ASSEMBLY CONSUMER AFFAIRS COMMITTEE

 

STATEMENT TO

 

ASSEMBLY, No. 1884

 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

 

DATED:  OCTOBER 13, 2022

 

      The Assembly Consumer Affairs Committee reports favorably Assembly Bill No. 1884.

      As reported by the committee, Assembly Bill No. 1884 requires telecommunications, cable television, and Internet service providers (service providers) to allow service recipients to terminate service contracts following a physician’s referral to a long-term care facility

      Under the bill, a service provider doing business in this State is required to allow a service recipient to terminate the contract in accordance with the bill.  The bill requires a service provider to permit a service recipient to terminate, without incurring an early termination fee, the contract for those services as provided in the bill.

      The bill requires a service recipient to provide, unless waived or not required by the service provider, the service provider with no less than with 45 days’ notice prior to the contract termination or cancellation; provided, however, a service provider is to waive the notice requirement and permit the termination within 48 hours if a physician’s order requires immediate relocation to a long-term care facility.  A service provider may require written proof of a service recipient’s relocation to a long-term facility.  If the service provider requires written proof, then the delivery of a written notice to the service provider of the contract termination and a letter signed by the service recipient’s physician, no later than 45 days prior to the scheduled date of termination, is deemed sufficient proof.

      The bill further provides that nothing in the bill is to relieve a service recipient of an obligation to return equipment to the service provider or to be charged a lawful unreturned equipment charge, nor is a service recipient relieved from any amounts owed for any equipment purchased by the service recipient.

      This bill was pre-filed for introduction in the 2022-2023 session pending technical review.  As reported, this bill includes the changes required by technical review, which has been performed.