§ 34:1B-306 — Food Desert Relief Program.

38. a. (1) There is established the Food Desert Relief Program to be administered by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority. The program shall include tax credit components, as provided in sections 39 and 40 of P.L.2020, c.156 (C.34:1B-307 and 34:1B-308), in order to incentivize businesses to establish and retain new supermarkets and grocery stores in food desert communities. (2) The total value of tax credits approved by the authority pursuant to sections 39 and 40 of P.L.2020, c.156 (C.34:1B-307 and 34:1B-308) shall not exceed the limitations set forth in section 98 of P.L.2020, c.156 (C.34:1B-362). b. The authority, in consultation with the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Community Affairs, shall initially designate not more than 50 separate geographic areas that have limited access to nutritious foods as food desert communities in this State. The authority, in consultation with the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Community Affairs, shall develop criteria for the designation of food desert communities, but each separate food desert community shall consist of a distinct geographic area with a single defined border. The criteria shall, at a minimum, incorporate analysis of municipal or census tract poverty statistics, food desert information from the Economic Research Service of the United States Department of Agriculture, healthier food retail tract information from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and residents' access to nutritious foods, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, through supermarkets and grocery stores. The authority, in consultation with the departments, may also consider in making food desert community designations pursuant to this subsection, data related to municipal or census tract population size and population density, the number of residents who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits within a municipality, the extent to which a municipality's residents have access to a personal vehicle, and a municipality's Municipal Revitalization Index distress score, obesity rate, and unemployment rate. The authority, in consultation with the departments, shall continuously evaluate areas previously designated as food desert communities and assess whether they still meet the criteria for designation as a food desert community and may designate additional food desert communities once every three years following the effective date of sections 35 through 42 of P.L.2020, c.156 (C.34:1B-303 through 34:1B-310). c. To receive a tax credit under section 39 or 40 of P.L.2020, c.156 (C.34:1B-307 or 34:1B-308), a taxpayer shall submit an application to the authority in the form and manner prescribed by the authority and in accordance with criteria established by the authority, which at minimum will include a commitment to accept benefits from federal nutrition assistance programs, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). Following the approval of an application, the authority may, pursuant to an award agreement, award tax credits to an eligible taxpayer that: (1) develops and opens for business to the public the first or second supermarket or grocery store in a designated food desert community; or (2) owns, leases, or subleases, and operates the first or second new supermarket or grocery store in a designated food desert community. d. (1) The authority may sell all or a portion of the tax credits made available in a fiscal year pursuant to subsection a. of this section through a competitive auction process or a publicly advertised solicitation for offers and dedicate the proceeds from such sale to provide grants and loans to qualifying supermarkets, grocery stores, mid-sized food retailers, small food retailers, and any other eligible entity. The amount of any grant or loan provided pursuant to this subsection shall be in accordance with the need of the supermarket, grocery store, mid-sized food retailer, small food retailer, or any other eligible entity, as determined by the authority. The authority shall sell tax credits pursuant to this section in the manner determined by the authority; provided, however, the authority shall not sell tax credits for less than 85 percent of the tax credit amount. Any credit sold shall be valid in the privilege period in which the sale is approved, and any unused portion thereof may be carried forward into the next seven privilege periods or until exhausted, whichever is earlier. Grants and loans made available pursuant to this subsection shall be awarded to entities that: (a) operate a supermarket or grocery store that meets criteria established by the authority, which criteria shall, at minimum, include a commitment to accept benefits from federal nutrition assistance programs, including, but not limited to, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), in a designated food desert community; (b) own, lease, or sublease, and operate a mid-sized food retailer or small food retailer that commits to selling nutritious foods, including fresh fruits and vegetables, in a designated food desert community; or (c) at the discretion of the authority, support initiatives to strengthen food security of residents in food desert communities. (2) A supermarket, grocery store, mid-sized food retailer, small food retailer, or other eligible entity shall submit an application to the authority to receive a grant or loan pursuant to this subsection. The application shall be submitted in the form and manner prescribed by the authority and in accordance with criteria established by the authority. An entity eligible for a grant or loan under subparagraph (a) of paragraph (1) of this subsection shall not be required to submit a separate application to the authority for the grant or loan, provided that the entity has submitted an application to the authority pursuant to subsection c. of this section. (3) Prior to awarding a grant or loan to an applicant supermarket, grocery store, mid-sized food retailer, small food retailer, or other eligible entity pursuant to this subsection, the authority shall confirm with the Department of Labor and Workforce Development, the Department of Environmental Protection, and the Department of the Treasury whether the applicant is in substantial good standing with the respective department, or has entered into an agreement with the respective department that includes a practical corrective action plan for the applicant. The applicant shall certify that any contractors or subcontractors that perform work at the qualifying supermarket or grocery store: (a) are registered as required by "The Public Works Contractor Registration Act," P.L.1999, c.238 (C.34:11-56.48 et seq.); (b) have not been debarred by the Department of Labor and Workforce Development from engaging in or bidding on Public Works Contracts in the State; and (c) possess a tax clearance certificate issued by the Division of Taxation in the Department of the Treasury. The authority may also contract with an independent third party to perform a background check on the entity. (4) An applicant supermarket, grocery store, mid-sized food retailer, small food retailer, or other eligible entity shall, as required at the discretion of the authority, submit to the authority satisfactory information pertaining to the eligible equipment costs