ASSEMBLY ENVIRONMENT AND SOLID WASTE COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 1212

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  FEBRUARY 1, 2018

      The Assembly Environment and Solid Waste Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Assembly Bill No. 1212.

      This bill clarifies the intent of P.L.2007, c.340 (C.26:2C-45 et al.) and specifically requires the State’s participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI).

      P.L.2007, c.340, commonly referred to as the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative or the “RGGI” implementing law, was enacted to further the purposes of the “Global Warming Response Act” (GWRA), P.L.2007, c.112 (C.26:2C-37 et al.).  The RGGI implementing law partially implements the policies of the GWRA by creating an emissions auction and trading mechanism to reduce the level of greenhouse gas emissions, namely carbon dioxide.  P.L.2007, c.340 recognizes the State’s participation in RGGI by setting forth the parameters to be followed for allowances auctions, and creating the “Global Warming Solutions Fund” and statutorily dedicating all the proceeds received from the sale, exchange or other conveyance of allowances through a greenhouse gas emissions allowance trading program to the fund.

      As amended by the committee, this bill would require the guidelines and the priority ranking system developed pursuant to current law for use by administering agencies in selecting projects or programs to be awarded grants or other forms of financial assistance from the “Global Warming Solutions Fund” to include factors to ensure that grants or other forms of financial assistance are allocated to projects or programs that will serve communities that are disproportionality impacted by the effects of environmental degradation and climate change, and alleviate the negative effects on human health and the environment resulting therefrom.

      This bill was pre-filed for introduction in the 2018-2019 session pending technical review.  As reported, the bill includes the changes required by technical review, which has been performed.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS

      The committee amendments to the bill would require the guidelines and the priority ranking system to be developed pursuant to current law for selecting projects or programs to be awarded grants or other forms of financial assistance from the “Global Warming Solutions Fund” to include factors to ensure that grants or other forms of financial assistance are allocated to projects or programs that will serve communities that are disproportionality impacted by the effects of environmental degradation and climate change, and alleviate the negative effects on human health and the environment resulting therefrom.