Bill Text: NJ A983 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Prohibits service repair contractors from charging hourly rates for travel time.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-09 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Regulated Professions Committee [A983 Detail]

Download: New_Jersey-2024-A983-Introduced.html

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ASSEMBLY, No. 983

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

221st LEGISLATURE

 

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION

 

 

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman  NANCY F. MUNOZ

District 21 (Middlesex, Morris, Somerset and Union)

 

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS

     Prohibits service repair contractors from charging hourly rates for travel time.

 

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.

  

An Act concerning service repair contractors, and supplementing P.L.1960, c.39 (C.56:8-1 et seq.).

 

     Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

 

     1.    a.  It shall be an unlawful practice for a person to charge a consumer an hourly fee for time spent traveling to or from the consumer's residence or other location pursuant to a service repair contract.

     b.    As used in this section, "service repair contract" means a contract or agreement to perform the maintenance, servicing, replacement, or repair of tangible personal property, whether over a fixed period of time or for a specific duration.

 

     2.    This act shall take effect 90 days after enactment.

 

 

STATEMENT

 

     This bill makes it an unlawful practice under the consumer fraud act, P.L.1960, c.39 (C.56:8-1 et seq.), for a person to charge a consumer an hourly fee for time spent traveling to or from the consumer's residence or other location pursuant to a service repair contract.

     An unlawful practice under the consumer fraud act is punishable by a monetary penalty of not more than $10,000 for a first offense and not more than $20,000 for any subsequent offense. In addition, violations can result in cease and desist orders issued by the Attorney General, the assessment of punitive damages and the awarding of treble damages and costs to the injured party.