LEGISLATIVE FISCAL ESTIMATE

[First Reprint]

ASSEMBLY, No. 4765

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

221st LEGISLATURE

 

DATED: JULY 3, 2025

 

 

SUMMARY

 

Synopsis:

Requires driver education and testing on responsibilities when approaching and passing pedestrians and persons operating bicycles and personal conveyances; requires driver’s manual to include information on sharing roadway with motorists for certain road users.

Type of Impact:

Increase in annual State expenditures.

Agencies Affected:

New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission.

 

 

Office of Legislative Services Estimate

Fiscal Impact

Annual

 

State Expenditure Increase

Indeterminate

 

 

 

 

·       The Office of Legislative Services (OLS) determines that the bill will likely result in indeterminate annual increased costs to the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission attributable to updating and printing the informational brochure distributed to the parents and guardians of new drivers.  Additionally, the bill will result in increased one-time expenditures for the commission attributable to updating the driver’s manual, curriculum, and written knowledge examination for a driving permit with the required information outlined in the bill.

 

·       The OLS estimates that it may cost approximately $1,000 for a graphic designer to utilize existing materials to produce a tri-fold brochure consistent with the requirements of the bill.  Online quotes suggest that a print run of 10,000 glossy color brochures would cost approximately $1,000.

 

·       The OLS is unable to quantify the cost to update the driver’s manual and examination because it is unclear whether the commission will need to hire a third party to produce new manuals and examinations or make changes to its computer programing or technology to create new driver’s manuals and exams.

 

 

BILL DESCRIPTION

 

      This bill requires the informational brochure distributed to the parents and guardians of new drivers, the curriculum approved for classroom driver education courses, and the written knowledge examination for a driving permit to be updated to include information pertaining to a driver’s responsibilities when approaching and passing a pedestrian or person operating a bicycle or personal conveyance on the roadway and the penalties for failing to comply with these responsibilities. 

      The bill also requires the driver’s manual to include information pertaining to the importance of operating a motor vehicle in a manner that safely shares the roadway with pedestrians, cyclists, skaters, riders of motorized-scooters, and other non-motorized vehicles, which is required to include a driver’s responsibilities under current law when approaching and passing a pedestrian or person operating a bicycle or personal conveyance on the roadway and the penalties for failing to comply with these responsibilities.

      The bill also requires the driver’s manual to include information that instructs pedestrians, cyclists, skaters, riders of motorized-scooters, and riders of other non-motorized vehicles on the proper safety procedures while sharing the roadway with motorists.

 

FISCAL ANALYSIS

 

EXECUTIVE BRANCH

 

      None received.

 

OFFICE OF LEGISLATIVE SERVICES

 

      The OLS determines that the bill will likely result in indeterminate annual increased costs to the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission attributable to updating and printing the informational brochure distributed to the parents and guardians of new drivers.  Additionally, the bill will likely result in increased one-time expenditures for the commission attributable to updating the drivers manual and examinations with the required information outlined in the bill. 

      The commission may be able to use the existing “move over” law public awareness campaign materials to assist in the creation of a new brochure.  The OLS estimates that it may cost approximately $1,000 for a graphic designer to utilize existing materials to construct a tri-fold brochure consistent with the requirements of the bill.  Online quotes suggest that a print run of 10,000 glossy color brochures would cost approximately $1,000.  The OLS lacks the informational basis to estimate how many brochures will be printed annually to determine a cost estimate.

      The commission will likely also incur additional costs to update the current driver’s manual and examinations to include information required by the bill.  The OLS is unable to quantify this increase because it is unclear whether the commission will need to hire a third party to produce new manuals and examinations or make changes to its computer programing or technology to create new driver’s manuals and examinations.  Additional computer changes will be necessary to update the written knowledge test with the required information.

 

Section:

Authorities, Utilities, Transportation and Communications

Analyst:

Andrew Edmonson

Associate Counsel

Approved:

Thomas Koenig

Legislative Budget and Finance Officer

This legislative fiscal estimate has been produced by the Office of Legislative Services due to the failure of the Executive Branch to respond to our request for a fiscal note.

 

This fiscal estimate has been prepared pursuant to P.L.1980, c.67 (C.52:13B-6 et seq.).