ASSEMBLY LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 1338

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED: MARCH 25, 1996

      The Assembly Local Government Committee reports favorably Assembly Bill No. 1338, with committee amendments.

      Assembly Bill No. 1338, as amended by the committee, would prohibit any local unit towing or storage contract from requiring that the vendor either tow or store local unit vehicles at no cost. The purpose of this bill is to ensure that all vendors bidding on a local unit towing contract compete on the same basis.

      The committee amendments permit reduced-rate bid specifications, for towing and storage of local unit vehicles and remove language providing that a contract that is exempt from public bidding cannot require the vendors to tow or store vehicles owned or leased by the contracting unit. The bill will be applicable to towing contracts renewed or entered into after its effective date.

      Finally, the committee made a technical amendment to remove the word "of", which mistakenly appeared twice when section 5 of P.L.1971, c.198 (C.40A:11-5), was amended by section 11 of P.L.1995, c.216 (C.40A:11-5).

      Assembly Bill No. 1338 was pre-filed for introduction in the 1996-1997 legislative session pending technical review. As reported by the committee, the bill contains the changes required by technical review, which has been performed.