The bill amends existing legislation to prioritize funding for land acquisition related to recreation and conservation, as well as environmental infrastructure projects that incorporate flood mitigation measures. It establishes the Office of Green Acres within the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), which will be responsible for administering funding and evaluating project eligibility. A key provision mandates that the Office prioritize Blue Acres projects that facilitate onsite flood mitigation when assessing applications for constitutionally dedicated funding.

Furthermore, the bill modifies the criteria for the clean water and drinking water project priority lists by requiring the Commissioner of Environmental Protection to assign additional priority points to projects that include flood mitigation components and employ local residents. This aims to ensure that funding is directed towards projects that enhance water quality, infrastructure, flood resilience, and local economic development. Additionally, the bill requires the trust to submit an annual report detailing water supply projects financed in the previous fiscal year, and it is set to take effect immediately upon passage.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 13:8C-24, 58:11B-20, 58:11B-20.1