Sponsored by:
Assemblyman JOHN CATALANO
District 10 (Ocean)
Assemblyman GREGORY P. MCGUCKIN
District 10 (Ocean)
Assemblywoman MARILYN PIPERNO
District 11 (Monmouth)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblyman Rooney
SYNOPSIS
Creates toll relief program; appropriates $250 million to NJTA and $250 million to SJTA.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act creating a toll relief program and making an appropriation.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. As used in P.L. , c. (pending before the Legislature as this bill):
“Authorities” means the New Jersey Turnpike Authority established by section 3 of P.L.1948, c.454 (C.27:23-3) and the South Jersey Transportation Authority established by section 4 of P.L.1991, c.252 (C.27:25A-4).
“Passenger automobile” has the same meaning as defined in R.S.39:1-1.
“Qualifying account” means a private prepaid electronic toll collection system account.
“Qualifying transaction” means a paid transponder-based toll transaction incurred by a passenger automobile for travel on the New Jersey Turnpike, Garden State Parkway, or Atlantic City Expressway. A “qualifying transaction” shall not include tolls paid as a fine, penalty, administrative fee or other type of payment made for a violation of a toll; and tolls paid as an administrative fee, processing fee, or other payment for the purpose of establishing an electronic toll collection system account, acquiring electronic toll collection system equipment, or other administrative purpose.
2. a. Notwithstanding any law, rule, regulation, or order to the contrary, the New Jersey Turnpike Authority and the South Jersey Transportation Authority shall each establish a toll relief program to provide a qualifying account that records 35 or more qualifying transactions per transponder for the calendar month with an account credit equal to 50 percent of the amount paid in that calendar month for the qualifying transactions per transponder.
b. The account credit shall be posted to the qualifying account no later than one month after the credit is earned.
c. An electronic toll collection system transponder shall be linked to a qualifying account.
3. The authorities shall prepare and submit quarterly reports documenting credits issued under the toll relief programs to the Governor and to the Legislature, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1). The report shall include supporting documentation with auditable data to support the account credits issued.
4. a. (1) There is appropriated $250,000,000 from the General Fund to the New Jersey Turnpike Authority to support the provisions of account credits issued under the toll relief program established pursuant to P.L. , c. (pending before the Legislature as this bill).
(2) There is appropriated $250,000,000 from the General Fund to the South Jersey Transportation Authority to support the provisions of account credits issued under the toll relief program established pursuant to P.L. , c. (pending before the Legislature as this bill).
b. The authorities shall not use appropriated funds for administration, contracted services, or expenses of the authority, or any contractor or vendor thereof.
5. This act shall take effect on the first day of the third month after enactment, but the New Jersey Turnpike Authority and the South Jersey Transportation Authority may take anticipatory actions necessary to implement the provisions of this act. This act shall expire one year following the date of enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill requires the New Jersey Turnpike Authority and the South Jersey Transportation Authority (authorities) to each create a toll relief program to provide a qualifying account that records 35 or more qualifying transactions per electronic toll collection system (E-ZPass) transponder for the calendar month with an account credit equal to 50 percent of the amount paid in that calendar month for the qualifying transactions per transponder.
As defined in the bill, a qualifying account is a private prepaid E-ZPass account. The account credit is required to be posted to the qualifying account no later than one month after the credit is earned.
The authorities are required to prepare and submit quarterly reports to the Governor and Legislature documenting reimbursements issued under the toll relief program.
The bill appropriates $250 million to the NJTA and $250 million to the SJTA from the General Fund to support the provision of account credits issued under the toll relief programs. The authorities are prohibited from using appropriated funds for administration, contracted services, or expenses of the authority, or any contractor or vendor thereof.
The bill expires one year following the date of enactment.