STATE OF NEW JERSEY
216th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2014 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman PATRICK J. DIEGNAN, JR.
District 18 (Middlesex)
SYNOPSIS
Requires coin redemption machine operators to disclose fees.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel
An Act concerning disclosure of certain coin redemption machine fees and supplementing P.L.1960, c.39 (C.56:8-1 et seq.).
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. As used in this act:
"Coin redemption machine" means a device which accepts, sorts, and counts coins deposited by a consumer and provides the consumer with a cash refund or refundable voucher.
"Operator" means any person, partnership, corporation or other organization which operates a coin redemption machine.
2. It shall be an unlawful practice pursuant to P.L.1960, c.39 (C.56:8-1 et seq.) for an operator to charge a fee to a consumer for the consumer’s use of a coin redemption machine unless a notice is prominently displayed on the coin redemption machine disclosing to the consumer:
a. That a fee will be imposed for providing the coin redemption service;
b. The amount of the fee; and
c. In the case of coin redemption machines that cannot refund coins once they have been deposited, that the coins may not be refunded to the consumer after they have been deposited.
3. The Director of the Division of Consumer Affairs shall adopt, pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), any rules and regulations necessary to effectuate the purposes of this act.
4. This act shall take effect on the 90th day following enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill makes it an unlawful practice under the “consumer fraud act,” P.L.1960, c.39 (C.56:8-1 et seq.), for an operator to charge a fee to a consumer for using a coin redemption machine unless a notice is prominently displayed on the coin redemption machine disclosing to the consumer: that a fee will be imposed for providing the coin redemption service; the amount of the fee; and, in the case of coin redemption machines that cannot refund coins once they have been deposited, that the coins may not be refunded to the consumer after they have been deposited.
An unlawful practice under the consumer fraud act is punishable by a monetary penalty of not more than $10,000 for a first offense and not more than $20,000 for any subsequent offense. In addition, violations can result in cease and desist orders issued by the Attorney General, the assessment of punitive damages and the awarding of treble damages and costs to the injured party.