ASSEMBLY APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE
STATEMENT TO
ASSEMBLY, No. 4761
with committee amendments
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
DATED: DECEMBER 4, 2023
The Assembly Appropriations Committee reports favorably and
with committee amendments Assembly Bill No. 4761.
This bill, as amended by the committee, would require the
Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to conduct
assessments every five years on the regulation of perfluoroalkyl and
polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water.
Specifically, the bill would require the DEP to conduct an
assessment every five years of PFASs that are unregulated at the time
of the assessment by State or federal law, or any rules and regulations
adopted pursuant thereto, in order to determine whether a maximum
contaminant level or other drinking water standard should be
established for additional PFASs. The bill would also require the DEP
to conduct an assessment of whether current and proposed maximum
contaminant levels for PFASs adequately protect the health of
children, given their lower average body weight, and their higher ratio
of drinking water intake by weight, as compared to a maximum
contaminant level based on the average adult body weight. The bill
would require the DEP to provide a written report containing the
findings of each assessment to the Governor and the Legislature, and
to post the report on its website.
COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS :
The committee amendments to the bill:
(1) require that the assessments be performed every five years,
rather than annually;
(2) clarify that the assessment would be required of PFASs
unregulated pursuant to State or federal law, or any rules and
regulations adopted pursuant thereto; and
(3) require the DEP to take into account whether a proposed
maximum contaminant level for PFASs would adequately protect the
health of children, given the higher ratio of drinking water intake by
weight of children, in addition to the lower body weight of children. 2
FISCAL IMPACT:
The Office of Legislative Services (OLS) estimates that this bill
could increase State expenditures by at least $115,000 to $483,000
every five years for the DEP to conduct the assessments and publish
the reports required under the bill. This range represents the minimum
annual employee resource costs that the DEP could incur under the
bill.