Bill Text: NJ S738 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires motor vehicle rental companies provide 24-hour drop off or return service.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 2-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-09 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Commerce Committee [S738 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-S738-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Senator DOUGLAS J. STEINHARDT
District 23 (Hunterdon, Somerset and Warren)
Senator JON M. BRAMNICK
District 21 (Middlesex, Morris, Somerset and Union)
SYNOPSIS
Requires motor vehicle rental companies provide 24-hour drop off or return service.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act concerning motor vehicle rental companies 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. Notwithstanding any law, rule or regulation to the contrary, each owner in the business of renting motor vehicles pursuant to R.S.45:21-12 shall provide a method to allow a person to return a vehicle 24 hours per day.
b. An owner that violates the provisions of subsection a. of this section shall be subject to a civil penalty of up to $2,500 for a first offense and up to a $5,000 for any subsequent offense, which may be collected and enforced by the Director of the Division of Consumer Affairs in the Department of Law and Public Safety in a summary proceeding pursuant to the "Penalty Enforcement Law of 1999," P.L.1999, c.274 (C.2A:58-10 et seq.). The Superior Court shall have jurisdiction of proceedings for the enforcement of the penalty provided by this section.
c. The Director of Consumer Affairs may, pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), adopt rules and regulations necessary to effectuate the purposes of this act.
2. This act shall take effect on the first day of the third month next following the date of enactment, except the Director of the Division of Consumer Affairs may take any administrative action in advance of the effective date as may be necessary to implement the provisions of this act.
STATEMENT
This bill requires motor vehicle rental companies to permit a customer to return a motor vehicle 24 hours per day.
Currently, after-hours vehicle returns are not available at all car rental locations or by all rental companies. Unforeseen circumstances, such as traffic or air travel delays, may create conditions that make it problematic for a rented vehicle to be returned within standard business hours. This creates an inconvenience to the customer and, in some cases, an added expense. This bill requires rental companies to develop a method for customers to return vehicles after-hours.
A violation of the bill's provisions results in a civil penalty of $2,500 for a first offense and up to $5,000 for any subsequent offense, which may be collected and enforced by the Director of the Division of Consumer Affairs.
