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Bill

A 5766

Designates hazelnut as State nut of New Jersey.

2024-2025 Regular Session Introduced by Sterley Stanley

Designates the hazelnut as New Jersey's State nut, boosting branding and awareness for local hazelnut growers with no new funding or regulatory changes.

Introduced in the Assembly, Referred to Assembly State and Local Government Committee
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Bill Summary · A 5766

Summary: A-5766 — Designates hazelnut as the State nut of New Jersey

Overview

  • Bill Number: A-5766
  • Title: An Act designating the hazelnut as the State nut of New Jersey
  • Status: Introduced in the Assembly; Referred to the Assembly State and Local Government Committee
  • Introduced: February 20, 2025
  • Sponsors: Primary — Mike Reilly; Cosponsor — Michael Novakhov
  • Related legislation: Companion S-4593; and several related Assembly bills (A-10327, A-6172, A-7733, A-5760, A-6048, A-5096, A-3383)

Purpose and Intent

  • Purpose: Officially designate the hazelnut as the State nut of New Jersey.
  • Rationale presented in the bill’s text highlights the hazelnut industry’s economic significance, growth in hazelnut-based products, and New Jersey’s developing role in hazelnut cultivation despite historical production barriers caused by eastern filbert blight.

Key Provisions

  1. Designation
    • The hazelnut is designated as the State nut of New Jersey.
  2. Effective Date
    • The designation takes effect immediately upon enactment.

Background and Context (as described in the bill)

  • Hazelnuts are part of a multi-billion-dollar industry with products such as nut butters, baked goods, and candy.
  • The United States accounts for about 5% of global hazelnut production; U.S. hazelnuts are predominantly grown in Oregon’s Willamette Valley.
  • Eastern filbert blight, a fungal disease, has historically hindered hazelnut production in New Jersey and other non-Pacific Northwest states.
  • Rutgers University began a program in 1996 to develop disease-resistant hazelnuts and began releasing blight-resistant varieties in 2020, including varieties named “Raritan” (and “Somerset,” “Monmouth,” and “Hunterdon” in honor of New Jersey counties).
  • New Jersey is noted as the first East Coast state to grow this crop, with more than 30 growers and more than 100 acres of trees reported.

Affected Parties and Impacts

  • State recognition and branding: designation may influence state branding, educational programs, and promotional efforts related to agriculture and specialty crops.
  • Agricultural community: New Jersey hazelnut growers and the broader agricultural sector could benefit from heightened visibility and promotional opportunities.
  • No funding or regulatory changes indicated: The bill does not establish appropriations or new regulatory requirements; it is a symbolic designation intended to acknowledge the crop’s significance.

Procedural and Timeline Details

  • Introduced in the Assembly on February 20, 2025.
  • Referred to the Assembly State and Local Government Committee (the bill’s substantive review). Legislative actions also show a February 20 reference to “Cities,” which appears to be a clerical record note; the primary statutory referral is to State and Local Government.
  • No further legislative actions (as of the provided information) beyond committee referral.

Additional Notes

  • The bill’s statement reiterates the industry context, U.S. production patterns, disease challenges, Rutgers’ research achievements, and the naming of new resistant hazelnut varieties.

This summary presents the bill’s core purpose, provisions, and potential impact in a concise, nonpartisan manner to aid understanding of A-5766.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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