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A 1855

Relates to requiring the department of education to provide school districts with a list of resources and instructional materials on media literacy

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn and 2 co-sponsors

Prohibits modifying a vehicle's exhaust to amplify noise beyond the original level; first offense up to $250, subsequent up to $500; no jail, takes effect 90 days after enactment.

REFERRED TO EDUCATION
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Bill Summary · A 1855

Bill Summary — A1855 (Revised text provided)

Note: The bill information you supplied includes a title about the Department of Education and media literacy, but the legislative text and committee statement you provided concern motor vehicle muffler and exhaust systems. This summary describes the substantive bill text in the documents (motor vehicle mufflers/exhaust). If you intended the media-literacy bill, please confirm and provide that text.

Purpose / Intent

A1855 amends New Jersey motor vehicle statutes to prohibit installing or modifying a vehicle’s muffler or exhaust system in any way that amplifies or increases the audible sound emitted above the level of the originally installed system. The bill seeks to reduce excessive vehicle noise from modified exhaust systems and to update penalties and related statutory language.

Key provisions

  • Amends R.S.39:3-69 and R.S.39:3-70 to prohibit modification of a motor vehicle’s exhaust or muffler to amplify or increase audible sound beyond what the vehicle originally emitted.
  • Revises the penalty structure for muffler/motor modification violations:
    • First offense: fine not exceeding $250.
    • Subsequent offenses: fine not exceeding $500.
  • Removes the earlier introduced-version authority to punish with imprisonment (up to 30 days) and reduces the maximum fine that had been proposed.
  • Committee amendments remove a requirement that regular motor vehicle inspections include inspection of mufflers/exhaust systems for excessive or unusual noise (previous text would have linked such inspections to inspection stations).
  • Amends (and in places strikes) related inspection provisions in R.S.39:8-1 and R.S.39:8-3; as amended the inspection statutes are adjusted so that the bill does not expand routine inspection items to include muffler/exhaust noise.
  • Effective date: 90 days after enactment.

Who is affected

  • Motor vehicle owners/operators and persons who install, modify, sell, or supply aftermarket exhaust or muffler equipment in New Jersey.
  • Automotive repair shops and aftermarket parts retailers.
  • Law enforcement and courts enforcing vehicle equipment and noise statutes.
  • Motor vehicle inspection facilities (language limits expansion of inspection duties).

Enforcement & penalties

  • Enforcement would follow the fines above (first offense up to $250; each subsequent up to $500).
  • The bill ties the penalty for exhaust modification (R.S.39:3-69(c)) to the penalty in R.S.39:3-70(b) and standard penalties in other vehicle-equipment statutes where indicated.
  • No jail term per committee-amended version.

Procedural status & timeline

  • Introduced in Assembly: January 9, 2024.
  • Reported out of Assembly Transportation and Independent Authorities Committee with committee amendments: June 6, 2024.
  • Referred subsequently to Assembly Public Safety and Preparedness Committee (6/6/24 report) and later listed as referred to Education (1/14/25) in the bill history (the Education referral appears inconsistent with the bill’s subject matter).
  • If enacted, the act takes effect 90 days after the date of enactment.

Notable changes from the introduced version

  • Penalty reduced and incarceration option removed by committee amendment (from up to $500/fine and 30 days imprisonment to $250 first offense / $500 subsequent).
  • Committee removed proposed requirement that vehicle inspections include muffler/exhaust noise checks.

Sponsors and related legislation

  • Primary sponsor: Assemblymember Nily Rozic. Cosponsors: Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn; Anna Kelles.
  • Companion/coordinated bills: S507 and S7891 (companion), and several prior-session bills (A2219, A468, A1452).

If you want a summary focused on the media-literacy bill referenced by the title, please provide that bill text or confirm the intended bill number and I will prepare that summary.

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

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