Creates a moratorium on the annexation of agricultural land by localities for an industrial use

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Angelo Santabarbara

Creates a moratorium on annexing agricultural land by localities for industrial use, protecting farmland from conversion and slowing industrial expansion.

REFERRED TO LOCAL GOVERNMENTS

Bill Summary: A 1122 — Moratorium on Annexation of Agricultural Land for Industrial Use

Overview

Bill Number: A 1122

Title: Creates a moratorium on the annexation of agricultural land by localities for an industrial use

Sponsor: Angelo Santabarbara (primary)

Status: Referred to Local Governments

Introduced: January 9, 2025

Legislative Actions:

2025-01-09: Referred to Local Governments (listed twice in the record)

Core Purpose

The bill would establish a moratorium prohibiting local governments from annexing agricultural land if the intended use is industrial. The summary available notes the intent to pause such annexations, with the aim of protecting agricultural land from conversion to industrial uses.

Key Provisions (as stated)

Creates a moratorium on the annexation of agricultural land by localities for industrial purposes.

Specific details such as the duration of the moratorium, geographic scope, exemptions, enforcement mechanisms, and process for exceptions are not provided in the available information.

Note: The exact text would specify operational details (e.g., minimum duration, whether exemptions apply to certain projects, timelines for any proposed annexations, and enforcement penalties). Those details are not included in the current summary.

Who Would Be Affected

Local Governments: Entities that would typically initiate or approve annexations.

Agricultural Landowners: Land currently in agricultural use that could be subject to conversion.

Industrial Developers/Users: Parties seeking to annex land for industrial projects who would be constrained by the moratorium.

Farm Communities and Rural Economies: Potentially affected by slower or halted industrial expansion into agricultural areas.

Procedural and Timeline Considerations

Current Stage: The bill has been referred to the Assembly Committee on Local Governments. There are no listed floor actions or amendments in the provided record.

Timeline Context: Introduced early in the 2025 session; no enacted dates or sunset provisions are presented in the available information.

Related Legislation: The bill references prior-session related bills for context, including A 7808, A 1482, and A 139, suggesting ongoing or recurring interest in farmland preservation and land-use controls.

Potential Impacts and Considerations

Farmland Preservation: By limiting annexations for industrial use, the bill could help protect agricultural land from conversion.

Economic Development Tension: The moratorium could affect local development plans and timelines for industrial projects, potentially delaying expansions or relocations.

Planning and Policy Implications: Localities would need to adjust land-use planning strategies and coordinate with agricultural stakeholders if/when the moratorium is modified or lifted.

Next Steps: Monitor committee hearings and any amendments that specify duration, scope, exemptions, or transition provisions.

If you’d like, I can fetch the bill text to extract precise provisions and drafting details once they’re available.