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

This bill (S 1002) creates a disorderly persons offense for individuals who falsely claim to be public utility employees to gain entry into a residence, without possessing a legitimate utility ID badge or having authorization to access property. It directly affects people who impersonate utility workers to enter homes and homeowners who might be deceived by such claims. The key provision makes it illegal to verbally misrepresent this status when entering a residence, based on a recent incident where an impersonator gained access and became aggressive. The law aims to enhance security by closing a gap in existing rules that only addressed false badges, not verbal deception. (Note: Bill is pending, introduced January 2026.)