LEGISLATIVE FISCAL ESTIMATE

SENATE, No. 83

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

219th LEGISLATURE

 

DATED: MARCH 26, 2021

 

 

SUMMARY

 

Synopsis:

Establishes "Jersey Native Plants Program."

Type of Impact:

Annual State expenditure increase from the General Fund

Agencies Affected:

Department of Agriculture

 

 

Office of Legislative Services Estimate

Fiscal Impact

Year 1 

Year 2 

Year 3 

 

State Expenditure Increase

Indeterminate

 

 

 

 

·         The Office of Legislative Services (OLS) estimates that this bill would result in a marginal annual expenditure increase from the State General Fund.  The bill requires the Department of Agriculture (DOA) to develop and administer a new program to promote the sale of plants that are native to New Jersey and increase consumer awareness about native plants.  It is likely that this additional workload can be subsumed within existing staff duties.

 

·         The OLS notes that the DOA already administers a similar program, known as the "Jersey Grown" program, which promotes the sale of plants grown in the State.  This will likely mitigate the expenditure increase.  The Fiscal Year 2021 appropriation for the entire Jersey Fresh program, of which the Jersey Grown program is a subset, was $100,000.

 

 

BILL DESCRIPTION

 

      This bill would establish the Jersey Native Plants Program in the DOA.  The bill would require the department to develop a program that would: (1) encourage and promote the sale of New Jersey native plants at retail garden centers and nurseries; (2) increase consumer awareness of the important role of native plants in the ecosystem through advertising campaigns and marketing programs; (3) provide for the dissemination of information about the variety and availability of New Jersey native plants; and (4) create a labeling program to identify native plants as Jersey natives  similar to the Jersey Fresh and Jersey Grown programs.

FISCAL ANALYSIS

 

EXECUTIVE BRANCH

 

      None received.

 

OFFICE OF LEGISLATIVE SERVICES

 

      The OLS estimates that this bill would result in a marginal annual expenditure increase from the State General Fund.  The bill requires the DOA to develop and administer a new program to promote the sale of plants that are native to New Jersey and increase consumer awareness about native plants.  It is likely that this additional workload can be subsumed within existing staff duties.

      The OLS notes that the DOA already administers a similar program, known as the Jersey Grown program, which promotes the sale of plants grown in the State.  This will likely mitigate the expenditure increase.  The Fiscal Year 2021 appropriation for the entire Jersey Fresh program, of which the Jersey Grown program is a subset, was $100,000.

 

 

Section:

Environment, Agriculture, Energy, and Natural Resources

Analyst:

Eric Hansen

Associate Research Analyst

Approved:

Thomas Koenig

Legislative Budget and Finance Officer

 

 

This legislative fiscal estimate has been produced by the Office of Legislative Services due to the failure of the Executive Branch to respond to our request for a fiscal note.

 

This fiscal estimate has been prepared pursuant to P.L.1980, c.67 (C.52:13B-6 et seq.).