Bill
A 2308
Requires the State Capitol Complex to adopt and update an environmental sustainability plan, with annual progress reporting and advisory input to guide operations and contracts.
Status: Introduced Jan. 9, 2024; referred to committee; reported favorably with committee amendments by the Assembly Environment, Natural Resources, and Solid Waste Committee (3/10/2025). Identical to Senate Bill S199 (1R). Effective immediately if enacted.
Purpose
- Require the State Capitol Joint Management Commission to adopt, implement, and periodically update an environmental sustainability plan for the State House (State Capitol) Complex to guide operations, maintenance, contracting, and capital improvements with sustainability goals.
Key provisions
- Commission duties: Amend P.L.1992, c.67 to make development and implementation of an environmental sustainability plan an explicit duty of the commission and its subcommittees; require issuance of an annual progress report that is available free on request and posted to the Governor’s and Legislature’s websites.
- Plan contents: The plan must include:
- Energy-savings and efficiency initiatives (including alternative electric energy, Energy Star product use, and other technology upgrades);
- Water conservation techniques;
- Applicable Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) principles;
- Involvement of State capitol complex food services, including consideration of locally produced foods (e.g., Jersey Fresh) and sustainable serviceware (committee amendment replaces “biodegradable or bio-plastic” with “compostable” utensils);
- Methods to reduce carbon emissions and the complex’s carbon footprint (examples listed: tree planting, purchasing carbon credits);
- Performance measures to track progress across plan elements;
- An estimate of any increased expenditures needed to implement the plan and identification of potential funding sources.
- Contracting and operations: The commission must consider the environmental sustainability plan when entering into contracts under subtitle 5 of Title 52 (contracting provisions).
- Advisory committee: The commission must appoint an advisory committee of environmental sustainability experts to assist with plan preparation and implementation.
- Protection of completed projects: No alteration of elements of completed restoration/preservation/improvement/environmental sustainability projects without commission or subcommittee approval.
Who is affected
- State Capitol Joint Management Commission and its subcommittees (including executive and legislative branch facility management subcommittees);
- Contractors, vendors, and food service providers operating in or providing services to the State House Complex;
- State agencies coordinating use or management of shared facilities/systems with the commission.
Procedural/timeline notes
- The plan must be revised as necessary, but at minimum every four years.
- The bill takes effect immediately upon enactment.
- Committee amendment: replaces reference to “biodegradable or bio-plastic” utensils with “compostable utensils” and includes a technical correction.
Potential impacts
- Establishes formal sustainability planning and reporting for the State House Complex, likely prompting changes in procurement, facility management, and food services practices.
- May create upfront costs for upgrades or new technologies but also aims to track performance measures that could demonstrate long‑term operational savings and emissions reductions.
- Increases transparency through annual online reporting and the use of expert advisory input to guide implementation.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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