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A 4818

Prohibits Department of Agriculture from regulating minimum property size required per number of honeybee hives.

2026-2027 Regular Session Introduced by Dawn Fantasia

Prohibits the NJ Department of Agriculture from enforcing any minimum property-size requirements per hive for keeping honeybees.

Introduced, Referred to Assembly Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee
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Bill Summary · A 4818

Bill Summary: A-4818 (NJ, 222nd Legislature)

Title

Prohibits Department of Agriculture from regulating minimum property size required per number of honeybee hives

Purpose and Intent

  • The bill seeks to remove the New Jersey Department of Agriculture’s authority to regulate the minimum parcel size (property size) needed for each number of honeybee hives.
  • In effect, it prevents state-imposed minimum lot/land-area requirements tied to apiary activities or the keeping of honeybees.

Key Provisions

  1. Restriction on regulatory authority:

    • Section 1 states that, notwithstanding any existing law, rule, or regulation to the contrary, the Department of Agriculture shall not regulate the minimum property size required per number of hives for keeping honeybees or related apiary activities.
    • This implies that current or future Department of Agriculture rules setting minimum lot sizes per hive would be invalid or unenforceable to the extent they regulate such minimums.

  2. Effective date:

    • Section 2 specifies that the act takes effect immediately upon enactment.

Who/What Is Affected

  • Apiary operators and beekeepers in New Jersey: The regulatory constraint relating to minimum property size per hive would not be enforceable by the NJ Department of Agriculture.
  • Land use and beekeeping practices: Potential changes to how beekeepers organize and layout apiary sites, particularly in relation to parcel size requirements that might have existed under state regulation.

Procedural and Timeline Details

  • Introduction and referral: Introduced May 4, 2026, and referred to the Assembly Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee.
  • Sponsors: Primary sponsor listed is Dawn Fantasia (co-sponsor).
  • Immediate effect: If enacted, the act would take effect immediately.

Potential Implications

  • The bill could reduce regulatory barriers for beekeepers who operate on smaller parcels if prior Department of Agriculture rules mandated a minimum land area per hive.
  • It shifts any decision-making about minimum site size from state regulation to brood- or county-level, private, or other jurisdictional considerations (if not addressed by other laws).
  • Local zoning, site planning, or beekeeping associations may still govern practical hive placement, but this bill limits a specific state-imposed minimums tied to hive counts.

Notes

  • The text is concise and narrowly focused on prohibiting the Department of Agriculture from enforcing minimum property-size standards per hive.
  • No new standards are established by the bill; rather, it removes a specific regulatory authority.

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

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