ASSEMBLY CONSUMER AFFAIRS AND REGULATED PROFESSIONS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 2281

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED: AUGUST 15, 1996

      The Assembly Consumer Affairs and Regulated Professions Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Assembly Bill No. 2281.

      As amended, this bill repeals section 14 of P.L.1981, c.311 (C.45:14D-14), and removes other references to tariffs in the "Public Movers and Warehousemen Licensing Act," (C.45:14D-1 et seq.) to eliminate the statutory requirement that public movers and warehousemen file tariffs. Under current law, the tariff, which is a schedule of rates and charges for the storage or transportation of property in intrastate commerce, must be used in computing all charges on the storage or transportation of property as of the date of the time in storage or transportation.

      The bill also requires applicants for licensure and those persons already licensed under the provisions of the act to submit to a State and federal criminal history background check, to determine whether those persons are fit to be so licensed. The State Board of Public Movers and Warehousemen shall determine that an applicant for licensure is unfit to be licensed and may revoke the licensure of a person currently licensed if such person meets the criteria for disqualification as provided in the bill.

      This bill further requires that persons licensed under the provisions of the act, maintain a bond, letter of credit, or securities of not less than $10,000.

      The committee amended the bill by removing the provisions in the bill which would have abolished the State Board of Public Movers and Warehousemen and provided the Director of the Division of Consumer Affairs in the Department of Law and Public Safety with the authority to license and regulate public movers and warehousemen.