New Jersey S 1673: The "School Safety and Security Act"; establishes penalties for certain criminal acts committed on school property.

Bill Text

S1673 2R 

[Second Reprint]

SENATE, No. 1673 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

� 

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Senator ANDREW ZWICKER

District 16 (Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex and Somerset)

Co-Sponsored by:

Senator Timberlake

SYNOPSIS

���� Requires transmission owners to join regional 
transmission organizations approved by Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT 

���� As reported by the Senate Budget and Appropriations 
Committee on June 28, 2026, with amendments.

��

An Act concerning electric transmission facilities and 
supplementing Title 48 of the Revised Statutes.

���� Be It 
Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of 
the State of New Jersey:

���� 11.�� The 
Legislature finds and declares that:� 

���� a.���� The 
reliable operation of the electric transmission system is essential to the 
health, safety, and economic welfare of the residents of the State and to the 
State�s ongoing response to the electricity affordability emergency declared by 
the Governor;

���� b.��� 2The regional 
coordination of electric transmission facilities, through entities approved by 
the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to serve as regional 
transmission organizations, independent system operators, or functionally-similar 
entities, promotes system reliability;

���� c.2� Membership 
in 2[an RTO, as 
defined in section 2 of P.L. , c. 
(C. ) (pending before the 
Legislature as this bill), for electric transmission facilities placed in 
service on or after January 1, 2027,] 
such entities2 
is necessary to provide regulatory certainty for transmission planning, 
protect the State�s investment in regional transmission infrastructure, and 
ensure that changes in the ownership or business strategy of any individual 
transmission owner do not disrupt the reliable operation of the State�s 
electric transmission system; and

���� 2[c.] d.2���� It 
is therefore in the public interest of the State to require 2[that]2 each 
electric transmission facility located in New Jersey 2[and placed 
in service on or after January 1, 2027 is] 
to be2 
owned and operated by a transmission owner that 2is a 
member of, and2 
has transferred operational control of those facilities to 2,2 an 
entity approved by 2[the Federal 
Energy Regulatory Commission] 
FERC2 
to serve as a regional transmission organization, independent system 
operator, or functionally-similar entity.1

���� 1[1.] 2.1���� 2a.2� As 
used in 2[P.L. , 
c. (C. ) 
(pending before the Legislature as this bill)] 
this section2:� 

���� 1[�Affiliate� 
means any individual or entity that directly or indirectly controls, is under 
common control with, or is controlled by a public utility.

���� �Electric public utility� 
means a public utility, as that term is defined in R.S.48:2-13, that transmits 
and distributes electricity to end users within the State.]1

���� �Electric transmission 
facility� means an interconnected group of electric transmission lines and 
associated equipment for moving or transferring electric energy in bulk between 
points of supply and points at which it is transformed for delivery over the 
distribution system lines to consumers or is delivered to other electric 
systems.

���� 1[�Rate 
pancaking� means the practice of multiple transmission providers charging 
consumers multiple, duplicative transmission charges for electricity deliveries 
crossing multiple transmission systems.

���� �Transmission entity�] �RTO�1 means 
an entity approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to serve as a 
regional transmission organization, independent system operator, or 1[functionally 
similar] 
functionally-similar1 
entity.

���� �Transmission owner� means the 
owner or operator of an electric transmission facility. 1[�Transmission 
owner� includes, but is not limited to, an electric public utility.

���� �User� means any entity or 
affiliate of that entity that buys or sells electric energy in the transmission 
entity�s region or in a neighboring region.]1

���� 2b.�� Notwithstanding 
any law, rule, regulation, or order to the contrary, a transmission owner 
located in this State on or after the effective date of P.L. , 
c. (C. ) 
(pending before the Legislature as this bill) shall be a member of, and 
transfer control of any electric transmission facilities that it owns or 
operates to, an RTO.

���� c.���� The Board of Public 
Utilities may adopt, pursuant to the �Administrative Procedure Act,� P.L.1968, 
c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), rules and regulations as may be necessary to 
implement this section.2

����� 1[2.] 2[3.1� 
a.� Notwithstanding any law, 
rule, regulation, or order to the contrary, 1[no] but subject to subsections b., c., and d. of 
this section, any1 transmission owner 1[shall own or control an electric transmission 
facility]1 located in this State on or after the effective 
date of P.L. , c. 
(C. ) (pending before the 
Legislature as this bill) 1[unle