Sponsored by:
Senator SHIRLEY K. TURNER
District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)
Senator NILSA I. CRUZ-PEREZ
District 5 (Camden and Gloucester)
Co-Sponsored by:
Senators Pennacchio and Amato
SYNOPSIS
Prohibits public utilities from assessing surcharges and certain fees.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As reported by the Senate Economic Growth Committee on October 8, 2026, with amendments.
An Act concerning public utility fees and supplementing Title 48 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. As used in this section:
1“Public utility” means the same as that term is defined pursuant to R.S.48:2-13.1
“Surcharge” means an additional amount imposed by the public utility at the time of a payment transaction that increases a charge to a public utility customer to recover the cost of the public utility’s use of third-party payment processing services.
1[“Public utility” means the same as that term is defined pursuant to R.S.48:2-13] “Surcharge” shall not include credit card processing fees1.
b. A public utility shall not assess:
(1) a surcharge to any public utility customer;
(2) a fee to any public utility customer who has not enrolled in automatic payments through the public utility and, instead, has elected to make one-time payments to the public utility for services rendered to that customer by the public utility; or
(3) a fee to any public utility customer who has not enrolled in paperless statements through the public utility 1[company]1 and, instead, has elected to receive paper statements from the public utility.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.