SENATE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 186

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  MARCH 2, 2026

      The Senate Transportation Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Senate Bill No. 186.

      As amended and reported, this bill requires the Chief Administrator (chief administrator) of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (commission) to issue special windshield stickers for electric vehicles that are owned or leased and registered in New Jersey to indicate that the electric vehicles are exempt from emission inspections. 

      The bill defines “electric vehicle” to mean any vehicle powered solely by electric without an on-board engine or generator, which does not use a hydrocarbon fuel to create electricity.  “Electric vehicle” includes plug-in electric vehicles, as that term is defined in current statute.  However, the bill clarifies that the provisions of the bill do not apply to plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. 

     The bill requires the chief administrator, in consultation with the Director of the Division of Highway Traffic Safety in the Department of Law and Public Safety (director), to design the windshield stickers.  The windshield stickers are to be issued free of charge.

     The bill further requires the windshield stickers to be displayed in a manner prescribed by the chief administrator, in consultation with the director, and to be clearly visible to law enforcement officers.  The windshield stickers are to be removed and returned to the commission within 30 days of the date on which the ownership or leasehold period of the vehicle ended. 

     Finally, the bill requires the chief administrator, in consultation with the director, to adopt regulations specifying the size, placement, and other formal requirements or additional safeguards as the chief administrator deems necessary for the issuance and display of the windshield stickers. 

      This bill was pre-filed for introduction in the 2026-2027 session pending technical review.  As reported, the bill includes the changes required by technical review, which has been performed.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS:

      The committee amended the bill to: 

      (1)  revise the definition of “electric vehicle” to remove the exclusion of solar-powered vehicles from the definition of electric vehicle and clarify that the provisions of the bill do not apply to plug-in hybrid electric vehicles;

      (2)  revise the title of the bill; and

      (3)  make technical changes.