ASSEMBLY, No. 954

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 1996 SESSION

By Assemblyman FELICE

An Act concerning the sale of newspapers, and supplementing P.L.1987, c.102 (C.13:1E-99.11 et seq.).

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

    1. a. The provisions of any other law, or any rule or regulation adopted pursuant thereto, to the contrary notwithstanding, the publisher of every newspaper printed, sold or offered for sale in this State shall utilize newsprint with recycled paper content in accordance with the following percentages and implementation schedule:

    (1) Not less than 45% of the total amount of newsprint used in calendar year 1989 shall be made from newsprint with recycled paper content by December 31, 1990;

    (2) Not less than 65% of the total amount of newsprint used in calendar year 1990 shall be made from newsprint with recycled paper content by December 31, 1991; and

    (3) For calendar year 1992 and each year thereafter, not less than 90% of the total amount of newsprint used in the previous calendar year shall be made from newsprint with recycled paper content.

    b. The publisher of every newspaper printed, sold or offered for sale in this State shall, on or before January 15, 1992 and on or before January 15 of each year thereafter and in accordance with rules and regulations adopted by the department therefor, submit a report to the New Jersey Office of Recycling stating the amount of newsprint used in the previous calendar year with recycled paper content.

    c. For the purposes of this section, "newsprint with recycled paper content" means newsprint consisting of not less than 50% recycled paper.

    2. The department shall adopt, within one year of the effective date of this act and pursuant to the provisions of the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), rules or regulations designed to implement the purposes and provisions of this act.

    3. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

    This bill would require the publisher of every newspaper printed, sold or offered for sale in this State to utilize newsprint with recycled paper content (i.e. newsprint consisting of not less than 50% recycled paper) in accordance with the following percentages and implementation schedule: (1) not less than 45% of the total amount of newsprint used in calendar year 1989 must be made from newsprint with recycled paper content by December 31, 1990; (2) not less than 65% by December 31, 1991; and (3) for calendar year 1992 and each year thereafter, not less than 90% of the total amount of newsprint used in the previous calendar year must be made from newsprint with recycled paper content. Each publisher must, on or before January 15, 1992 and on or before January 15 of each year thereafter, submit a report to the New Jersey Office of Recycling stating the amount of newsprint used in the previous calendar year with recycled paper content.

Mandates newspapers sold in this State to utilize newsprint with recycled paper content.