Creates disorderly persons offense of purporting to be public utility employee to gain access to residence.

S 573 makes it a misdemeanor for someone to falsely claim to be a public utility employee solely to gain entry into a residence, provided they don't have the required official badge or authority to access utility property. The bill specifically targets individuals who verbally misrepresent their status (without using a fake badge) to enter homes, as seen in a recent New Jersey incident where an impersonator demanded access and became aggressive. It amends existing law to address gaps where fake verbal claims, rather than fake badges, were previously not criminalized. This directly affects people who impersonate utility workers to access private residences, creating a new enforcement tool for such deceptive conduct.