SENATE, No. 196

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 1996 SESSION

By Senator SINGER

An Act concerning certain animal health programs administered by the Department of Agriculture 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. The State Board of Agriculture may adopt, pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), rules and regulations establishing a schedule in accordance with which the board may charge reasonable fees to defray the cost of:

    (1) Animal disease diagnostic and testing services conducted pursuant to R.S.4:5-1 et seq.; and

    (2) Animal health tests deemed necessary by the State Board of Agriculture.

    b. Any fees established by the State Board of Agriculture pursuant to this section shall supersede all prior animal testing and diagnostic service fees on the date of the State Board of Agriculture's adoption of new fees pursuant to this section.

    2. a. There is hereby created in the Department of Agriculture a non-lapsing revolving fund to be known as the "Agriculture Fee Program Revolving Fund," hereinafter referred to as the fund, to be held separate and apart from all other funds of the State. All fees collected pursuant to section 1 of this act shall be deposited into the fund and appropriated annually by the Legislature based on estimates provided annually by the Director of Budget and Accounting in the Office of Management and Budget. All moneys appropriated from the fund shall be dedicated to the support of the program for which they were collected. All earnings received from the investment or deposit of moneys in the fund shall be credited to the fund.

    b. The Secretary of the Department of Agriculture may adopt, pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), rules and regulations necessary for the implementation of the provisions of this section.

    3. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

    This bill would authorize the State Board of Agriculture to establish and charge reasonable fees for animal disease diagnostic and testing services and animal health tests deemed necessary by the board.

    The schedule of fees would be adopted by the State Board of Agriculture pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), and would supercede any other fees being charged by the board prior to the effective date of the schedule.

    The bill also creates the "Agricultural Fee Program Revolving Fund," from which moneys would be appropriated annually based on estimates provided in the department's annual budget request. These moneys would be used to support the activities of the program for which the monies were collected.

Authorizes State Board of Agriculture to establish fees for certain animal testing services.