SENATE BUDGET AND APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

[First Reprint]

ASSEMBLY, No. 5134

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  NOVEMBER 13, 2025

      The Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee reports favorably Assembly Bill No. 5134 (1R).

      As reported, this bill requires an owner or operator of certain autobuses to develop a route schedule for each autobus providing fixed route service and to publish the route schedule on the website of the owner or operator and at each transportation facility, station, stop, or stand where the autobus provides fixed route service.  The term “autobus” applies to, with certain limited exceptions, a privately-owned autobus operated in intrastate or interstate business over the public highways in this State for the transportation of not more than 40 passengers for hire.

      The owner or operator of a ferry service is required to post a route schedule, along with the table of rates, in a manner that is visible to passengers entering the boat and on the website of the owner or operator of the ferry.

     The bill also requires the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) and the Delaware River Port Authority (DRPA) to develop and publish route schedules for each commuter railroad route or Port Authority Transit Corporation (PATCO) route operated by the respective agency at each transportation facility, station, stop, or stand providing service to the route and on the agency’s website.

     Under the bill, the New Jersey Transit Corporation (NJ Transit) is required to develop and publish route schedules for each motorbus regular route service route, rail passenger service route, or ferry passenger service route that it operates at each transportation facility and station providing service to the route and on NJ Transit’s website.

     This bill requires an owner or operator of ferries, certain owners or operators of autobuses, NJ Transit, the PANYNJ, and the DRPA to update their respective websites with any changes to a route schedule and to post the changes in the same manner as the original route schedules were posted, within 30 days of the changes taking effect.

      As reported by the committee, Assembly Bill No. 5134 (1R) is identical to Senate Bill No. 1768, which was also amended and reported by the committee on this date.

FISCAL IMPACT:

      The Office of Legislative Services estimates that the bill may result in increased revenue for the State associated with potential penalty collections from ferry operators who fail to maintain route schedule postings required by the bill.

      Notably, under the bill, a single ferry operator could pay a maximum fine of $365 a year.