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Bill

A 1385

Requires motor vehicle repair shops to disclose certain information to customers

2025 Regular Session Introduced by MaryJane Shimsky and 2 co-sponsors

The bill requires NJ to cut weekday helicopter departures at licensed facilities by at least 47% from the previous year, via rules, with EMS, federal/military flights exempt.

REFERRED TO TRANSPORTATION
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Bill Summary · A 1385

Summary of A 1385 (New Jersey)

What the bill aims to do

  • A 1385 requires the New Jersey Commissioner of Transportation to adopt rules and regulations to reduce helicopter noise at airports, heliports, and helistops licensed by the State.
  • The core mandate is a substantial reduction in helicopter departures: at least a 47% decrease per weekday compared to the average number of weekday helicopter flights from the facility in the 12 months prior to enactment.
  • The act explicitly excludes certain flights from the reduction calculation: helicopters operated by federal or military authorities, the State government, and helicopters providing emergency medical transportation (EMT) are not counted toward the reduction.

Key provisions and changes

  • Definitions establishing scope:
    • Airport: state-licensed area for landing/takeoff of aircraft.
    • Helicopter: engine-driven rotary-wing aircraft.
    • Heliport/Helistop: designated areas for helicopter operations (with helistops not limited to a single purpose).
    • Emergency medical transportation: as defined in existing statute.
  • Rulemaking requirement:
    • The Commissioner must promulgate rules under the Administrative Procedure Act to achieve noise reductions.
  • Reduction target:
    • Proportional to the 12 months preceding enactment; the target is no less than a 47% reduction in weekday departures.
  • Effective date:
    • The act takes effect immediately upon enactment.

Who would be affected

  • Operators and proprietors of state-licensed airports, heliports, and helistops.
  • Airlines and other entities providing helicopter services at these facilities (excluding federal/military, State government, and EMS helicopters from the reduction count).
  • Emergency medical transportation providers would not be penalized by the reduction target.

Procedural and timeline aspects

  • Status: Referred to Transportation (Assembly). The bill originated in the Assembly on January 9, 2024.
  • Legislative actions show continued reference to Transportation committees, with companion bills noted in related legislation.
  • Regulatory timeline depends on the Administrative Procedure Act rulemaking process; the bill itself imposes an immediate legal effect but defers to rules to specify implementation details.

Sponsors and related measures

  • Primary sponsor: Jo Anne Simon
  • Cosponsors: MaryJane Shimsky, Al Taylor
  • Related/companion measures include S 275 and S 516, indicating cross-chamber considerations.

Potential impact

  • Expected benefits: meaningful reduction in helicopter noise at licensed NJ facilities, improving environmental and community impact.
  • Potential challenges: significant operational adjustments for affected facilities; EMS and federal/military operations are exempt from the primary reduction, but their presence may influence scheduling and capacity planning at facilities. The exact regulatory timeline and enforcement mechanisms will be defined through the rulemaking process.

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

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