A 1079 New Jersey General Assembly · 2026-2027 Regular Session

Designates "John Bull" as NJ State steam locomotive.

This bill designates the historic "John Bull" steam locomotive as New Jersey's official state steam locomotive. The "John Bull" was shipped from England to Bordentown, New Jersey, in 1831, assembled by Isaac Dripps, and used in early railway demonstrations to showcase steam transport to the state legislature. It is now preserved at the Smithsonian Institution and recognized as the first locomotive set aside as a historic relic in the U.S. The designation is purely symbolic, honoring the locomotive's historical role in New Jersey's transportation development without creating new laws or affecting any regulations.
Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2026
Committee Review
May 2026
General Assembly Passage
Mar 2026
Senate Passage
Governor
Introduced Jan 13, 2026 Last action May 4, 2026
Floor votes

How they voted

This bill passed the General Assembly by voice vote (no roll call recorded).
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
4
Key actions
2
Committee
2
May 4, 2026
Committee
Received in the Senate, Referred to Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism & Historic Preservation Committee
upper
Mar 23, 2026
Lower · Passed
Passed by the Assembly (72-0-0)
lower
Feb 19, 2026
Lower · Passed
Reported out of Assembly Committee, 2nd Reading
lower
Jan 13, 2026
Introduced
Introduced, Referred to Assembly Tourism, Gaming and the Arts Committee
lower
2 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors