State Bill of the Month — August 2023: New Jersey S3560

The Taxpayers Protection Alliance’s (TPA) State Bill of the Month for August 2023 is S3560, an Act concerning the regulation of kitchen appliances and supplementing Title 52 of the Revised Statutes, introduced by Sens. Joseph Pennacchio (R) and Steven V. Oroho (R). This legislation would prevent governing bodies in the state of New Jersey from banning the use or installation of fossil fuel-powered kitchen appliances.

Background:

Federal officials have discussed a nationwide ban on gas stoves and other kitchen appliances, while New York enacted a ban on gas hookups in most new residential buildings in May 2023. Banning gas stoves and mandating electric stove installation and use in new American homes is bad policy and bad for consumers.

According to the National Fire Protection Association, four-fifths of cooking fires involve electric stoves. Elected officials seeking to replace gas-powered stoves with electric stoves are sacrificing individual safety for green initiative regulations. Moreover, gas stoves allow an individual to cook at an even, more consistent temperature compared to electric stoves. Also, gas stoves are 10 to 30 percent less costly than electric ones, while being sturdier and more compatible with a variety of cookware that is already accessible to consumers.

These burdensome regulations hurt taxpayers and consumers. A ban on gas stoves and other fossil fuel-powered appliances would essentially force taxpayers to choose other models that would be electric and would likely cost more. Costs for restaurants and other food-serving businesses would increase causing prices to increase with these mandates. Ultimately, consumers and small business owners should still be given the choice.

In the New Jersey Legislature, more work is being done by legislators to stop the burdensome regulations facing everyday people in the Garden State.

S3560:

S3560 would prohibit any governing authority from banning gas stoves and other kitchen appliances. Banning gas stoves and appliances is nothing more than an attempted overreach by our elected officials. This policy will allow New Jersey citizens’ to keep their decision-making for appliances in their own home and businesses.

It is for these reasons, among others, that TPA is proud to make the S3560, and act concerning the regulation of kitchen appliances and supplementing Title 52 of the Revised Statutes, introduced by New Jersey Sens. Jonathan Pennacchio (R) and Steven V. Oroho (R), its Bill of the Month for August 2023.