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A 5618

Implements several programs to improve indoor air quality

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Nikki Lucas

Requires the courts to publish annual statewide and county data on consumer debt lawsuits to improve transparency and policy oversight.

REFERRED TO ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION
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Bill Summary · A 5618

Summary — Assembly Bill A5618 (2025)

Status: Introduced May 5, 2025; Passed Assembly 78-0-0 (May 22, 2025); Referred to Senate Commerce Committee (received in Senate May 29, 2025). Reported with committee amendments by Assembly Regulated Professions Committee (May 15, 2025).

Purpose

A5618 requires the New Jersey Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) to compile and publish detailed statewide and county-level statistics about consumer debt lawsuits. The goal is to improve transparency and understanding of consumer debt litigation so policymakers, court personnel, advocates, and communities can assess and address problems in debt collection cases.

Key definitions

  • "Consumer debt lawsuit" — a civil action in Superior Court to enforce a contract for consumer credit (per C.56:11-1) or to collect a medical debt (per C.56:11-57).

Required data and reporting

The Administrative Director of the Courts must compile and publicly report, on an annual basis to the Governor and the Legislature, the following statistics (statewide and by county):

  • Number of new consumer debt lawsuits filed, broken out by:
    • Law Division
    • Special Civil Part
    • Small Claims Section of the Special Civil Part
  • Number of consumer debt lawsuits pending for three months or more
  • Number of consumer debt lawsuits in which the defendant is represented by an attorney
  • Number of consumer debt lawsuit judgments granted, including number of default judgments
  • Number of consumer debt lawsuit dispositions other than the granting of a judgment
  • Any other consumer debt litigation statistics the Administrative Director deems appropriate

The report supplements existing civil-case statistics the AOC publishes monthly (which currently do not separately identify consumer debt cases).

Committee amendments and effective date

  • Removed the requirement that the Administrative Director consult with the Division of Consumer Affairs when determining additional statistics.
  • Changed the effective date to the first day of the fourth month following enactment (the Administrative Director may take anticipatory steps for implementation).

Who is affected

  • Administrative Office of the Courts: will collect, analyze, and publish the data (potential IT and administrative workload).
  • Courts and court staff: data collection and categorization responsibilities.
  • Lawmakers, regulators, legal services and consumer advocates: will gain new data for oversight and policy-making.
  • Consumers, debt collectors, and attorneys: outcomes and patterns in litigation (e.g., default-judgment rates, representation rates) will be reported publicly.

Potential impacts

  • Increased transparency about the scope, outcomes, and geographic distribution of consumer debt litigation in New Jersey.
  • Better-informed policymaking and advocacy concerning debt collection practices, access to counsel, and court processes.
  • Administrative costs or technical changes for the AOC to capture and disaggregate case data by consumer-debt characteristics.

Context and related legislation

  • Implements Benchmarks 23 and 24 from the National Center for Access to Justice’s March 2024 "Consumer Debt Litigation Index" report.
  • Sponsors: Assemblywoman Nikki Lucas (primary).
  • Related/companion bills: S4912, S3342; prior-session A6875.

Next procedural step: consideration by the Senate committee to which the bill was referred (Senate Commerce Committee).

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

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