SENATE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 1835

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  FEBRUARY 5, 2026

The Senate Transportation Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Senate Bill No. 1835.

“Antwan’s Law,” N.J.S.A.39:4-98.10 et seq., named in memory of Antwan Timbers, Jr., a high school student who was tragically killed while walking alongside Route 130 in Burlington City, reduces the speed limit in certain areas of Burlington County and makes the fines for violating the speed limit in these areas triple the amount of the fines for a violation of N.J.S.A.39:4-98. 

      As amended and reported, this bill amends “Antwan’s Law,” to require such fines to be paid into the municipal treasury of the municipality in which the offense was committed to be used for pedestrian safety and law enforcement purposes.  The bill is to take effect on the first day of the fourth month following the date of enactment, except that the Administrative Office of the Courts is permitted to take any anticipatory action necessary to implement the provisions of the bill.

     Under current law, N.J.S.A.39:5-41, all fines, penalties, and forfeitures imposed and collected under Title 39 of the Revised Statutes, other than those violations in which the complaining witness is the Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (chief administrator) or staff member of the chief administrator, a member of the State police, county police department, county park police system, or sheriff’s office, an inspector of the Board of Public Utilities, or law enforcement officer of any other State agency, are required to be paid as follows:  one-half of the total amount collected to the financial officer of the respective municipalities in which the violations occurred, to be used by the municipality for general municipal use and to defray the costs of operating the municipal court; and one-half of the total amount collected to the financial officer of the county in which fines or penalties were collected, to be used by the county as a fund for constructing, reconstructing, maintaining, and repairing roads and bridges, removing snow, acquiring and purchasing rights-of-way, and purchasing, replacing, and repairing equipment for use on said roads and bridges.  Of this total amount, up to 25 percent of the fines and penalties received by a municipality, but not more than the actual amount budgeted for by the municipal court, may be used to upgrade case processing.

     Under this bill, the fines and penalties assessed and collected for violations of “Antwan’s Law” are to be paid into the municipal treasury of the municipality in which the violation occurred to be used for pedestrian safety and law enforcement purposes.

      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 effective date to provide that the bill is to take effect on the first day of the fourth month following the date of enactment, rather than immediately upon enactment; and

      (2)  clarify that the Administrative Office of the Courts is authorized to take any anticipatory action as necessary to implement the provisions of the bill.