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S 4552

Prohibits the sale of kratom to individuals under the age of twenty-one

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Jake Ashby and 5 co-sponsors

Creates a Rent Control Enforcement Unit within NJ DCA to investigate local rent restrictions, accept tenant petitions, and impose penalties up to four months' rent.

RETURNED TO SENATE
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Bill Summary · S 4552

Summary — S-4552 (Introduced version)

Note on discrepancy: The bill title you provided — “Prohibits the sale of kratom to individuals under the age of twenty-one” — does not match the text of the introduced version supplied. The introduced text establishes a Rent Control Enforcement Unit in the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs. This summary describes the introduced text. Verify the bill number and most recent version on the official legislative website to confirm which subject is current.

Overview / Main purpose

The introduced version of S-4552 would create a Rent Control Enforcement Unit (RCEU) within the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) to receive tenant petitions, investigate alleged violations of local rent restrictions (rent control, rent stabilization, rent leveling, and similar local limits), and impose penalties or remedies for violations.

Key provisions

  • Definitions: establishes terms such as “Commissioner,” “Department,” and “local rent restriction” (which includes municipal ordinances and administrative rent limits tied to low- or moderate-income housing under the Fair Housing Act).
  • Creation of RCEU: DCA will establish the Rent Control Enforcement Unit and the Commissioner of Community Affairs will appoint a director (serving at the Commissioner’s pleasure).
  • Tenant petitions: residential tenants may petition the RCEU to investigate and seek modification of a rent increase (or proposed increase) they believe violates a local rent restriction. This right is in addition to existing municipal procedures; the RCEU may require exhaustion of municipal administrative remedies first.
  • Enforcement authority / penalties: for violations the RCEU may order any combination of:
    • Mandatory rent reduction to as low as the lowest rent charged for the unit at any time during the 12 months before the challenged increase;
    • A monetary penalty (collectible via summary proceeding under the Penalty Enforcement Law) not to exceed four months’ rent, calculated up to the highest rent charged for the unit in the previous 12 months; and/or
    • Authorization for the tenant to prematurely terminate the lease.
  • Tenant assistance: RCEU must operate a dedicated helpline and an online portal to assist tenants and accept reports.
  • Rent Control Enforcement Fund: establishes a special nonlapsing fund to support RCEU operations. Penalties collected under the monetary-penalty provision are deposited into the fund.
  • Appropriations: $3,000,000 is appropriated from the General Fund to the DCA for deposit into the Rent Control Enforcement Fund to defray startup costs.
  • Regulations and timing: the Commissioner must adopt implementing regulations within five months of enactment. The act takes effect on the first day of the fifth month following enactment; the Commissioner may take anticipatory actions before the effective date.

Who is affected

  • Tenants in municipalities with local rent restrictions gain a new state-level enforcement avenue.
  • Landlords subject to local rent restrictions may face state enforcement actions, mandatory rent rollbacks, penalties (up to four months’ rent), and forced early lease terminations in some cases.
  • Municipal governments and administrative entities that administer local rent restrictions may see increased coordination and possibly a requirement that tenants exhaust local remedies first.

Procedural status & actions (selected)

  • Introduced: 2025-06-02 (referred to Senate Community & Urban Affairs Committee / Health in some records)
  • Passed Senate: 2025-06-11
  • Delivered to Assembly / Passed Assembly: 2025-06-11 — 2025-06-13
  • Returned to Senate: 2025-06-13
  • Was substituted for A2340A in Assembly action.
  • Sponsors: Patricia Fahy (primary), with cosponsors James Tedisco, Alexis Weik, Jake Ashby, James Skoufis, Steve Rhoads.
  • Companion: A-5269; related/prior-session bills listed (A-2340, A-8249, etc.)

Fiscal & implementation notes

  • One-time appropriation of $3,000,000 for initial setup.
  • Ongoing operations to be funded first by penalties collected (deposited into the Rent Control Enforcement Fund), with the Legislature required to appropriate additional funds if penalties are insufficient.

Recommended next steps

  • Confirm which subject/version is current for S-4552 (rent-control text vs. kratom prohibition) by checking the New Jersey Legislature’s official bill page and the latest bill text and amendments.
  • If the rent-control version is intended, stakeholders (municipalities, tenant/landlord groups) should review how local enforcement procedures and ordinances interact with the new state unit.

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

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