ASSEMBLY JUDICIARY COMMITTEE
STATEMENT TO
ASSEMBLY, No. 3739
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
DATED: SEPTEMBER 19, 2024
The Assembly Judiciary Committee reports favorably Assembly Bill No. 3739.
This bill would criminalize the use of “signal jammers” under
State law. Such devices are already illegal under federal law.
“Signal jammers,” which are also known as signal blockers, GPS jammers, cell phone jammers, and text blockers, are radio frequency transmitters that are designed to block, jam, or otherwise interfere with authorized radio communications. These devices can prevent cell phones from making or receiving calls, texts, and emails; block Wi-Fi devices from connecting to the Internet; prevent a GPS from receiving correct positioning signals; and prevent a first responder from locating a person in an emergency.
Under current law, it is a crime of the fourth degree to: (1) make, or cause to be made, a radio transmission of energy in this State unless the person obtains a license, or an exemption from licensure, from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) pursuant to applicable federal law or regulation, or (2) do any act to cause an unlicensed radio transmission of energy or interference with a public or commercial radio station licensed by the FCC or to enable the radio transmission of energy or interference to occur.
This bill provides that it would also be a crime of the fourth degree to interfere with or cause interference to any radio communications of any station licensed or authorized by or under any federal law or regulation or operated by the United States government; or, in violation of federal law or regulation, to use any scanning receiver that is capable of:
(1) receiving transmissions in the frequencies allocated to the domestic cellular radio telecommunications service,
(2) readily being altered by the user to receive transmissions in such frequencies, or
(3) being equipped with decoders that convert digital cellular transmissions to analog voice audio.