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S 1473

Revises personal injury protection coverage for basic automobile insurance policies from $15,000 to $20,000 and requires $50,000 minimum personal injury protection coverage for standard automobile liability insurance policies.*

2024-2025 Regular Session Introduced by Jon Bramnick and 1 co-sponsor

S.1473 raises NJ PIP coverage: basic policy caps increase to up to $20,000 and standard policy minimum to $50,000 with potential up to $250,000, expanding no-fault medical benefits

Reported out of Senate Committee with Amendments, 2nd Reading
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WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · S 1473

Summary — S.1473 (auto insurance: personal injury protection)

Status: Reported out of Senate Commerce Committee with amendments; 2nd Reading. Introduced: April 10, 2025 (committee statement dated Feb. 10, 2025). Subject: automobile insurance (personal injury protection — PIP).

Purpose

S.1473 amends New Jersey automobile insurance law to increase minimum and maximum personal injury protection (PIP) benefit levels, change notice/renewal procedures for increased limits, and update certain benefit and claims-treatment rules. The bill’s stated intent is to expand no-fault medical/benefit protection available after automobile accidents.

Key provisions

  • PIP for basic automobile insurance policies: raises the previous cap of $15,000 to a maximum of $20,000 per person, per accident (as applied to the “basic” policy tier).
  • PIP for standard automobile liability policies: establishes a new minimum PIP level of $50,000 per person, per accident (and provides for a maximum of $250,000 per person per accident in the statutory text).
  • Medical expense benefits must be provided under a benefit plan in the policy approved by the Commissioner; benefits must conform to accepted clinical protocols and professional standards.
  • If insurer-paid PIP benefits exceed $75,000 for one person in one accident, amounts over $75,000 may be reimbursable to the insurer from the Unsatisfied Claim and Judgment Fund, consistent with existing law.
  • Procedural/consumer notice changes: insurers must notify a named insured at renewal if policy PIP limits have increased; insurers are exempted from obtaining a signed coverage-selection form before increasing those limits.
  • Other statutory updates retained or clarified in bill language include rules on precertification (no unreasonable precertification; no such requirement within a short period after the insured event), reimbursement limits for physical therapy/acupuncture (generally tied to licensed providers and referrals), income continuation and essential-services benefit amounts, and death-benefit rules (existing statutory components updated in text).

Who is affected

  • Automobile insurers writing basic and standard policies in New Jersey (policy forms, rates, and underwriting may be affected).
  • New Jersey drivers and insureds (higher minimum PIP on standard policies and increased basic-policy caps mean more medical/benefit coverage for injured persons).
  • Health care providers and claims administrators who treat or bill PIP benefits under NJ policies.
  • The Unsatisfied Claim and Judgment Fund (reimbursement provisions).

Timeline / effective date

  • Committee amendment sets the effective date for the revised basic-policy PIP level to the first day of the 18th month after enactment (i.e., delayed implementation to allow administrative/market adjustments).
  • The bill has been reported out of committee with amendments; further floor action and final enactment date are pending.

Potential impacts / considerations

  • Increased PIP minima and caps are likely to raise statutory coverage levels for injured people but may result in higher premiums.
  • The notice-but-no-signed-selection change could streamline insurers’ administrative processes for increasing limits at renewal while relying on affirmative consumer notice.
  • Regulatory implementation (commissioner-approved benefit plans, protocols, and any rate filings) will be important to operationalize the changes.

Note: The source materials provided include mixed or duplicate entries (some unrelated text from other jurisdictions). The summary above focuses on the New Jersey PIP provisions reflected in the Senate Commerce Committee statement and the bill text amending C.39:6A-4.

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

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