Repeals law providing that violation of rear seat belt law be treated as secondary offense; establishes certain reporting requirements; requires AG to issue report.
This bill changes New Jersey's seat belt law by making it a primary offense for rear seat passengers to not wear seat belts, meaning police can now stop and ticket drivers solely for this violation (instead of only when stopping for another reason). It repeals current law that treated rear seat belt non-compliance as a secondary offense. The bill also requires all state and local police departments to submit detailed reports one year after implementation, tracking traffic stops related to rear seat belt violations, including reasons for stops, citations issued, searches, and arrests. The Attorney General must then analyze this data against prior years' information to assess impacts on law enforcement practices and report findings to the governor and legislature within six months. Additionally, the state must include this information in its federal Highway Safety Plan, detailing effects on crash injuries and fatalities.
Bill status
in committee
1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2026
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Jan 13, 2026
Last action Jan 13, 2026
Floor votes
How they voted
No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
1
Key actions
0
Committee
0
Jan 13, 2026
Introduced
Introduced, Referred to Assembly Public Safety and Preparedness Committee
lower
2 primary · 1 co-sponsor
Sponsors
Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Bob Auth
RRepublican
P
Brian Bergen
RRepublican
Co
Chris DePhillips
RRepublican
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