New Jersey Assembly forms special committee to explore Staten Island annexation
TRENTON, N.J. — The New Jersey General Assembly has introduced a resolution to establish a special committee to investigate the possibility of annexing Staten Island from New York, launching an unprecedented examination of historical, legal, and territorial claims dating back to the colonial era.
Assembly Resolution No. 198, introduced on July 24, 2025, by Assemblymen Robert Auth (District 39) and Christian E. Barranco (District 25), creates the “Assembly Special Committee on Staten Island Annexation.”
The 12-member bipartisan committee will be tasked with investigating New Jersey’s potential claims to Staten Island and exploring any legal pathways to annexation — a process that would require the consent of Staten Island residents, the State of New York, and the U.S. Congress.
The resolution has received widespread Republican support, with 21 additional co-sponsors from both houses, including Assemblymembers Webber, Sauickie, Fantasia, Scharfenberger, Clifton, Rumpf, Flynn, Kanitra, Torrissi, Myhre, Guardian, Barlas, Azzariti Jr., Simonsen, McClellan, Swift, DePhillips, Peterson, and DiMaio.
The committee is instructed to examine sources such as colonial land grants, the 1834 boundary compact between New York and New Jersey, and relevant case law. It will also hear testimony from historians, legal experts, and geographers before issuing a report detailing its findings and recommendations.
The resolution takes effect immediately and will expire once the committee’s work is completed.