
Senator O'Toole
SYNOPSIS
Prohibits State departments and agencies from considering or requiring compliance by Highlands planning area municipalities with Highlands regional master plan in certain circumstances.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel
An Act concerning the Highlands planning area, and supplementing P.L.2004, c.120 (C.13:20-1 et al.).
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. Notwithstanding the provisions of any other law to the contrary, or any rule or regulation adopted pursuant thereto, no State department or agency, including, but not limited to, the Council on Affordable Housing, the Department of Community Affairs, the Department of Environmental Protection, the Department of Transportation, and the Highlands Water Protection and Planning Council, may require a municipality located in the planning area of the Highlands Region, to revise its master plan and development regulations to conform to the goals, requirements and provisions of the regional master plan, as a condition to any approval or decision concerning the municipality or any person in the municipality, including a decision to award a grant or loan, a decision concerning the amount of a grant or loan, whether to provide aid or assistance, to grant or deny a permit, or concerning the terms or conditions of a permit.
b. Notwithstanding the provisions of any other law to the contrary, or any rule or regulation adopted pursuant thereto, no State department or agency, including, but not limited to, the Council on Affordable Housing, the Department of Community Affairs, the Department of Environmental Protection, the Department of Transportation, and the Highlands Water Protection and Planning Council, may consider for any municipality located in the planning area of the Highlands Region, the municipality's conformance or lack of conformance with the regional master plan as a factor in any decision to award a grant or loan, a decision concerning the amount of a grant or loan, whether to provide aid or assistance, grant or deny a permit, or the terms or conditions of a permit.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill would prohibit any State department or agency from requiring that a municipality in the Highlands Region planning area revise its master plan and development regulations to conform to the goals, requirements and provisions of the regional master plan, as a condition to any approval or decision concerning the municipality or any person in the municipality, including a decision to award a grant or loan, a decision concerning the amount of a grant or loan, whether to provide aid or assistance, to grant or deny a permit, or concerning the terms or conditions of a permit. Similarly, the municipality's conformance with the regional master plan or lack of conformance with the plan could not be considered by a State department or agency as a factor in a decision to award a grant or loan, a decision concerning the amount of a grant or loan, whether to provide aid or assistance, to grant or deny a permit, or concerning the terms or conditions of a permit.
