ASSEMBLY AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR

ASSEMBLY, No. 4262

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  DECEMBER 16, 2013

      The Assembly Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee reports favorably an Assembly Committee Substitute for Assembly Bill No. 4262.

      The committee substitute prohibits any municipality from regulating the breeding or keeping of honey bees and any related activities, including the use of honey bees for pollination, reproduction and sale of honey bees, or the production of honey and other apiary products from honey bees.  The committee substitute directs the Department of Agriculture to regulate apiary activities in the State and adopt any rules and regulations necessary to do so, including adoption of apiary standards and municipal monitoring and enforcement standards.  Finally, the committee substitute authorizes a municipality to assume responsibility for monitoring and enforcing the apiary standards within its borders upon adoption of an ordinance incorporating the standards by reference.