ASSEMBLY, No. 638
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
215th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2012 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman BRIAN E. RUMPF
District 9 (Atlantic, Burlington and Ocean)
Assemblyman HERB CONAWAY, JR.
District 7 (Burlington)
Assemblywoman DIANNE C. GOVE
District 9 (Atlantic, Burlington and Ocean)
Assemblyman NELSON T. ALBANO
District 1 (Atlantic, Cape May and Cumberland)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblymen Wolfe, Diegnan, Assemblywoman McHose, Assemblymen Moriarty, Chiusano, Rumana, Peterson, Burzichelli, Coutinho, Assemblywomen Casagrande, Mosquera, Lampitt, Assemblyman Wimberly, Senators Connors, Beck, Buono, Madden, Oroho, Greenstein, Addiego, Allen and Norcross
SYNOPSIS
Establishes Hooked on Fishing-Not on Drugs Program in DEP and appropriates $200,000 therefor from Drug Enforcement and Demand Reduction Fund.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As amended by the General Assembly on March 15, 2012.
An Act establishing a Hooked on Fishing-Not on Drugs Program, supplementing Title 23 of the Revised Statutes and making an appropriation.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. There is established in the Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Fish and Wildlife, a Hooked on Fishing-Not on Drugs Program, which shall be based on a national program developed by the Future Fisherman Foundation that encourages school-aged children to avoid drug usage by providing alternative activities that involve learning to fish, appreciating aquatic and environmental resources, and developing positive life skills. The division shall assign 1[at least one full-time]1 staff 1[person]1 to develop strategies for assisting school districts or other interested public service organizations in implementing this program throughout the State. Statewide program implementation shall be modeled after the pilot program implemented in Ocean County in calendar year 2000, which 1[shall] may1 include, but not be limited to, the distribution of materials to promote and operate the program throughout the State. To the maximum extent possible, the division shall implement and operate the program in every county in the State.
b. The division 1[shall] may1 work with educational, public safety and environmental groups in order to promote volunteerism among these groups for the purpose of acting as program instructors, mentors or advisors. The division 1[shall] may1 also work with public service organizations, sportsman groups and local merchants to encourage the donation of technical, material and financial assistance to the program.
2. The division shall collect and maintain data on the Hooked on Fishing-Not on Drugs Program and provide an annual report to the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), including information on the number of school districts or municipalities that have implemented the program and the number of pupils that are participating in the program. The report shall also include information on the effectiveness of the program in terms of drug usage avoidance or incidents among participating students.
3. The Department of Environmental Protection shall adopt, pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), such rules and regulations as may be necessary to effectuate the provisions of this act.
4. There is appropriated the sum of $200,000 from the Drug Enforcement and Demand Reduction Fund, established pursuant to N.J.S.2C:35-15, to the Department of Environmental Protection to fund the cost of implementing the Hooked on Fishing-Not on Drugs Program established pursuant to this act. The Legislature, to the extent possible, shall ensure that sufficient appropriations from the Drug Enforcement and Demand Reduction Fund 1[are included every year in the annual appropriations act] or any other appropriate source are provided annually1 to maintain the operation of the program.
5. This act shall take effect immediately.