WeVote
Log In

Bill

Bill

A 5327

Relates to peace officers appointed by The Sea Gate Association

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Alec Brook-Krasny

Bans New Jersey public EV purchases unless manufacturers certify no forced or child labor in supply chains; penalties for false certs; applies to state, schools, and local buyers.

REFERRED TO CODES
0
WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · A 5327

Summary of New Jersey A 5327

Note on title: The bill’s formal title references “peace officers appointed by The Sea Gate Association.” The introduced text, however, focuses on prohibiting public procurement of electric vehicles produced with forced labor or child labor and requires supplier certifications. The summary below reflects the substantive provisions in the introduced version.

Purpose and intent

  • Prohibit the public procurement of electric vehicles (EVs) or EV components if produced with forced labor or child labor.
  • Create a certification and penalty framework to ensure supply chains are free from forced or child labor.
  • Apply to multiple levels of government contracting (purchasing agents, contracting agents, and local contracting units) to promote ethical sourcing in public EV procurement.

Scope and who is covered

  • Three sections cover different public procurement entities:
    • Section 1: Purchasing agents (e.g., entities under the Public Schools Contracts Law).
    • Section 2: Contracting agents (state colleges under the State College Contracts Law).
    • Section 3: Local contracting units (cities, counties, and other local government entities under the Local Public Contracts Law).
  • Each section defines key terms and imposes the same core requirements across agencies.

Key provisions

  • Definitions (common across sections):
    • Electric vehicle: motor vehicle propelled by an electric motor or energy storage device, including fleets and various-duty classifications.
    • Forced labor: work or service obtained by coercion, fraud, threats, or abuse of the legal process; includes coercion based on protected class status; includes labor produced through child labor.
    • Child labor: employment in violation of specified New Jersey child labor statutes.
    • Member of a protected class: defined broadly to include race, creed, national origin, sex, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, and other characteristics.
  • Certification requirement:
    • No EVs or EV components may be procured unless the purchasing/contracting agent obtains a sworn certification from the manufacturer or seller.
    • Certification must state that no entity involved in production (including sourcing of materials and mining) used forced labor or child labor.
  • Penalties for false or misleading certifications:
    • Civil penalty of $10,000 per false/misleading statement, or 50% of the total price paid for the vehicles/components, whichever is greater.
    • Penalties paid to the State Treasurer; may be pursued in a summary proceeding under the Penalty Enforcement Law of 1999.
  • Federal preemption: Provisions do not apply where doing so would violate federal law/regulation or conflict with federal funding terms.

Penalties and enforcement

  • Each false statement triggers a monetary penalty as described above.
  • Penalties are enforceable via summary proceedings and deposited with the State Treasurer.

Effective date and procedural status

  • Introduced: February 20, 2025.
  • Status: Referred to CODES (as of the provided record).
  • Sponsors: Alec Brook-Krasny (primary).

Impact and considerations

  • Public fleets (schools, state colleges, and local governments) would be required to implement due-diligence processes to verify supply-chain labor practices for EV purchases.
  • Manufacturers and suppliers may need to provide verifiable supply-chain documentation and may incur penalties for noncompliance or false certifications.
  • Could influence EV procurement planning, supplier selection, and contract terms.
  • Related legislation includes A 10327 and A 5115 (prior-session), with companion S 3322 (companion).

Related bills

  • A 10327 (prior-session)
  • A 5115 (prior-session)
  • S 3322 (companion)

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

Sign in to ask a question.