SENATE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 2747

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  AUGUST 10, 2020

      The Senate Transportation Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Senate Bill No. 2747.

      As amended and reported, this bill provides temporary service measures, in response to the COVID-19 public health emergency and state of emergency, for certain New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (commission) customers.

     The bill extends the expiration date on all driver’s licenses and non-driver identification cards expiring on or before January 1, 2022 to January 2, 2022 for persons who are 65 years of age or older on January 1, 2022.

     The bill also requires the Chief Administrator of the commission to reserve one day per week or a certain time each day or each week, to be determined by the chief administrator, at certain commission agency locations to offer appointments exclusively to the following individuals to register a newly purchased or newly acquired motor vehicle: (1) senior citizens, and (2) customers who, due to a medical condition diagnosed by a licensed medical doctor or osteopathic physician and evidenced by proof, in form prescribed by the chief administrator, cannot wear masks or face coverings. 

      The committee amended the bill to provide that a person who is 65 years of age or older on January 1, 2022 and has a driver’s license or non-driver identification card that is set to expire on or before January 1, 2022, is not required to renew the person’s driver’s license or identification card until January 2, 2022.

      The amendments also provide that the chief administrator may designate a certain time each day or each week to offer appointments for service exclusively for certain individuals and may decide which agency locations are to provide these appointments.  The amendments provide that these appointments are only to be available in order to register a newly purchased or newly acquired motor vehicle.

      The bill was amended to provide that senior citizens are included in the group of individuals who may visit a commission agency location during a day or time reserved for certain individuals and to clarify that the appointments reserved for certain individuals are only to be provided during the COVID-19 public health emergency and state of emergency.