7. a. Notwithstanding the provisions of any other law, rule, or regulation to the contrary, a local contracting unit shall, whenever technically feasible, use or require the use of unit concrete products that utilize carbon footprint-reducing technology, which may include permeable pavers, when entering into a contract for the purchase of unit concrete products, or for any construction or improvement project that requires the use of unit concrete products, including the replacement of impervious surfaces with permeable pavement.

b. The director, in consultation with the Department of Environmental Protection, shall develop and publish guidelines for implementing the requirement established pursuant to subsection a. of this section. The guidelines shall conform to any standards or procedures established pursuant to section 10 of P.L.2021, c.278 (C. 52:27D-141.17). Whenever a local contracting unit purchases unit concrete products, or undertakes any construction or improvement project that requires the use of unit concrete products, the local contracting unit shall follow the guidelines therefor established by the director.

c. In preparing the specifications for a contract for the purchase of unit concrete products, or for any construction or improvement project that requires the use of unit concrete products, a local contracting unit shall include in the invitation to bid, including in the specifications for all contracts for county or municipal work or for work for which it will pay any part of the cost, or work which by contract or ordinance it will ultimately own and maintain, where relevant, a statement that any response to the invitation shall use unit concrete products that utilize carbon footprint-reducing technology whenever technically feasible. The local contracting unit shall include in its project specifications a specific line item for each unit concrete product to be used in the project.

d. The provisions of this section shall not apply to:

(1) any binding contractual obligations for the purchase of goods or services entered into prior to the effective date of P.L.2021, c.278 (C. 52:27D-141.15 et al.);

(2) bid packages advertised and made available to the public, or to any competitive and sealed bids received by the local contracting unit, prior to the effective date of P.L.2021, c.278 (C. 52:27D-141.15 et al.);

(3) any amendment, modification, or renewal of a contract, which contract was entered into prior to the effective date of P.L.2021, c.278 (C. 52:27D-141.15 et al.) where the application would delay timely completion of a project or involve an increase in the total moneys to be paid by the local contracting unit under that contract; or

(4) a contract when the head of a local contracting unit determines, in their sole discretion, that the purchase and use of unit concrete products that utilize carbon footprint-reducing technology would increase the cost of the contract.

e. As used in this section:

“Director” means the Director of the Division of Local Government Services in the Department of Community Affairs.

“Local contracting unit” means any public agency subject to the provisions of the “Local Public Contracts Law,” P.L.1971, c.198 (C. 40A:11-1 et seq.), the “Public School Contracts Law,” N.J.S. 18A:18A-1 et seq., the “State College Contracts Law,” P.L.1986, c.43 (C. 18A:64-52 et seq.), or the “County College Contracts Law,” P.L.1982, c.189 (C. 18A:64A-25.1 et seq.).

“Permeable pavement” means a concrete product that allows rainwater to penetrate the pavement and percolate into the supporting soils and includes, but is not limited to, pervious concrete, permeable interlocking concrete pavers, and concrete grid pavers.

“Unit concrete product” means a concrete building product that is fabricated under controlled conditions separate and remote from the intended point of use and is produced in a wet cast or dry cast method in a factory setting and then transported to the location of intended use for installation, including, but not limited to, all concrete pavers, whether permeable or non-permeable, and concrete block. “Unit concrete product” shall not include ready mix concrete, sand, stone, gravel, or bituminous concrete or asphalt.

“Unit concrete product that utilizes carbon footprint-reducing technology” means a unit concrete product that is certified by the Department of Environmental Protection, or any independent third party authorized by the department, pursuant to section 10 of P.L.2021, c.278 (C. 52:27D-141.17), as generating at least 50 percent less carbon dioxide emissions in the production and utilization of the unit concrete product than conventional unit concrete products made with ordinary Portland cement. Such products shall also conform with the relevant requirements of the “State Uniform Construction Code Act,” P.L.1975, c.217 (C. 52:27D-119 et seq.) that incorporate by reference TMS 402/602 Building Code Requirements and Specification for Masonry Structures.

L. 2021, c.278, s.7.