Directs State Agriculture Development Committee to adopt agricultural management practice for housing resident farm employees on commercial farms, and establishes such housing as eligible for "Right to Farm" protection.

2024-2025 Regular Session Introduced by Alex Sauickie and 2 co-sponsors

Allows on-farm housing for resident farm employees under Right to Farm protection; SADC must set standards tied to labor needs and prohibit charging rent.

Substituted by S3353 (1R)

#agriculture #housing

Purpose

A4501 amends New Jersey’s Right to Farm Act (P.L.1983, c.31) to expressly allow on‑farm housing for resident farm employees as a permissible farm activity eligible for Right to Farm protection. The bill directs the State Agriculture Development Committee (SADC) to adopt an agricultural management practice permitting such housing and sets related definitions, limits, and compliance requirements.

Key provisions

Directs the SADC to adopt an agricultural management practice that permits housing for resident farm employees on commercial farms.

Defines “resident farm employee” as a person employed by the owner/operator of a commercial farm to engage in agricultural production activities on a full‑time basis on that farm.

Excludes from the definition: (1) full‑time, year‑round equine‑related farm employees; (2) the owner of the farm; and (3) any lineal descendant of the owner (committee amendment).

Requires that resident farm employee housing constructed under the bill comply with:

The Seasonal Farm Labor Act (P.L.1945, c.71; C.34:9A‑1 et seq.); and
The federal Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act (29 U.S.C. §1801 et seq.).

Prohibits charging rent to resident farm employees living in such on‑farm housing (committee amendment).

Requires the SADC’s agricultural management practice to ensure the amount of on‑farm resident employee housing correlates to the labor needs of the farm (committee amendment).

Continues to limit Right to Farm protections to operations that conform with SADC‑recommended agricultural management practices and do not pose a direct threat to public health and safety.

Who is affected

Commercial farms that meet Right to Farm definitions (e.g., acreage and production/value thresholds) and that employ full‑time resident farm employees.

Resident farm employees who would be housed on the farm (subject to labor/housing protections).

SADC, which must develop and adopt the required agricultural management practice.

Local governments: municipal or county ordinances would not override the Right to Farm protection for qualifying on‑farm employee housing consistent with the adopted practice.

Procedural status & timeline

Introduced: (listed actions) June 6, 2024 (referral to Assembly Commerce, Economic Development and Agriculture Committee).

Reported by Assembly Commerce, Economic Development and Agriculture Committee: December 16, 2024.

Referred/Reported with committee amendments by Assembly Labor Committee: February 20, 2025.

Substituted by companion bill S3353 (1R): March 24, 2025.

Primary sponsor: Assemblyman Charles Fall. A4501 (as amended) is identical to S3353 (1R).

Potential impacts and considerations

Benefits: may help commercial farms attract and retain full‑time agricultural labor by enabling on‑site housing with Right to Farm protection, reduce land‑use conflicts, and support farm operations that need resident labor.

Regulatory/implementation issues: SADC must define appropriate standards (health/safety, sizing tied to labor needs). Farms must comply with state and federal labor/housing statutes. Enforcement and interaction with local zoning, building, and code requirements may require clarification.

Worker protections: explicit compliance with state and federal farm labor housing and worker protection laws is required; the bill also prohibits charging rent, which affects employer/employee arrangements.

Bill