Assembly Commerce, Economic Development and Agriculture Committee Statement to Assembly, No. 2458 (March 6, 2025)

Summary

Assembly Commerce, Economic Development and Agriculture Committee statement to the State of New Jersey Assembly on Assembly Bill No. 2458, dated March 6, 2025, reporting the bill favorably and with committee amendments. As amended, the bill establishes the "Urban Gardening Pilot Program" in the Department of Agriculture to provide grants of up to $35,000 each to three qualified applicants for an urban garden in a low-income area. It appropriates $100,000 from the General Fund for the grants. The statement says the committee amended the bill to remove a provision requiring an applicant to demonstrate a contractual relationship with a licensed clinical social worker, and to make technical corrections.

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ASSEMBLY COMMERCE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND
           AGRICULTURE COMMITTEE

                           STATEMENT TO

                      ASSEMBLY, No. 2458
                          with committee amendments



       STATE OF NEW JERSEY
                            DATED: MARCH 6, 2025

          The Assembly Commerce, Economic Development and
      Agriculture Committee reports favorably, and with committee
      amendments, Assembly Bill No. 2458.
          As amended by the committee, this bill establishes the “Urban
      Gardening Pilot Program” in the Department of Agriculture
      (department) to provide grants to three qualified applicants to establish
      an urban garden in a low-income area of the State. The bill requires
      the department to award three qualified applicants a grant of up to
      $35,000 each, which the applicant will use for an urban garden for the
      three-year pilot program. The goal of the urban gardening program is
      to improve the local neighborhood conditions and integrate residents
      of diverse communities.
          The bill requires an agronomist or a qualified individual from the
      New Jersey Cooperative Extension Service to teach local residents
      how to plant and cultivate fresh produce or other agricultural products
      for consumption as food in the urban garden.
          Within three years of the effective date of the bill, the Secretary of
      Agriculture would be required to prepare and submit a written report
      to the Governor and to the Legislature summarizing the activities and
      findings of the program. The report would provide information on
      whether the program provided benefits to the local communities,
      evaluate the effectiveness of urban gardening in low-income areas as a
      means of improving the neighborhood and integrating residents of
      different ethnic backgrounds, and provide recommendations for
      legislative action, including whether or not to make the program
      permanent.
          The bill appropriates $100,000 to the Department of Agriculture
      from the General Fund in order to provide grants to three qualified
      applicants as required under the bill.
          This bill was pre-filed for introduction in the 2024-2025 session
      pending technical review. As reported, the bill includes the changes
      required by technical review, which has been performed.
                                 2

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS:
   The committee amended the bill to:
   (1) remove the provision that requires an applicant to the “Urban
Gardening Program” to demonstrate they have or will have a
contractual relationship with a licensed clinical social worker; and
   (2) make technical corrections.


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