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Bill

Bill

A 5305

Broadens public awareness signage to include notices in Chinese and Korean.

2024-2025 Regular Session Introduced by Clinton Calabrese and 8 co-sponsors

New Jersey bill requiring public awareness signage in Chinese and Korean alongside English passed Assembly unanimously; now in Senate committee review.

Received in the Senate, Referred to Senate Judiciary Committee
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Bill Summary · A 5305

Legislative bill overview

Bill A 5305 requires New Jersey to include Chinese and Korean language translations on public awareness signage in addition to existing English notices. The bill passed the Assembly unanimously on February 27, 2025, and is currently under Senate Judiciary Committee review after being referred on March 3, 2025.

Why is this important

New Jersey has significant Chinese and Korean-speaking populations, particularly in areas like Bergen County and parts of central New Jersey. Expanding signage to include these languages could improve public safety, health, and civic participation by ensuring non-English speakers receive critical information about government services, legal rights, and emergency procedures.

Potential points of contention

  • Cost and implementation burden: Translating and producing multilingual signage across all government facilities could be expensive; the bill's fiscal impact and which agencies bear costs remain unclear
  • Scope and practicality: Questions about which signage qualifies, how many languages should be included before expansion becomes unwieldy, and whether digital alternatives might be more efficient
  • Language selection criteria: Why Chinese and Korean specifically rather than Spanish (which has a larger speaker population in New Jersey) or other languages; potential concerns about equitable treatment of other linguistic communities

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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