LEGISLATIVE FISCAL ESTIMATE

[Second Reprint]

ASSEMBLY, No. 4740

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

 

DATED: OCTOBER 29, 2026

 

 

SUMMARY

 

Synopsis:

“Safe Commercial Routes Act - Commercial Driver Human Trafficking Awareness Training”; requires applicants for commercial driver licenses and drivers renewing commercial driver licenses to complete human trafficking awareness training.

Type of Impact:

Annual increase in State expenditures.

Agencies Affected:

New Jersey Office of the Attorney General; New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission.

 

 

Office of Legislative Services Estimate

Fiscal Impact

Annual

 

State Expenditure Increase

Indeterminate

 

 

·         The Office of Legislative Services (OLS) concludes that the bill may result in an indeterminate increase in State expenditures incurred by the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General and the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission to develop and administer a human trafficking awareness training requirement for persons either applying for or renewing a commercial driver license.

·         The OLS anticipates that the office would likely incur a one-time cost for the Attorney General, in consultation with the Commission on Human Trafficking, to develop and approve the required anti-human trafficking training course.  The office may incur costs associated with the Attorney General reviewing the course at least once every two years in consultation with the commission and modifying the course as the Attorney General deems necessary. 

·         The commission may also incur recurring administrative costs to maintain the training materials and approved-provider list.  Additionally, the commission may incur costs associated with issuing a report three years after the bill’s effective date.

·         The magnitude of these costs cannot be determined because the bill permits the office and the commission to use materials developed by nationally-recognized organizations, use existing training courses prepared by the Attorney General, partner with private sector stakeholders, and allow the training to be provided through commercial driver license schools and employer-administered training programs.  These provisions may reduce the commission’s costs to implement the provisions of the bill.

 

 

BILL DESCRIPTION

 

      This bill requires individuals applying to obtain or renew a commercial driver license complete a training course on recognizing and reporting suspected human trafficking activities.

      Specifically, the bill requires the Attorney General, in consultation with the Commission on Human Trafficking, to develop and approve a training course on recognizing and reporting suspected human trafficking activities for any individual applying for a commercial driver license.  Two years after the bill’s effective date, the training course requirement will also apply to an individual renewing the individual’s commercial driver license.

      Under the bill, the training course is to be no longer than 30 minutes and may be completed through various methods, as outlined in the bill.  The training course may consist of, incorporate, or be adapted from the anti-human trafficking training course approved by the Attorney General and may include or be based on materials developed by nationally-recognized organizations with demonstrated experience providing anti-human trafficking course offerings to drivers of commercial motor vehicles.  The bill requires the Attorney General to review the course at least once every two years.  The bill also requires the commission to maintain a list of approved training providers, and make free training materials available on the commission’s Internet website.  The bill authorizes the Attorney General and the Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission to partner with private sector stakeholders to facilitate the delivery of the training course.

      The bill also requires verifiable completion of the training course to be submitted electronically to the commission prior to the issuance of a commercial driver license in addition to any other licensure requirements or, when applicable, prior to a commercial driver license renewal.  However, the bill clarifies that completion of the training course is not to affect an applicant’s ability to schedule appointments, submit an application, or take required examinations.

      In addition, the bill provides that an individual who has completed the training course and reports, in good faith, suspected human trafficking activity is not to be held civilly or criminally liable for such report.  The bill further requires the chief administrator to submit a report evaluating the training course, as outlined in the bill, to the Governor and Legislature three years after the bill’s effective date.  Finally, the bill authorizes the chief administrator to develop and make available resource materials, such as wallet cards or digital resources, with certain information included for individuals who are applying for or who have a commercial driver license.

 

 

FISCAL ANALYSIS

 

EXECUTIVE BRANCH

 

            None received. 


 

OFFICE OF LEGISLATIVE SERVICES

 

      The OLS concludes that the bill may result in an indeterminate increase in State expenditures incurred by the office and the commission to develop and administer a human trafficking awareness training requirement for persons applying for or renewing a commercial driver license.  The increased costs would depend on implementation decisions made by the office and commission for the training and the electronic verification requirements outlined in the bill.

      The OLS anticipates that the office and the commission would likely incur a one-time cost to develop and approve the required curriculum, in consultation with the Commission on Human Trafficking and outside stakeholders, and to issue a report to the Governor and Legislature evaluating the training course three years after the bill’s effective date.  The commission may also incur recurring administrative costs to maintain the training materials and an approved-provider list and to monitor compliance with the training requirement as required by the bill.  Additionally, the office may incur costs associated with reviewing the course at least once every two years, in collaboration with the commission, and modifying the training course as the Attorney General deems necessary.

      The magnitude of these costs cannot be determined because the bill permits the office and the commission to use materials developed by nationally-recognized organizations, use existing training courses prepared by the Attorney General, partner with private sector stakeholders to facilitate the delivery of the training course, and allow the training to be provided through commercial driver license schools and employer-administered training programs.  These provisions may reduce the costs incurred by the office and the commission to implement the provisions of the bill.

 

 

Section:

Authorities, Utilities, Transportation and Communications

Analyst:

Amanda DeMarco

Senior Research 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.).