and eligible technology costs, as certified by a certified public accountant, certifications that all information provided by the applicant to the authority is true, including information contained in the application, any agreement pertaining to the award of grants or loans under the program, any amendment to such an agreement, and any other information submitted by the applicant to the authority pursuant to sections 35 through 42 of P.L.2020, c.156 (C.34:1B-303 through 34:1B-310), and evidence of the eligible equipment costs and eligible technology costs of the applicant. The applicant, or an authorized agent of the applicant, shall certify under the penalty of perjury that the information provided pursuant to this subsection is true. e. The authority may establish a technical assistance fund to assist any entity that is eligible for a tax credit, grant, or loan under this section. The authority, through the technical assistance fund, may make grants to entities to assist qualifying supermarkets, grocery stores, mid-sized food retailers, small food retailers, or other eligible entities in implementation of best practices for increasing the accessibility of nutritious foods in food desert communities. Technical assistance shall be provided either directly by the authority or through a not-for-profit or for-profit entity and made available in English as well as the two most commonly spoken languages in New Jersey other than English. At the discretion of the authority, funds to support technical assistance may be provided in addition to, or in lieu of, any tax credit, grant, or loan awarded under sections 35 through 42 of P.L.2020, c.156 (C.34:1B-303 through 34:1B-310). f. (1) The authority shall require that any tax credits, grants, or loans awarded by the authority under the program be utilized by the recipient for one or more of the following purposes, which shall be set forth in the award agreement: (a) to mitigate a project financing gap; (b) to mitigate the initial operating costs of the supermarket or grocery store; (c) to mitigate the eligible equipment costs or eligible technology costs of the supermarket, grocery store, mid-sized food retailer, small food retailer, or other eligible entity in order to make nutritious foods more accessible and affordable to residents within food desert communities; or (d) to support initiatives to ensure the food security of residents in food desert communities. (2) The value of tax credits, grants, or loans awarded to individual entities under the program shall not exceed: (a) in the case of an entity eligible under paragraph (1) of subsection c. of this section, 40 percent of the total project cost for the first supermarket or grocery store in a designated food desert community, and 20 percent of the total project cost for the second supermarket or grocery store in the food desert community; and (b) in the case of an entity eligible under paragraph (2) of subsection c. of this section, the initial operating costs of the first supermarket or grocery store in a designated food desert community, and one-half of the initial operating costs of the second supermarket or grocery store in the food desert community; (c) in the case of an entity eligible for a grant or loan under subparagraph (b) of paragraph (1) of subsection d. of this section, the eligible equipment costs and eligible technology costs of the supermarket, grocery store, mid-sized food retailer, small food retailer, or other eligible entity; and (d) in the case of an entity eligible for a grant or loan under subparagraph (c) of paragraph (1) of subsection d. of this section, the costs of initiatives to ensure the food security of residents in food desert communities. g. An entity that develops and opens the first or second new supermarket or grocery store in a designated food desert community shall be eligible for a tax credit only if the entity demonstrates to the authority at the time of application that: (1) each worker employed to perform construction at the project shall be paid not less than the prevailing wage rate for the worker's craft or trade, as determined by the Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development pursuant to P.L.1963, c.150 (C.34:11-56.25 et seq.) and P.L.2005, c.379 (C.34:11-56.58 et seq.); (2) without the tax credit award, the project is not economically feasible; (3) a project financing gap exists; and (4) except for demolition and site remediation activities, the entity has not commenced any construction at the site of the project before submitting an application, unless the authority determines that the project would not be completed otherwise. h. (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, a labor harmony agreement shall be required if the State has a proprietary interest in a supermarket or grocery store and the agreement shall remain in effect for as long as the State acts as a market participant in the project. The provisions of this paragraph shall apply to a supermarket or grocery store that will have more than 10 employees. (2) A labor harmony agreement under paragraph (1) of this subsection shall not be required if the authority determines that the supermarket or grocery store would not be feasible if a labor harmony agreement is required. The authority shall support the determination by a written finding, which provides the specific basis for the determination. (3) As used in this subsection, "labor harmony agreement" means an agreement between a business that serves as the owner or operator of a supermarket or grocery store and one or more labor organizations, which requires, for the duration of the agreement: that any participating labor organization and its members agree to refrain from picketing, work stoppages, boycotts, or other economic interference against the business; and that the business agrees to maintain a neutral posture with respect to efforts of any participating labor organization to represent employees at a supermarket or grocery store, agrees to permit the labor organization to have access to the employees, and agrees to guarantee to the labor organization the right to obtain recognition as the exclusive collective bargaining representatives of the employees at a supermarket or grocery store by demonstrating to the New Jersey State Board of Mediation, Division of Private Employment Dispute Settlement, or a mutually agreed-upon, neutral, third-party, that a majority of workers in the unit have shown their preference for the labor organization to be their representative by signing authorization cards indicating that preference. The labor organization or organizations shall be from a list of labor organizations that have requested to be on the list and that the Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development has determined represent substantial numbers of supermarket or grocery store employees in the State. i. A recipient shall certify that all factual representations made by the recipient in the application or award agreement are true under the penalty of perjury. A material misrepresentation of fact in either the application or award agreement may result in recession and recapture of any grants or tax credits awarded, or acceleration of any loans made, under sections 35 through 42 of P.L.2020, c.156 (C.34:1B-303 through 34:1B-310). L.2020, c.156, s.38; amended 2021, c.160, s.14; 2022, c.47, s.2; 2023, c.118, s.5.