S 376 New Jersey Senate · 2026-2027 Regular Session

Prohibits condemnation of farmland actively supporting agricultural or horticultural production for purpose other than agricultural or horticultural production.

This bill prohibits the use of eminent domain to take farmland actively used for farming or gardening (agricultural or horticultural production) if the government or entity seeking the land plans to develop it for non-farming purposes, such as housing or commercial projects. It directly affects farmers, landowners with active farmland, and government agencies or developers seeking to acquire such land. The key mechanism amends New Jersey's eminent domain law to block condemnation for non-farming development, requiring condemnors to first negotiate fairly and prove they cannot acquire the land through agreement. This change aims to protect existing farmland from being lost to development, aligning with state goals for farmland preservation. The bill is currently pending in the Senate Economic Growth Committee.
Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2026
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Jan 13, 2026 Last action Jan 13, 2026
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Jan 13, 2026
Introduced
Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Economic Growth Committee
upper
1 primary · 1 co-sponsor

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