ASSEMBLY, No. 1584

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

219th LEGISLATURE

 

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2020 SESSION

 


 

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman  ERIC HOUGHTALING

District 11 (Monmouth)

Assemblyman  GORDON M. JOHNSON

District 37 (Bergen)

Assemblyman  PARKER SPACE

District 24 (Morris, Sussex and Warren)

 

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman Downey and Assemblyman Karabinchak

 

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS

     Requires Department of Agriculture to develop, and plant nurseries to make available to customers, brochure describing benefits of native plants.

 

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     As reported by the Assembly Agriculture Committee with technical review.

  


An Act concerning public awareness of the benefits of native plants and supplementing Title 4 of the Revised Statutes. 

 

     Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

 

     1.    a.  No later than 90 days after the effective date of this act, the Department of Agriculture, in consultation with the Department of Environmental Protection, shall develop, publish, and maintain on its Internet website:

     (1)   a downloadable, printable brochure describing the benefits of native plant species and the problems associated with invasive plant species; and

     (2)   a downloadable, printable sign that contains the following language in at least 14-point font:  “DO YOU KNOW YOU HAVE LANDSCAPING CHOICES?  Some plants, although legal to buy and sell, may have negative effects on New Jersey’s native wildlife and ecosystems.  For more information about plants that are beneficial to New Jersey wildlife and habitat, as well as invasive exotic plants, please visit the New Jersey Department of Agriculture’s website at (insert appropriate Internet website address).”

     b.    A nurseryman shall make available to each customer of the nursery a copy of the brochure developed by the Department of Agriculture pursuant to paragraph (1) of subsection a. of this section.  A nurseryman may satisfy the requirement of this section either by making print copies of the brochure available in a conspicuous location at the nursery’s point of sale or by posting the sign developed by the department pursuant to paragraph (2) of subsection a. of this section in a conspicuous location at the nursery’s point of sale. 

     c.     A nurseryman shall not be required to comply with the provisions of subsection b. of this section until the department has published on its Internet website the materials required to be developed pursuant to subsection a. of this section. 

     d.    The department shall ensure compliance with the requirements of this section upon its annual inspection of a nursery pursuant to R.S.4:7-21. 

     e.     As used in this section, the terms “nursery” and “nurseryman” shall have the same meanings as those terms are defined in R.S.4:7-15. 

 

     2.    This act shall take effect immediately.