LEGISLATIVE FISCAL ESTIMATE

[First Reprint]

ASSEMBLY, No. 5079

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

221st LEGISLATURE

 

DATED: SEPTEMBER 3, 2025

 

 

SUMMARY

 

Synopsis:

Concerns electrical linemen and associated building trades during weather-related states of emergency.

Type of Impact:

Potential annual increase in annual State expenditures; potential increase in annual State revenues. 

Agencies Affected:

Department of Law and Public Safety; Motor Vehicle Commission.

 

 

Office of Legislative Services Estimate

Fiscal Impact

Year 1 

Thereafter

 

Potential State Expenditure Increase

Less than $10,000

Indeterminate

 

Potential State Revenue Increase

Indeterminate

Indeterminate

 

 

 

 

·         The Office of Legislative Services (OLS) estimates that this bill may initially result in an increase in State expenditures of less than $10,000 for the Division of State Police to design, produce, and issue special decals to first responders.

 

·         The OLS estimates that the bill may potentially result in increased revenues for the State associated with fine collections for violations outlined in the bill.

 

 

BILL DESCRIPTION

 

      This bill designates electrical linemen and certain utility workers as first responders during weather-related states of emergency and establishes several benefits for these first responders during a weather-related state of emergency. 

      This bill permits the Division of State Police to issue special decals for motor vehicles owned, leased, or used by first responder electrical linemen and first responder utility workers that may be displayed under certain circumstances during a weather-related state of emergency.  The decals are required to be displayed in a manner determined by the State Police, in consultation with the Division of Highway Traffic Safety in the Department of Law and Public Safety and the Motor Vehicle Commission, and to be clearly visible to law enforcement officers. 

      Eligible first responders are required to return the special decals to the State Police when the first responder is no longer employed or utilized to provide electric or water service during a weather-related state of emergency.  If a first responder fails to return the special decals within 30 days of no longer being employed or utilized to provide electric or water service during a weather-related state of emergency, the first responder is subject to a fine of $100 to be imposed by the State Police.

      The State Police are required to determine a method for distributing and returning the special decals to and from a first responder and to establish any regulations necessary to effectuate the purposes of this bill.  Additionally, any person who submits a false statement or provides false information to obtain or facilitate the receipt of the special decals or the misuse of the special decals is subject to a fine of not more than $1,000 to be assessed by the State Police.

      The bill also requires public safety answering points to be capable of dispatching or forwarding requests for electric or water utility services to a first responder electrical lineman or first responder utility worker.

 

 

FISCAL ANALYSIS

 

EXECUTIVE BRANCH

 

      None received. 

 

OFFICE OF LEGISLATIVE SERVICES

 

      The OLS finds that this bill will result in an increase in State expenditures for the State Police to design, produce, and issue special decals to first responder electric linemen and first responder utility workers.  The OLS estimates that the initial cost increase could be less than $10,000 for the window stickers. 

      In arriving at this cost projection, the OLS assumes that the department will be able to design, produce and issue special decals at a cost of $0.05 to $0.10 per sticker.  This range is informed by the current Pennsylvania Department of Transportation contract for similar motor vehicle inspection stickers. The OLS is unable to quantify expenditures beyond the initial print run of special decals because it is unknown at this time how many decals will be issued in the first year of the bill’s enactment.  The OLS notes, however, that between 7,000 and 15,000 workers may be covered under the bill and that some of these workers may require multiple decals. 

      The OLS finds that the bill may potentially result in increased revenues for the State associated with fine collections for violations outlined in the bill.  The OLS is unable to quantify these potential revenue increases because it remains unknown at this time how many people will violate the provisions of the bill. 

      The bill also requires public safety answering points to be capable of dispatching or forwarding requests for electric or water utility services to a first responder electrical lineman or first responder utility worker.  The OLS anticipates that the public safety answering point offices will be able to implement the provisions of the bill at no additional expenditures.

Analyst:

Michael D. Walker

Associate Fiscal Analyst

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.).