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NJ S2186
Bill
Status
Introduced
1/13/2026
Primary Sponsor
Andrew Zwicker
Click for details
AI Summary
- Designates the hazelnut as the official State nut of New Jersey, effective immediately upon enactment
- Recognizes Rutgers University's 1996 research program that developed hazelnut varieties resistant to eastern filbert blight, a fungal disease that previously prevented commercial hazelnut farming in the eastern United States
- Notes that Rutgers released four disease-resistant varieties in 2020 named "Raritan," "Somerset," "Monmouth," and "Hunterdon" after New Jersey locations
- Acknowledges New Jersey as the first East Coast state to commercially grow hazelnuts, with more than 30 growers cultivating over 100 acres of trees
- Cites the multi-billion-dollar hazelnut industry, with U.S. production currently accounting for five percent of worldwide output, almost exclusively from Oregon's Willamette Valley
Legislative Description
Designates hazelnut as State nut of New Jersey.
State Government, Wagering, Tourism & Historic Preservation
Last Action
Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism & Historic Preservation Committee
1/13/2026
Committee Referrals
State Government, Wagering, Tourism & Historic Preservation1/13/2026
Full Bill Text
No bill text available