SENATE COMMUNITY AFFAIRS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 1414

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED: SEPTEMBER 19, 1996

      The Senate Community Affairs Committee reports favorably Senate Bill No. 1414 with committee amendments.

      As amended by the committee, this bill would require the Commissioner of Community Affairs to adopt water conservation standards for automatic lawn sprinkler systems and would prohibit the issuance of certificates of occupancy unless automatic lawn sprinkler systems comply with the new standards.

      The bill would direct the commissioner to adopt standards which will require any new lawn sprinkler system being installed and any system being repaired or replaced to incorporate the most efficient water conservation devices that provide adequate function and service. Horticultural and agricultural businesses and golf courses would be exempted from the requirement.

      The committee amended the bill in order to conform section 2 of the bill to current law and recognize in that section's amendatory language a recently enacted law (P.L.1996, c.53, s.2) that halted the mandatory adoption of modifications of national model construction codes.