The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.New Jersey bill caps flood zone delineations at one foot above federal levels and restricts NJPACT rules until 2038
Last action · January 13, 2026: Introduced, Referred to Assembly Environment and Solid Waste CommitteeSponsors: Paul Kanitra and 5 others
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What This Bill Would Do
Legislation requires the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection to set state delineations at no more than one foot above Federal Emergency Management Agency s, while blocking implementation of the Protecting Against Climate Threats rules until June 1, 2038, unless authorized by the Legislature.
Property owners applying for state environmental permits will face a standardized flood hazard height restriction instead of potential higher elevations proposed by environmental regulators, altering building and development standards in flood-prone areas.
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
New Jersey property owners
Property owners applying for state environmental permits must base their site plans on flood hazard delineations capped at one foot above federal elevations.
Department of Environmental Protection
The department's authority to set flood hazard area elevations is restricted, and its ability to adopt NJPACT rules is suspended until 2038 without legislative approval.
New Jersey Legislature
The Legislature gains oversight authority to review and approve or reject any proposed NJPACT-similar rules via concurrent resolution prior to June 1, 2038.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the bill do regarding flood hazard boundaries?
Can the Department of Environmental Protection adopt the NJPACT rules right now?
When do permit applicants have to comply with the new one-foot cap?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.
Procedural history
1 action- Jan 13, 2026HouseIntroducedIntroduced, Referred to Assembly Environment and Solid Waste Committee
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Show 1 more sponsor
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Legislative Oversight over Environmental Rules
The bill shifts rule-approving authority from the Department of Environmental Protection to the Legislature by requiring concurrent resolutions for NJPACT-similar regulations until 2038.
Connected Entities
Sources
njleg.state.nj.us
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance75How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy80Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz60Current news / social attention level
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